It’s an age-old marketing question. Should we use stock photography or compose our own images? Stock photography is certainly more affordable and quicker to access. But real photography means you can get the exact shot you need for your purposes. There was a lively discussion on this subject recently in the Church Marketing Lab, but we wanted to gauge your feelings on the topic:
The big winner? The 52% of you who are riding the fence. For you, the right choice is situation-dependent. There are times stock photography is the right answer, and times doing your own shoot is right. We’d love to hear in the comments the factors you’d use to make this determination.
Next up, 26% of those that responded said real photography is always the winner. You get to compose the shot just as you want it, and you can be precise in what you’re communicating. For you, that’s worth the extra time and money.
Another 12% love the idea of stock photography and think it’s the right way to go, but they just don’t have the funds to pull it off. It’s a tough dilemma, but it’s good that churches are engaging in it and realizing they have options.
Finally, we get some love for stock photography. 10% of respondents said that it’s more professional and has one other big advantage: you don’t have to worry about your subject getting caught at the local bar or strip joint. It’s tough to choose who gets to represent your church, and stock photos solve that issue.
This week, we’re going high tech. Let us know: Is your church available to check-in to on any location based services?
