The Power of People Pictures in Social Media Branding

Download commercially-friendly pictures of people from Depositphotos

Today, consumers are bombarded with content almost constantly, and it is becoming increasingly challenging to break through the noise on social media. You can cut through this clutter using a simple yet powerful solution—pictures of people can help make your brand more approachable and trustworthy. In this article, you’ll discover how such visuals can help you create memorable connections and foster lasting brand loyalty. Read on to find the top three stock content websites where you can download HD, licensed visuals.

What impact do pictures of people have in social media branding?

These days, more and more people use social media on a daily basis. The number of social media users across the globe reached 4.9 billion in 2023 and is expected to jump to 6.05 billion by 2028. Naturally, more businesses and creators start seeing social media as a useful tool to grow their businesses and personal brands.

However, to use visuals wisely and efficiently on social media, you need to understand their impact on your target audience. Here’s how people pictures can influence your followers.

1.   Humanizing your brand

Using people’s photos will help make your brand look more relatable and approachable. Brands that show how real people use their products can create a connection that feels personal rather than corporate. It also demonstrates that you share and respect customer experiences and values.

2.   Showcasing a certain inspiring lifestyle

Today, some brands are considered lifestyle brands as they showcase a certain identity and way of life, whether it’s a luxurious old-money vibe or something more casual yet still inspiring, like Nike’s advertising. In any of these cases, pictures of people can be used to portray that lifestyle. Seeing others embodying it can encourage consumers to make purchases in hopes of replicating that experience.

3.   Gaining social proof

Buyers often trust recommendations from people they admire or relate to. So if you manage to collaborate with them or use them in your brand’s images for other purposes (for instance, create a series of posts about what a certain celebrity or influencer would pick from your products or services), your audience might become more likely to purchase from you.

4.   Building a community and growing engagement

Many brand’s campaigns feature their customers or influencers. Reposting these images helps build a sense of community around the brand, and also increase consumer engagement and loyalty. This interaction can help you boost brand visibility and create a feeling of belonging among your followers.

5.   Enhancing emotional connection and storytelling

Using images of people to tell a story or evoke certain emotions can help you create a strong bond between followers and your brand. You can pick visuals that convey happiness, confidence, or success to tap into your followers’ emotions and make your products more appealing. This way, consumers will start envisioning how your products or services can improve their lives.

Where can you find high-quality stock images of people?

If you need pictures of people to support your brand’s ideas, stock content websites are a go-to option. They offer a fast and affordable way to get high-quality images with simple licensing rules.

Check out these top three stock image marketplaces to discover visuals for your projects.

1.   Discover high-quality stock photos of people on Depositphotos

Depositphotos is an international stock content platform with over 280 million royalty-free files. It features photos, illustrations, vectors, clipart, videos, sound effects, and music tracks. If you’re looking for specific, thematic visuals, you can browse curated collections like “All About Love”, “Pearlescence”, “Seasons of the Year”, and many more.

You can also search for pictures using keywords or the Reverse Image Search tool, which lets you upload a reference file to find similar licensed images in the library. Search results can be filtered by various parameters such as the number of people, gender, age, ethnicity, camera angle, and more.

To find free images on Depositphotos, simply select “Free” in the search bar. To download unwatermarked premium images, you can purchase a subscription, which also allows you to download 50 AI-generated images using the new AI Image Generator.

2.   Find authentic stock visuals on EyeEm

EyeEm is a big stock image site with a wide variety of high-quality photos. It focuses solely on photography and strives to offer authentic and appealing visuals to its clients. EyeEm has curated collections like “Sustainability”, “Portraits”, and “Abstract”, among others. You can search by keyword and filter the results by quality, format, resolution, color, number of people, age groups, and image style.

The photos on EyeEm aren’t free, so if you want to use them legally for your brand’s commercial projects, you’ll need to buy a photo pack or get an annual subscription.

3.   Source free people images from international creators on Unsplash

Unsplash offers over 6 million free high-resolution photos and illustrations contributed by the worldwide community. You can check out Featured image selections, such as “Street Photography”, “Spirituality”, or “Macro Moments”; check out Trending collections; or run a regular image search by keywords.

All platform’s images are free and are distributed under the Unsplash license. This license allows you to download and use Unsplash images for free, both for commercial and non-commercial purposes, without needing permission (though giving credit is appreciated). However, you can’t sell the images without significant changes or use them to create a competing service.

To sum up

Using pictures of people in your social media branding is a powerful way to connect with your audience on a deeper level and enhance how your followers perceive and engage with your brand. To make the most of such visuals, consider using high-quality stock images from trusted platforms like Depositphotos, EyeEm, or Unsplash. Doing so will allow you to create a compelling social media presence that resonates with your audience and drives your brand’s success.