The only goal of display ads is to capture attention. They are a straightforward tool, a way to make people notice your message. This is because people don’t make purchases immediately after seeing an ad. It’s more likely they’ll buy weeks or even a month later, after encountering your message multiple times hit them over the head (in a subtle way, of course). However, this entire process begins with at least one visually arresting interruption—and you may need several of these.
Think of it like a brightly lit “Open” sign. Creating effective image ads presents two main challenges. Firstly, developing relevant visuals is difficult, time-consuming, and costly. If you opt to save time and money by utilizing stock photos, you’ll need to sift through numerous unsuitable options before finding a few that work. This is where stock photo platforms become invaluable. The key lies in distinguishing the worthwhile platforms from the subpar ones. Some have a limited and uninspiring selection, while others charge exorbitant prices while still requiring you to purchase more images than you require. Therefore, here are five of the absolute best sources for advertising stock photos to help you create ads that boost revenue and are impossible for customers to ignore.
1. Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock is fully integrated with Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite.
Introduced in 2015 following Adobe’s acquisition of the stock photo company Fotolia, Adobe Stock was designed to integrate seamlessly with other applications within Adobe’s Creative Cloud, such as Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects, and more. This eliminates the need for a separate app or service, along with the hassle of downloads, exports, or zip files. Instead, it functions as an independent service operating alongside Creative Cloud, enabling you to locate and modify images within a single, convenient platform. One of the most remarkable features of Adobe Stock is its testing capability. We’ve all experienced this: you believe a particular photo will be ideal for your campaign, but after importing it into Photoshop and having your designers experiment with it, you’re not satisfied with the end result. Adobe allows you to download watermarked photos without charge to test them in Photoshop, so you can try before committing to a purchase.
If you find an image you like, you can easily search for more from the same image or model, a fantastic feature for maintaining consistent branding across your ads. You could use an image like the one shown above for a print ad, and then locate something similar for a banner ad:
Adobe Stock offers monthly image plans, with pricing tiers starting at three images per month for just $9.99. A higher-priced plan provides 10 images monthly for $29.99. All annual plans are billed on a monthly basis. With a library of over 100 million images, Adobe Stock offers more than enough options to keep you browsing for an entire afternoon. Furthermore, all plans include a complimentary month, granting you 10 free image downloads. Discounts are available for current Creative Cloud subscribers.
2. iStock
Consider iStock the younger, trendier, and more contemporary counterpart to iStockPhoto. Established in 2000, it stands as one of the longest-standing stock photo services available. Based in Alberta, Canada, iStock is owned by Getty Images.
In terms of pricing plans, iStock offers flexible options to suit various budgets. If you anticipate infrequent use, you can purchase credits that can be redeemed for stock images. However, for those who regularly need images, a subscription plan offers significant savings. iStock was a pioneer in the stock photo industry, being the first agency to adopt the “microstock” model. In this model, companies provide stock photos through a searchable database under a royalty-free license. Individuals and companies can then purchase these photos for a minimal micropayment. On-demand photos generally cost between $8 and $33 each, representing a significant price range. In comparison, the subscription-based service offers 10 images per month for $40, a great deal if you plan to A/B test different creative options.
iStock categorizes its photos, simplifying the browsing process for advertisers searching for the perfect image. For instance, the image below from their education category would be a perfect fit for a college brochure or print ad:
Their photos are also classified into two primary collections: the Essentials Collection and the Signature Collection. The Essentials Collection comprises more common, everyday photos suitable for casual design requirements. These images are typically more budget-friendly. The iStock Signature Collection, on the other hand, boasts images with higher production values and a more artistic aesthetic. Signature photos are exclusive to iStock, meaning you won’t find them elsewhere. While these photos might come at a higher price point, they reduce the chance of you and a competitor using identical images in ads and landing pages. iStock generously offers free downloads every week. Moreover, iStock goes beyond just photos, offering illustrations, video clips, and audio clips. This is particularly beneficial for those looking to create YouTube ads or radio spots. And if that weren’t enough, iStock also provides a search function with advanced filter options. This allows you to search based on criteria like file type, collection, shape, size, details, colors, file number, complexity, and more. iStock is also accessible globally, available in numerous languages including English, Korean, German, Spanish, Russian, French, Dutch, Japanese, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, and Brazilian Portuguese.
3. 99Club
The 99Club is operated by Stock Photo Secrets and derives its name from its pricing. Quite clever, isn’t it? An annual subscription to this service costs only $99, making it one of the most affordable options on our list. It also remains true to its word with no hidden fees, keeping the price at a genuine $99. It’s an ideal choice for budget-conscious businesses, bloggers, agencies, and designers.
99Club boasts over 4 million high-resolution photos, fonts, and vectors. While this is smaller than many other agencies, it comes at an incredibly competitive price. One of their unique offerings is royalty-free licenses for all their images. This means anything you purchase through 99Club can be used indefinitely, a distinctive feature considering many agencies require you to include a specific watermark with the photographer’s name or impose restrictions on where and how you can utilize the photo. Images like the following are perfect examples of royalty-free visuals you can use without limitations.
For a law firm, it’s a classic image with no elements that could become outdated. Or consider this one.
As long as courts exist, there will be suits, gavels, and Scales of Justice. You won’t have to worry about the image appearing dated. 99Club’s annual subscription grants you 200 XXL images per month. This is exceptional value considering the price, especially since most other services on our list don’t offer anywhere near this quantity. With the annual plan, the cost per image comes down to a mere 49 cents. If you need more than 200 images, you can purchase additional image packs. A 50-image pack costs $49, while an extra 100 images will cost $69. Once again, this represents fantastic value.
4. Photocase
Photocase is a German company headquartered in Berlin. Established in 2001 as a platform for the photography community, it has experienced significant growth since then, becoming a popular choice for businesses seeking to create more artistic advertisements.
Photocase distinguishes itself through its curated selection of unconventional and artistic images. Therefore, it might not be the best fit for local plumbing ads or technical B2B platforms. This highly curated approach results in a deliberately smaller image library. While most services on our list boast millions of images, Photocase features a collection in the hundreds of thousands. While this might not be ideal for larger advertising agencies with diverse clientele, it serves as an excellent niche option for those looking to incorporate unique and unconventional imagery into their ads. Due to their distinct nature, you’re unlikely to encounter the same images on other stock photo websites. Consider the image below.
This perfectly embodies Photocase’s individuality. This artistic image deviates from your typical advertising fare, but it could be the perfect fit for a young travel agency aiming to showcase destinations in a more captivating manner. One of Photocase’s key strengths lies in the authenticity of its images. Advertisements often feature flawlessly photoshopped models, achieving a level of perfection rarely seen outside of fantasy novels. Photocase, however, offers photographs of real people engaging in genuine activities in realistic settings. It’s an excellent choice if you’re looking to represent cultural and societal diversity in your ad campaigns. Take this image, for example.
It depicts an average man underwater with a genuine smile. A travel agency could use this image to create an advertisement for a tropical getaway. Just looking at it makes me want to go snorkeling! All Photocase images are royalty-free with customizable terms. Individual purchases are possible, with small photos costing $10, standard size photos costing $15, and large images costing $20. Photocase also offers credits, which provide better value. For 25 credits, you’ll pay $49, while 1,000 credits cost $1,099. You can get a small photo for three credits, a standard image for six credits, and a large image for 10 credits. When you do the math, purchasing large photos with credits costs almost half the price. Despite its growth over the years, Photocase remains true to its origins as a photographer-centric platform. It retains features that appeal to photographers, such as social forums and functions that allow them to comment on or like each other’s work.
5. nexus-security Advisor
Yes, you read that correctly. nexus-security recently introduced a Shutterstock integration, incorporating Shutterstock’s vast library of high-quality images into the Advisor platform. And this library is truly impressive. Shutterstock currently offers over 250 million images, with new additions every day. The content and composition of their photographs are incredibly diverse. Whether you’re creating an ad for a luxury resort, a software product, or a plumbing service, you’re bound to find a suitable image. You can also choose from various color schemes to maintain brand consistency or select different sizes to ensure your image ad adheres to specific platform guidelines.
The best part? You can create your Facebook or display ad all in one place, from start to finish. In terms of pricing, this feature is included in Advisor’s suite of Smart Ads tools at no additional cost for all nexus-security users. Interested in trying it out first? You can sign up for a free trial to test drive the feature.
Time to Stock Up!
All these services offer excellent images suitable for ad campaigns across various industries. The best choice for you will ultimately depend on your company’s specific needs and budget. Whichever service you choose, you can be confident in finding high-quality images at reasonable prices from any of our top picks for advertising stock photos.