There is no doubt, used well; images can have a major impact on the success of your email marketing campaigns. However one of the major issues many small businesses have is where can I find images to use in my campaigns?
Obviously the temptation is to search the Internet and copy a photo or illustration straight into your website of email campaign. However unfortunately you can’t do this, all images are the property of the photographer or artist, so using images without permission infringes copyright laws.
So as a little helping hand, here are some ideas you can use to find great images for your email campaigns.
1) Use your brand / logo
Always use your own branding on your email campaigns. Firstly it is your to use, but secondly its essential for your contacts to instantly see who the message is being sent from.
2) Create your own images
One of the quickest ways to create an image is to simply take a photo yourself. Maybe it could be a quick picture of a product or your team at work in the office.
If you are a little more creative you could also create your own graphic either just a simple sketch or using a computer program such as Photoshop.
3) Pay for pictures
There is a range of online photo databases where you can purchase professional quality photos to use in your marketing (this then gives you the license to use the image in your marketing). It is worth checking out iStockphoto (www.istockphoto.com) and Shutterstock (www.shutterstock.com).
Obviously this can be an expensive method of obtaining pictures, however if also used across your website and other marketing can prove a worthwhile method.
4) Find free images that are legal
You will also find online a range of website that provide royalty free images you can use in your email marketing campaigns. Although the images you use are free, you will need to sign up to each site, and also credit the use of the photo to the photographer in your marketing. Be sure to check out the T&C’s before using any free images. Here are some below where you can find free images –
Flickr – www.flicker.com (search for ‘Creative Commons licensed’)
Free Range - www.freerangestock.com
Morgue File – www.morguefile.com
Pixel Perfect Digital – www.pixelperfectdigital.com
With so many ways to find images for your email marketing campaigns, there are no excuses for not making your campaigns a visual delight!