While nothing beats professional photos of your business, customers, store, etc., it can be a hard expense to justify when you’re just starting out or working with a really small marketing budget. Paid stock photo sites (like Shutterstock, iStock or Getty Images) are an option, but luckily there are many free stock photo sites you can use if your needs aren’t super specific. Here are a few of my favorites.
- Unsplash – simple, modern, aesthetically-pleasing images; check out the Current Events category
- StockSnap – they have a Trending category (totally Insta-worthy)
- Pexels – a bit more artsy
- Burst – owned/managed by Shopify
- Reshot – a bit more indie
- Nappy – “Beautiful, high-res photos of black and brown people. For free.”
- CreateHerStock – images featuring melanated women; some images free, others paid
- TONL – check out the collections on the top menu
Great photos can make a huge difference for website and social media content. When your budget grows, getting shots that are unique to your brand is a must. But for now, you can tell your story well with existing stock photos.
