The Stock Imagery Scourge

I absolutely despise stock imagery. Every time I see a business using stock imagery in their digital marketing efforts, my hackles get raised. Stock imagery often bears little resemblance to what it purports to represent. For example, many websites have a Contact Us page. Too often, this page will feature a stock photo of an enthusiastic call center employee wearing a headset and a suspiciously large smile. Anyone that has worked in a call center can attest that you don’t see smiles that big from people answering calls. 

Every single time I notice stock imagery on a website, I think of people laughing with their salads. It feels unnatural and forced.  

A much better alternative is taking photos that actually represent the business. A smartphone from several years ago almost certainly has a camera that is sufficient to take decent photos. Even better if you have a newer smartphone! The vast majority of digital ads will be seen in placements smaller than your hand, so you don’t need DSLRs and serious photography skills. Even a mediocre photo will look decently crisp when shrunk down to a 300x600 pixel ad.

Perfect is the enemy of the good here. Yes, all else being equal, of course higher-quality imagery is better than lower-quality imagery. But I strongly believe that authentic low-resolution imagery is better than inauthentic high-resolution stock imagery. As with so much else in PPC, I’d rather make a modest improvement immediately than wait weeks (or worse!) for the ideal solution to be possible.