You did your research and formulated a great post. You’re happy with it but you get a nagging feeling that you could still improve on it. What can you do?

The saying a picture is worth a thousand words holds true for blog posts too.  Using images in your post generates interest in your article. Not only does it provide a break in your narrative but also adds aesthetic value. It also encourages social media interest and sharing among your readers.

Now having decided to add an image, you look around for what is available. Let’s face it, not all of us are great photographers, so we need to find high-quality professional images. The best is to rely on some stock photography sites. Below is a list of sites with their pros and cons.

Unsplash

(Free photography)

Pros: Offers copyright free photography and no attribution required. The photographs are of high quality, high resolution and have a modern look to them. Easily accessible and 10 new photos are released every 10 days.

Cons: Free photographs – yes, it’s a double-edged sword. By being free, everyone and their grandmother uses these images in their blogs. So you dilute your brand by having that post appear in hundreds of other blog posts.

Check out Unsplash’s beautiful images.

Public Domain Archive

(Free photography)

Pro: Offers free images for personal or commercial use, no link or attribution required.

Con: Others may use the same images.  No search help for categories on website. Make sure that you are on their site as some links lead to paid images.

See what Public Domain Archive has to offer.

Pixabay

(Public Domain–Free)

Pros: Have free access to their images. Can download, modify and distribute them in any way or form. They offer over 700,000 free stock photos, illustrations, vector graphics, and videos. Easily accessible and 10 new photos are released every 10 days.

Cons: Has a few restrictions – no use of identifiable people, permission is required. You are not allowed to depict people or organization as an endorsement of your product.

Discover the perfect image for your blog at Pixabay.

iStock

(Paid Image)

Pros: You get professional, good quality and high-resolution photographs. A large photo library, so lots of choices.

Cons: The images can look “stockish” that is have run of the mill feeling to it. Compared to the free images available can add to your expense.

Give iStock images a view.

Shutterstock

(Paid Image)

Pros: Good quality, professional images with high resolutions. Wider range of choices at your fingertips.

Cons:  Expensive and no originality to images.

Have a look at what Shutterstock has for your blog.

The Perfect Image for Your Blog

On an end note, always use stock photos which you are licensed to use. Stay away from including any image from a google search. As a B2B marketing blog, even if your blog is not popular, you don’t want to set yourself up for failure. Make sure to only use images that you are legally licensed to use.

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