Explore digital ads, stock photography, and design best practices to create better image assets and convert your target audience.
Amidst the complexity of algorithms and a never-ending number of competitors, it’s more challenging than ever to capture the attention of your online audience with ads. Especially if you don’t have the resources to craft an entirely custom campaign. That’s where stock photography comes in.
But, how can you maximize the effectiveness of stock imagery specifically for the digital space?
In this installment of our ongoing content series, Best Practices, we’ll be exploring digital ads, stock photography, and design best practices for bringing them both together.
Plus, we’ll share guidelines to select powerful images to increase engagement and effectiveness.
Understanding Stock Photography for Digital Ads
There’s a place for custom photoshoots, but they can be costly and time-consuming. Stock images offer a more economical alternative without compromising on quality. Stock libraries offer a wide selection of professional, optimized images that are ready to be incorporated into your digital campaigns.
They can also make it easier for you to keep up when you’re working on a tight timeline.
With Shutterstock, you can quickly select, purchase, and even edit stock photos straight from the licensing page. This jump-starts the design process and makes it possible to create the assets you need faster than ever.
Competition is high for audience attention. People click on about one of every 250 Google ads they see (which amounts to one out of every 1,000).
On Facebook, people only click once for every 1,961 ads they see. When chosen thoughtfully, stock images can cut through the noise by enhancing your campaign’s visual appeal and making your message more compelling.
Consider the following to choose stock images that resonate with customers and boost conversions.
Avoid Clichés
Your audience will likely see you (and your competitors’) ads on repeat. After all, research suggests that consumers need to view an ad seven to eight times before they’re sold.
Make sure you’re not relying on overused stock images that your audience has seen a million times before to prevent viewers from scrolling right past your campaign.
Instead, opt for more unique visuals that feel authentic to your brand.
Opt for images that are exciting and on-brand. License these images via eing and Okrasiuk.
Tap into Emotion
Choosing images your audience can connect with has a direct impact on the outcomes your ads get. Campaigns with emotional content perform about twice as well as those with only rational content.
Stay Relevant
The scroll is real! When scanning content, only a fraction of people reach the 15 second mark, fewer make it to 30 seconds. The majority of people will only see your ad for 1.7 seconds.
Help your audience understand what your ad is about right away by choosing relevant images.
If you’re promoting a fitness program designed to build muscle, a stock image of people weightlifting would be more relevant and compelling than a generic image of a gym. Your audience shouldn’t have to guess.
Can You Use Stock Photos in Digital Ads?
Understanding how to use stock images legally is crucial, especially when it comes to ads. You must have a specific license that allows for commercial use. Setting a budget aside for stock images is your best bet because it will give you a wide range of choices.
After paying for a stock image, you’ll typically receive a license granting you the rights to use the image in specific ways. Be sure that your license includes your use case before you start designing.
Stock Image + Display Ads Best Practices
If you’re not sure where to start with these images and ads, we’re here to help. Display ads are a form of online advertising that uses elements like images, audio, and video to communicate a message.
Here’s what you need to know before you jump into the design process:
Know Your Options
Each digital advertising format comes with its own set of advantages, limitations, and ideal use cases.
These are some of the most common types of digital ads:
- Display Ads: These are the visual ads you see on websites, usually as banners at the top, bottom, or sides of a page. They can include text, images, and video elements.
- Search Ads: These are the ads that appear at the top or bottom of search engine results for specific keywords. They’re usually text-based and appear as natural search results to encourage clicks.
- Social Media Ads: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn allow you to create ads in formats that are specific to their environment. These ads can usually include any kind of media that’s already found on the platform.
- Mobile or In-App Ads: These are ads that appear specifically on mobile sites or in applications. These typically appear as banners or videos.
- Email Ads: These are advertisements sent directly to a user’s email inbox, and are typically used to engage a website visitor or previous customer.
Pay Attention to Platform Specifications
Ensure that your asset’s dimensions and file size stick to the requirements of the digital ad platform you’re using, be it Facebook, TikTok, or anything in-between. This can make all the difference, as you may not be able to upload your ad, and even successful uploads may look wonky on screen.
For example, the recommended dimensions for a Facebook ad are 1080 x 1080 pixels and the maximum file size is 30 MB. The recommended dimensions for a TikTok image ad are 720 x 1280 pixels and the maximum file size is 100MB.
Some platforms may require different dimensions or aspect ratios for the best results with different placements. For video feed ads on Facebook, a ratio of 4:5 is ideal for mobile only, while 1:1 is recommended for desktop.
Square ad versus vertical (portrait) ad. License these images via InkheartX and xiaoxiao9119.
Don’t Forget About Retargeting
Many users won’t buy the first time they come into contact with a product or a brand. The good news? Retargeting can reduce cart abandonment by 6.5% and increase online sales by almost 20%.
Retargeting ads are shown to people who visited your website but didn’t take action. They’re designed to remind the potential customer of your product or service. You may have multiple designs with a goal of gaining five to 10 impressions per user.
That said, the benefits of retargeting come only when it’s done right. When using retargeting and multiple ad campaigns, maintaining consistent visuals across all digital ads using stock photos is key. It establishes brand recognition and trust.
Consider Experience After the Click Through
Once you do get a lead to click on your ad, what will they see next? Will they be confused or will the path they took make perfect sense?
Always make sure that the content of the stock image aligns with what you’re offering and what your brand stands for. Otherwise, your conversion rates can suffer.
Factor in Ad Longevity
If you’re planning a long-running ad campaign, pair stock images with designs that won’t quickly feel dated or season-specific. This is a balancing act. You’ll need to weigh visual trends with elements that don’t go out of style.
For example, you might try using one of the year’s trending colors in a classic gradient overlay for your stock image.
How to Enhance Engagement with Stock Photos in Digital Ads
Now that you know how to use stock imagery in your strategy, how do you get the best possible results?
Use these ideas to enhance engagement with your digital ads:
Leverage Interactive Formats
From carousel ads to story slides, there’s a lot to choose from when it comes to digital ads. Try using stock images in your assets across different formats.
Many platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat even offer augmented reality (AR) ads, which allow the user to superimpose 3D images into their environment using a mobile device camera.
According to Shopify, AR ads outperform traditional display ads with 94% higher conversion rates.
Do A/B Testing
One benefit of digital ads is that they offer quick feedback. Use this to your advantage by doing A/B testing to try different stock images.
This method allows you to compare two versions of an ad against each other to determine which one performs better. It might surprise you that small shifts can have an impact. (Think: Showing the same subject or item in a different pose or at a new angle.)
Review Across Devices
Digital ads aren’t one size fits all. Your target audience will likely view them across desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
Ensure that your stock photos and ad designs work across all these environments. That way, no matter where they’re clicking or tapping from, your ad will look crisp.
Include a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA)
The CTA prompts your audience to take the desired action, whether it’s signing up, buying, or learning more. When choosing the image for your digital ad, consider how these pieces will work together and what you can do to minimize distractions.
For example, you might look for an image that has negative space, so it’s easier to add a text overlay without overwhelming the viewer.
Then, when you’re brainstorming a CTA, pick a few powerful words to clarify the action you want to encourage. (Think: Limited Spots—Book Now! For a chartered vacation package.)
Discover the Power of Stock Images in Your Digital Ads
Your narrative, enhanced by powerful visuals, can leave a lasting impression and drive clicks. It’s your turn to put this knowledge to the test and see how advertising stock photos can make your assets even stronger.
Like this post? Stay tuned for our next installment of Best Practices for tips on using stock images on LinkedIn. We’ll show you how making use of a stock library can support your professional image and add value to the way you present yourself on the platform.
It’s never been easier to access everything you need in a single subscription. With Shutterstock Flex, you’ll have all-in-one access to our massive library, plus the FLEXibility you need to select the perfect mix of assets every time.
License this cover image via theshots.co.
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