5 Sites with Free Local Marketing Stock Photos

When it's time to create a Facebook post or send an email or update your website, one of the first things to consider is what images you'll use. 

For local businesses, photos of actual customers in your location or using your products are often best.  But when that isn't a viable option, stock photos can be a great alternative. 

And the good news is that stock photos have never been more accessible or offered such diverse photo choices. 

Even better news?  We've got a list of five sites that offer free stock photos you can use in your local marketing.
 

UNSPLASH

Unsplash offers a great selection of kid and family stock photos. Indoor and outdoor settings, casual and more formal looks are all part of the choices you'll find.

The easy to use interface allows you to search by color, photo orientation and more. Plus the Unsplash license grants unlimited use for commercial purposes with no attribution required.

PEXELS

Pexels provides a nice variety of family-friendly images as well as videos. International photographers contribute to the more worldly feel of many of the images and offer a diverse range of people and places.

Some sponsored photos do appear in the search results but are clearly marked. The Pexels license grants unlimited use for commercial purposes with no attribution required.

PIXABAY

With more than 1.7 million stock photos, there are plenty of choices on Pixabay. In addition to images and videos, you can also find illustrations and vector files that can be useful for some marketing projects.

Several search options make it easy to use and the license grants unlimited commercial use with no attribution required.

RESHOT

Plenty of images to choose from on Reshot with a particular bent towards stock photos that don't always look like traditional stock photos.

Not a lot of bells and whistles from a search perspective so you'll need to spend some time scrolling, but you'll be rewarded with unique options you may not see elsewhere and a license for unlimited commercial use with no attribution required.

STOCKVAULT

A surprisingly large number of kid and family images can be found on Stockvault. The quality of images is much more variable here so you may need to be a bit more selective.

But if you're looking for images you won't see on every website and those that might look more authentic, this could be a great option. Like the other choices, the Stockvault license grants unlimited commercial use with no attribution required.

CANVA

We had to add a bonus site to our list.  If you're not already familiar with Canva, you should be.  Canva lets anyone become a graphic designer by dragging and clicking.  No professional experience necessary. 

Create social media posts, ads, infographics and much more all with a free account.  Plus it offers a decent selection of free stock photos, backgrounds, and other fun elements. 

If you feel like upgrading your images you can take a look at their huge selection of premium stock photos that cost just one dollar each.  Canva will make you feel like a marketing master and you'll have fun doing it, plus all images and designs include a license for all commercial use with no attribution required.

These days most marketing is image-driven. Don't let a lack of great visuals deter you from creating social media posts, updating your website or sending out that perfect email.

Check out these stock photo resources and start thinking about how you can take advantage of them to grow your business.