Royalty-free photos for social media and blog posts

Royalty-free photos for social media and blog posts

stock photography

Great photography is increasingly important, as social media becomes a major point of contact for customers. While a quick Google search is simple, unfortunately it’s not legal. You risk receiving “take down” notices from companies who make more money by threatening lawsuits than they do selling the images in question.

So how do you find quality, risk and royalty free photos?

My top go-to sites are:

Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/

Pixabay has photos, illustrations, even video clips for free. A lot of European photos are available, if you have an international market. They even have an app for your mobile device.

How do they make money? You’ll notice a strip of photos from paid stock companies at the top and right of the results page.


Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/

In a short time, Unsplash has gone from an artsy photo boutique to a great source of quality photos that are much easier to search these days. They do ask you to credit the artists, but it’s not required. How do they make money – I really don’t know.


Pexels.com
https://www.pexels.com/

A slightly smaller scope, but for common themes, there are great photos here. They also have video available.


Reshot.com
https://www.reshot.com/

Similar to Pexels, Reshot has a smaller amount of photos, but they are high quality and include a lot of people shots.


Burst.shopify.com
https://burst.shopify.com/

Again, a trusty site for free, quality photographs on a limited number of topics.


There are some ways to search Google, Bing and Flickr for creative commons photos, but they don’t guarantee your right to use the image they way the two sites above do. Getty has a way to embed photos in blogs that give them credit. If you are a massive blogger, that may be worth signing up for. But for social media use, it’s not very helpful.

Be safe. Bookmark these sites and always check them first for appropriate images.

And just so you know, I am not an affiliate and get nothing out of recommending these sources.

Small Businesses are Often Environmentally Friendly

Small Businesses are Often Environmentally Friendly

home officeBeyond “Green” marketing efforts and manufacturers, it’s good to remember that small businesses are often environmentally friendly by nature – without even trying.

Self-employed professionals and at-home businesses not only remove themselves from the daily commute, they reduce the need for separate utility connections, bills, air conditioning and more by utilizing buildings that would otherwise sit idle. This kind of multi-tasking is the ultimate in the Reduce “R” of the recycling triangle.

So if green measures are important when you are shopping for services, consider the benefits of micro-businesses that reduce their impact on the environment by avoiding the intense overhead larger companies require. In addition, lower overhead usually means these businesses can offer more affordable services.

Better Business E-mail with Clients & Vendors

Better Business E-mail with Clients & Vendors

Send EmailE-mail is not always the most efficient medium for business communication, but it’s not going away. So here are some real-world tips for improving communication with your clients, vendors, donors, and colleagues. This is not the “be sure to check your spelling” list of dos and don’ts. If you don’t already do that stuff, you’re not going to do these things either. These are user-based tips for improving response, accuracy and usability.Continue Reading Better Business E-mail with Clients & Vendors

You’re not a spammer, are you?

I am always interested to see how spam is viewed differently by my clients, based upon which side of the inbox they are on. Almost all my clients dislike spam and want me to install spam filters on their email accounts and website forms. On the other hand, when it comes to advertising their products and services, they have a difficult time viewing their broadcast e-mails as spam.

Continue Reading You’re not a spammer, are you?

What you need to know about your domain.

The importance of your domain name registration information cannot be overstated. Your domain name, (i.e. url, yourstore.com) is the online equivalent to the title to your business. You would never misplace an important document like that. Don’t lose track of your domain.

How could that happen? It’s as simple as changing your e-mail address and failing to notify your domain name registrar*. When they try to notify you that your domain is expiring, you don’t get the message. Before you know it, your web site isn’t showing and you’re jumping through hoops and paying unnecessary fees to get your domain back. Or worse, you can lose your domain to squatters who pounce as soon as a domain exits its redemption period.** (I’ve had at least one client who lost their domain this way.)

So – check your contact info today. Better yet, go in and enter multiple e-mail addresses in your contact info (at different domains, please). Find your domain name registration login and keep it safe. Enter Papyrus as your technical contact if you don’t have another e-mail address. And while you’re at it, check your expiration date. The latest search engine optimization news says that Google prefers a domain name that is registered multiple years in advance. It’s a sign of committment. Just don’t forget to update your contact info in the meantime.

*Domain Name Registrar: the company you paid in order to use the domain. Common registrars are GoDaddy, Network Solutions, Register.com, 1and1.com et al. If you paid me to register your domain, I’ve already entered at least two different email addresses in your domain account.

**Redemption Period: you have a small window of time (e.g. 30-45 days) to renew a domain after it expires and before it is available to the open market. Domain “investors” watch lists of domains about to expire and will pounce if one comes open. Don’t think that your domain would not appeal to them. If it was valuable enough for you to register it, they are willing to bet you will pay them to retrieve it.