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Do You Have Permission?
You need the perfect picture for your blog post. A picture speaks a thousand words. The right picture will make all the difference in your post. You remember seeing one on google a couple months ago. Let’s just do a search on Google and grab that image. It’s online so available for anyone to search and use, right? Wrong!
Just because it is online does not mean it isn’t copyrighted or that you have any type of permission to use. The owner of the picture has a copyright whether they have it printed on their photo or not.
Tip #37 – Permission Based
In my book, 52 Tips To Turn Your Website Into A Sales Machine we discuss using the work of others in your blogposts and on your website.
Options
To use photos in a blog or on your website you have a couple options:
- Take your own pictures.
- If you are artistic with design skills you can create your own graphics.
- Find photos that the owner has provided for free for others to use. (Make sure you read the fine print and are 100% positive you have the rights to use.)
- Purchase the rights to use pictures.
- These can be purchased one by one as needed or in bulk where you have credits to spend towards pics.
- Some sites offer unlimited downloads for one bulk price. For instance, for $79 you can download as many pictures as you desire during the given year. You would update your subscription yearly.
Sites that Offer Photos to Purchase
There are many more, but these are the ones that come to mind. My favorite is www.bigstockphoto.com.
Everyone likes different things, so check them out and find one you like best. I sometimes use different sites depending on the type of photo I am looking for.
Just make sure you read the fine print and know what you are getting and what rights you have. Also any rules you need to follow when using the photo.
Using Your Own
If you are using your own photos, there are some rules you should follow.
- Get a model release – even if you know the person, make sure you have their permission to publish.
- Make sure you have permission from your clients before you use their logo or photos – even though you would think your customers would welcome the publicity, some don’t, so make sure they are OK with using their information.
- When having a professional take your photo – make sure you get a release from the photographer to use his work as you wish.
Using photos and graphics add a great deal to your blog posts but make sure you have the proper permissions or you could end up with some legal issues.
Check out the 51 other tips in my book, 52 Tips To Turn Your Website Into A Sales Machine.
