Five tips for using stock photos in your email marketing

How can you use images effectively in your marketing? Stock photos can enhance the content in your emails without adding additional design work, and there are a lot of resources to find stock images –some of which are free, some paid. Images, used correctly and in a positive light, can bring out positive emotions from users, and evoking emotions in your ads can actually increase conversions[1].

Using stock images is essential in marketing, so it’s important to know how best to how to apply them. Here are five tips for using stock images so you can make an impact the right way:

Always make alternative text available: Some users may not see all the images, and that’s why it’s important to add “alt” text – users can read the descriptive text and still get the point of the image.

Don’t let images replace content: Your email shouldn’t appear to be full of images. Only use about thirty percent of your available space for images.[2]

Make sure image files aren’t too large: Always resize the images so they fit inside your emails; they shouldn’t look too large or small.

Make sure to stick to the brand: Try to incorporate the company colors and logos in the images, so the subscribers will think of the business.[3]

Use the right number of images: On average, you should use about three or fewer images. This number can differ depending on the type of email and content.

And here’s a bonus tip – five great sites for finding free stock photos:

[1] Nussey, Virginia. Emo CRO: Get the Conversion, Go for the Gut. October 25, 2011. Accessed October 23, 2017. https://www.bruceclay.com/blog/conversion-with-emotional-appeal/

[2] Kevin. Email Images: How Many & When to Use Them. Accessed October 20, 2017. https://emailmarketing.comm100.com/email-marketing-ebook/email-images.aspx

[3] Paquet, Miranda. Avoid These 6 Common Mistakes When Adding Images to Your Email Marketing. March 11, 2015. Accessed October 20, 2017. https://blogs.constantcontact.com/images-of-email/