The image banks They are one of the most used tools in content marketing, because a visual element can make reading a text much more pleasant. In the visual element, we include photographs, videos, infographics, maps, illustrations or other elements that make the content more attractive to the user. However, many brands find that they do not have enough material to support their content, so they have to resort to stock images or videos.
We explain what exactly image and video banks are and which are the most used and popular.
Image and video banks: how does it work?
Image and video banks are web pages where you can buy or download free of charge, although sometimes under certain conditions, different visual aids, such as photographs, illustrations or videos, among others. Usually this material is royalty free or can be used for non-commercial purposes, which means it can be posted on blogs, social media or other places as long as it is not in the form of an advertisement.
In order to use the material of an image and video bank correctly, it is important to know the limits and conditions of each of them, since in some it can be done freely and free of charge, while in others, it is necessary to pay a fee to be able to do so. There are also banks that do not allow partial or total modification of the downloaded material and there are those that require the mention of the author, among others.
The best image banks
Although there are dozens of stockpiles, not all of them contain material good enough to accompany content intended to capture the attention of the public. So, out of all of them, here are the best options:
Videovo.net
The video is a bank of digital assets including videos, motion graphics, video editing templates, as well as music and sound effects. The interesting thing about this library is the fact that it offers thousands of absolutely free downloads. There is a filter system that will allow you to find free downloadable files.
You can also find Premium options offered at the most competitive prices among paid stock libraries. These plans guarantee at least HD quality in the videos as well as a royalty-free license. Annual subscriptions represent the best value for money, especially since downloads become unlimited with this paid option.
pixel
pixel is one of the most used stock images, since all stock photos and videos can be used completely free of charge, there is no need to mention the author and it is allowed to make changes, which is a great advantage to differentiate yourself from others. web pages that have also used this same photograph. Moreover, it allows the download of different sizes in high quality.
All the material published on Pexels is perfectly marked up, so it is very easy to find it thanks to its search bar.
unsplash
unsplash is another great platform that allows you to download high resolution photos for free. It is estimated that it has more than 190,000 photographs, which can be used in any personal and commercial project and freely modified without the need to mention the author.
Unlike many other such platforms, Unsplash allows you to use photos for commercial purposes. Of course, you cannot request exclusive use of an image.
Freepik
In Freepik Over 10 million graphic elements can be found, many of which are high quality photographs. On this platform, you can download stuff for free or there is also a paid version which gives access to more content.
Users who opt for the free version will only be able to download 10 times a day and must add a link that redirects to the platform and mention the author of the image. Premium or paid users, on the other hand, can perform up to 100 daily downloads and will get the full license of the hardware used.
istock
Another bank of photographs, illustrations, videos and other visual aids is istock. Although this platform has material with different types of license, much of it can be used for advertising, web pages, blogs or presentations, among others, since they are royalty free.
This site is paying and offers different types of account: basic, premium and premium + video.
Getty Images
In Getty Images thousands of stock photos and royalty-free images can be found, although a license must be purchased to download the file and use it. One of the advantages is that the images can be used for both personal and commercial use, although you should always check that there are no exceptions.
The material that can be found on this platform is of exceptional quality, but its prices are also quite high compared to other image banks. Through this platform, you can even hire a personalized session to create exclusive material.
Adobe Stock
Adobe also has its own bank of free resources, the Adobe Stock. This platform contains millions of stock photos, vectors, videos and other materials, all of them of very good quality. Moreover, all downloaded files can even be used for commercial purposes.
Not all content is licensed under the same type, so always check before use if it is web-only, print-only, or can be used in any marketing strategy.
Shutterstock
Shutterstock is a worldwide used image bank that also offers downloadable videos and music. This platform is often used by graphic designers, creative directors, video editors, and other professionals.
To download content from this website, you need to register, which is a small inconvenience because all account types are paid. Depending on the type of subscription chosen, you will have access to one type of content with a more flexible license than another, as well as downloads will be limited.
pixabay
pixabay It is another of the most used and widespread image banks in the world, since it has more than a million downloadable elements.
Images may be published, modified, distributed and even used for commercial purposes without attribution of authorship. However, Pixabay displays different types of material, some of which may be copyrighted. This means that before using an object downloaded from this image bank, you must ensure that its license allows it.
It is not necessary to register to download images, although users who wish to have them in their original size must do so.
The best video banks for your content
Although many image banks are also video banks, for brands that want material to launch video marketing campaigns, here are the best options:
Vimeo
Vimeo It is one of the most popular and widely used video platforms in the world. Here you can find content of all kinds, and unlike YouTube or other similar platforms, Vimeo has a much more professional and artistic image.
Users who wish to access Vimeo can do so entirely for free, although there is also a paid version. Moreover, not all Vimeo videos are reusable, since it is the same author who decides whether the content is downloadable or not, whether it is public or private, whether it can be published on a site or not. .
videzy
videzy It is a very popular video bank, as it has more than 1,000 videos in 4K quality divided into different categories. Best of all, however, is that you don’t have to pay to download and use them.
One of its main disadvantages is that some videos are sponsored. In this case, they cannot be reused.
Out of curiosity, Videezy has some functionalities that can recall those of a social network, since it allows interaction with other users and the authors of the video.
video
video It is considered one of the best free video platforms. It offers quality material, it is not necessary to register to consult and download it.
The website allows you to freely use the material, both in personal and commercial projects, as well as to edit them and make any mixtures or variations that are contemplated. Of course, it is necessary to include a link to the website to attribute the audit even if only a fragment of the video was used.
cover
cover is another of the best video banks that can be used for content creation.
The videos are completely free to download and freely used in personal and commercial projects. It allows custom searches, but it also has sections. That yes, as happens in this type of platforms, all Coverr material, although used freely, does not grant an exclusive license.
Although image and video banks are two very good tools for carrying out content creation strategies, we recommend that you do not abuse them and, above all, check the rights of the material downloaded. In addition, whenever the platform allows, we recommend that you make changes so that the material is not identical to that of other web pages, which is usually very common.
