Find images for your content
Find images for your content
1. Identify the main concept you're describing in your content to determine what kind of image you need and the keywords that will help you search for it.
Adding images to your content helps illustrate a concept you’re explaining in your post. It can also help your audience stay visually engaged. In blog posts, images also help break up large blocks of text to give your readers a visual break. For example, if you were looking for an image to add to a section of a blog post that describes how a messy work environment can affect your mental state and productivity, you might use search terms like messy office, cluttered desk, and chaotic workspace.
2. Search for free photos that are in the Creative Commons and identify how the image is licensed, to determine how you can use it and attribute the image to the original creator.
The different types of Creative Commons licenses are tagged by attribution (BY), share alike (SA), non-commercial (NC), and no derivatives (ND). They include: CC BY: Attribution to the original creator is required; the image is free to use for commercial or non-commercial purposes; the image can be shared as-is or adapted to change or build on the original image. CC BY-SA: Attribution to the original creator is required; the image is free to use for commercial or non-commercial purposes; the image can be shared as-is or adapted to change or build on the original image; adaptations must be shared under the same license as the original work. CC BY-NC: Attribution to the original creator is required; the image is free to use for non-commercial purposes only; the image can be shared as-is or adapted to change or build on the original image. CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution to the original creator is required; the image is free to use for non-commercial purposes only; the image can be shared as-is or adapted to change or build on the original image; adaptations must be shared under the same license as the original work. CC BY-ND: Attribution to the original creator is required; the image is free to use for commercial or non-commercial purposes; the image can be shared only in its original, unedited form. CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution to the original creator is required; the image is free to use for non-commercial purposes only; the image can be shared only in its original, unedited form. CC0: The image is in the public domain and no attribution is required; the image is free to use for commercial or non-commercial purposes; the image can be shared as-is or adapted to change or build on the original image with no conditions. A few platforms that offer Creative Commons licensed photos include Creative Commons, Flickr, Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay.
3. Find a royalty-free stock photo that you can purchase a license to use in your content.
Royalty-free images are available to purchase with a small one-time fee for multiple uses. Many stock photo websites will also offer a subscription-based payment plan if you need to source a large volume of images consistently for your business. Royalty-free images do not transfer the copyright of the image to you upon purchase; the license simply allows you permission to use the image in a certain way. Because the copyright still belongs to the original photographer, royalty-free images will often require that you credit the creator with an attribution or link. Pay close attention to the conditions on each image’s license to see whether there are any restrictions for editing or altering the image, and whether you can use that image for non-commercial or resale purposes. A few platforms that offer royalty-free stock photos include: Shutterstock iStockPhoto Adobe Stock
4. Purchase a rights-managed stock image for exclusive rights to a one-time use of the image for a specified purpose and amount of time.
Rights-managed stock photos expire after the specified amount of time for the license passes. They must also be used only for the purpose that it was intended for at the time of purchase, otherwise using it would violate the terms of the license. These tend to be more expensive than other stock photo alternatives, but the main benefit of purchasing a rights-managed stock image is that other people cannot license the same image while you hold the exclusive rights to use it. A couple platforms that offer rights-managed stock photos include: Getty Images Corbis
5. Find user-generated content on social media that users tagged your business in. Send the original creator a DM to ask permission for re-sharing or using their image in your content.
User-generated content can be a valuable way to showcase your business or products being used by real customers. Remember to always ask for the creator’s permission before using a photo they posted, and if they say yes, make sure you tag them in the new post and give credit to them in the caption.
6. Add the proper attributions to your image, depending on what is required by the licensing of the image.
It’s a good practice to attribute any sourced images you use in your content, unless the license specifically states that it doesn’t require one. Add an attribution below the image, following the specific requirements detailed in the license: If you acquired the image from a stock photo website, you might be required to mention the site in your attribution and link the text to the specific image or photographer’s page on the site. For example: Image: Flickr with the name of the site used as anchor text for the link. If you acquired the image directly from the creator, you can name the photographer directly in your attribution and link the text to their website or social media. For example: Image: [photographer name] with the name used as anchor text for the link.