In today’s post, let’s talk about the legal use of photos in your content marketing efforts. This includes social media accounts, blog posts, websites, advertisements, basically anywhere that you are going to use a photo to advertise your business in some way.

I’m going to share the most important tip right here, in case you quit reading before you get to the end.

You can’t just go grab any old photo or graphic from the Internet and “borrow” it for your social media post.

There are copyright laws and photo rights licensing and all kinds of things that protect the owners of creative work. “Borrowing” their work for your commercial use is not flattery. It’s stealing, and it can get you in lots of trouble.

So, I’ve put together a list of what you CAN do for your photo and graphic needs.

Take your own photos

Taking your own photos is the BEST thing to do. There’s no question if you are allowed to use it if it belongs to you. If you aren’t the best photographer, there are lots of books and online resources to help you improve your skills. There are also lots of photo filters that can make okay photos look pretty good! Another bonus here is that the cost = free.

One note to keep in mind if you are taking any photos with recognizable faces in them is that you must obtain a photo release from that person. Whether they are a staff member, client, or someone you happen to see in the park … if you can see their face, you need their permission to use the photo. You can find some templates online and easily create one for your company’s use. It can actually be a form that you have all staff sign at the time of hire. If you are hosting a public event, you can add a disclaimer to the ticket stating that photos taken at the event may be used for advertising purposes.

Hire a photographer

Hiring a photographer to work with your company is also a great way to ensure you get photos that are specific to your business and that you have permission to use. Work with them to create a package to meet your needs, perhaps a combination of some brand photos of yourself or your team, your office, and/or your product, etc. Look at this as more of an investment than an expense, as it can give you a library of great branded photos to use over time, as needed.

In some cases, photographers may be willing to do a type of trade agreement with you. For example, I used to work at a vacation rental company where we had a photographer come stay at the beach with us every year for free. In exchange, he gave us a portfolio of photos he took during his stay that we could use in our marketing efforts throughout the year. Don’t expect your local photographer to agree to something like this, but if there is a mutually beneficial reason for both parties to do so, it may work out for you!

Buy stock photography

Buying stock photography is a great option to ensure you are compliant. I love 123RF and Deposit Photos, but other sites include iStockPhoto, Shutterstock, and more. There are also some small business photographers who offer subscription packages for stock photography. I am a member of and love the Ivory Mix membership.

Note: even when you purchase stock photography or illustrations, most of them are not allowed to be used for business logos. You should hire a graphic designer for your logo creation needs.

Use free stock photography

Using free stock photography is an option that has mixed feelings in the industry. There are sites like Pexels.com and Pixabay.com that offer an awesome selection of stock photos that are free for commercial use.

Use your own judgment on this, because the caution here is that just because the photos say they are royalty-free and allowed for commercial use – there is always the possibility that the original photographer isn’t the person who uploaded the photo. So, you could actually be using someone’s photo without permission, even though you don’t know it. This isn’t a lecture, because I am actually an avid user of Pexels.com. But, everyone’s comfort level is different and lots of people will tell you to steer clear of sites like this for that reason. Content creation software like Canva and InVideo also have stock images and videos included for your use.

Ask permission

If you find a photo somewhere online that you love but it doesn’t appear to be free or for sale, you can always ask permission to use it and give the owner credit. They may agree to let you do that in exchange for a social media tag and/or shoutout.

For example, in the tourism industry often the visitors’ bureau will have a curated collection of photos. I was recently allowed to use a bunch for one of my clients, with the agreement we would tag the visitors’ bureau in our posts (which is one of those mutually beneficial things I’m talking about anyway, so everyone wins!) All you can do is ask. If they say no, you don’t use the photo and you move on. If they say yes, well – yay!

When in doubt, don’t.

As with many things, if you are in doubt as to whether you should use a photo or not … just don’t.

I hope these tips have been helpful. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments!