Did you know that people only retain 10% of the information when they hear it? But try pairing up that piece of information with a relevant image. You’ll find that people can still remember 65% of it three days later. (Source)
That describes the power of visual content. Traditionally, you would start thinking about hiring a photographer. You would wonder about what specific pictures you need. Then, you would spend resources just to make a couple of pictures just right.
Thank heavens for royalty-free images! They make the entire process easier.
What are royalty-free images?
Right off the bat, you have to understand that royalty-free does not mean cost-free. You still have to pay a certain fee for royalty free images. However, it’s just a one-time fee that already allows you to use the image in multiple ways.
Using the photo does not come with a deadline, either. You can basically use the image forever once you’ve paid the required fee for it.
This does not mean that you own the photo. The photographer still owns the photo. Having a royalty-free license only means that you can use it. The main copyright still belongs to the original owner of the image.
This means that the owner or photographer can continue to sell the photo to other users.
Royalty-Free versus Stock Photos
Over the years, people have used the terms “stock” and “royalty-free” interchangeably. But it may surprise you to find out that these mean two different things.
Stock Photos
Stock photos free you from the usual costs of setting up your own photo shoot. However, the use of the image you purchase is also pretty limited.
Buying a stock photo means you can only use it for the purpose you indicated. This is usually only suitable for a small number of times. This means that if you want to use a stock image in more ways than one, you would usually have to pay more.
Royalty-Free Photos
Royalty-free photos, on the other hand, are not as limited. Once you pay the one-time fee, you can use the photo no matter how many times you wish. You can also use them forever.
Exclusivity may also be a concern for you. Both royalty-free photos and stock images are not completely exclusive. A royalty-free photo you paid for will continue to be open for use by other people. As for stock photos, there might be a few restrictions.
Here’s an example. An auto salesman bought a specific photo. He may pay extra if the photographer agrees not to let other auto salespeople use it. However, people from other industries may still buy the stock photo.
The more restrictions you place on the use of the stock photo, the more expensive it also becomes.
Using Royalty-Free Photos on WordPress
Here’s some great news for WordPress users. Using royalty-free photos on your pages is relatively straightforward. It would be a perfect idea to purchase a royalty-free photo bundle so that you can make the most out of your investment.
DealFuel has an amazing mega bundle that gives you access to over 15,000 images in one go.
Once you have the images you need, you can start using them on your WordPress site.
- Log in as page admin and proceed to the editor.
- Place your cursor on the area where you want to insert the image.
- Click on the “Add Media” icon.
- Click on “Add New”. This will allow you to upload the photos in your computer’s Media Library.
- Once the image appears on your WordPress library, click on it then click “Insert” if you want to use it as is. You can also click on “Edit” if you want to change anything on the image before using it.
It’s a good thing WordPress makes the process seamless and easy. This means that you can make the most out of your pages by adding visual content as much as you want.
Benefits of Using Royalty-Free Images
Are you still thinking twice about whether royalty-free photos are the way to go? This list can change your mind.
They’re ready to use.
Purchase a royalty-free image now, and use it the minute after. That’s how quickly you can use royalty-free photos. You’ll understand what a huge relief this is if you know how tedious it is to set up your own photo shoot. It cuts down the preparation time significantly.
You can use them multiple times.
What makes royalty-free photos cheaper and more convenient is the fact that a single photo can go a long way. You don’t have to purchase a new photo each time you need one for a page. If you feel that the same image will work on your other projects, you can freely use them over and over again.
They’re Pocket Friendly.
As mentioned earlier, stock photos are usually more expensive than royalty-free ones. They are definitely cheaper than having to pay for your own photographer and photo shoot as well.
You can modify them as needed.
Ever encountered a royalty-free photo that you feel captures what you need if you add a little twist to it? That’s another great thing about these images. You may find yourself in one of those “almost, but not quite” moments. When this happens, you can intensify your images with cool & modern photo effects until you get exactly what you need.
They’re high quality.
Just because something is expensive does not guarantee that it’s high quality. In the same sense, something cheap does not always belong to the rubbish bin. Royalty-free images are often high quality. They’ll make you feel like you hired a seasoned photographer to take the photos you need.
There’s no other way around it. Royalty-free images are exactly what you need if you want to take your content to the next level.
Tips for Using Royalty-Free Photos
You can’t make the most out of the benefits on royalty-free photos if you don’t know how to use them. Here are a few tips that will help you maximize their use:
Keep them relevant.
A lot of people have fallen prey to it. You browse through a site where you can purchase royalty-free images. You oooh and aaah in delight as you see one great picture after another. Before you know it, you’ve downloaded quite a number of them.
But are these images relevant to your content?
Make sure that you align the image you use to the message you’re sending across. These sites often have search filters you can use to narrow down your choices.
Modify as needed.
It’s great that you can use a single photo for multiple occasions. But your audiences seeing the same image, again and again, is not a good thing. Your content may come across as cheap or generic.
This is why it’s important to modify as much as you can. You can add text to the images to emphasize a message. You can also add your brand logo, or maybe a tagline in one corner. These immediately show that you own the photo.
Be creative! There are so many ways for you to modify images. You can add filters, or maybe use different photos on a single page, collage-style.
Use different angles.
Just because you weren’t the one who took the photo doesn’t mean you can’t use different angles. You’ll be surprised by the number of ways you can use a single photo.
Let’s say you’re using a portrait of a girl. You can use the full photo on one page, and zoom in on the eyes on another. Use half the picture for dramatic effect on another project.
These different angles will make one picture seem like a million different ones. It’s all about looking at it in different ways and from a different perspective.
Don’t overuse a single image.
Just because you paid for it doesn’t mean you can overuse it. Some brand owners feel that they should maximize their investment. This causes them to use a single photo as much as they can.
Instead of feeling bad about the cost, feel sorry about the potential leads you might lose. Your audiences will not like seeing the same thing over and over again. They might feel that you are not as invested in your content. Even worse, they may feel that you will not be as invested in them, either.
Know when to stop using a photo. If you want to refrain from overusing an image, set limits. Don’t use the same photo in 3 different posts in a single month. Try spacing them out.
Always zoom back to the fact that royalty-free images can do wonders for your page. Don’t think of it as an added cost. Think of it as an investment.
Always go back to the fact that your audience will be more engaged through the photos you use. Good content is just right without pictures. What makes it great is the visual elements you add to it. In time, you’ll see your page performance slowly rising.
