As a content creator of social media platforms and the internet generally, you need to up your games so that you can remain relevant. The world is evolving rapidly and you too should evolve in how you do things lest you end up with regrets. Content creation, as it has always been before and after the advent of the internet, is a very important element as far as brand influence and growth are concerned. However, the way it is done today differs by miles from the way it was done in times past. Over 200 million people consider themselves content creators globally but only those with the right knowledge can succeed among them. Your content must be qualitative so that it can be impactful. In this informative write-up, we will show you the top 5 platforms, like the best stock photo websites, that can help you create better content so that you can make headway as a content creator.
Pexels
If you need quality images for your online content, Pexels is one of the best places to visit for that. You can build your image library with ease using the various pictures available on this platform and you can access them all for free! The platform is open to everyone, including experienced and beginner content creators. Are you an influencer, a social media content creator, or even a photographer? You will find the various contents on the platform useful for your brand.
The platform offers quality photos and videos to all categories of end-users. Up to 491 videos are available for free; over 13,000 photos can also be used for your purpose on the platform at no cost. Navigating the site is equally hitch-free. The pictures and videos can be organized according to their age on the platform. Search results can equally show the videos and images according to their orientations and sizes. The available orientations are horizontal, vertical, and square.
Crowdfundly
After creating your content using quality videos and images from a platform like Pexel, you can decide to monetize the content and this is where Crowdfundly comes in. Thanks to this platform, the video library you built from Pexel can put some money in your pocket. Making money from this platform is easy since you can adopt Pexels' royalty-free images for commercial use without any penalty. After posting your content on the site, you can start accepting donations from readers and viewers, share daily posts for a fee, and even offer membership services to those who are ready to pay for your content. In addition, your fans and other readers are permitted by Crowdfundly to give feedback on your content. They can equally engage and communicate with you on the platform. This will enable you to understand what they want and also build a very strong connection with them.
Some of the features on the site include the following:
- Fans can easily support the content creators.
- The features are many and you will not have to pay much to register an account on this platform.
- The platform is community-oriented and user-friendly too.
- Thanks to the platform, you can easily showcase your best works to the world.
iStock
If you need highly affordable stock photos for your online content, you will find iStock to be one of the best platforms to visit. The site also offers quality videos that will make your contest stand out. The videos and images on the site are created by experienced creators for the benefit of different categories of creatives. The platform promises unique videos and images that can get you perfectly connected with your audience, enabling you to communicate productively with them. The stock media offered on this platform cannot be found elsewhere, ensuring that they will add complete uniqueness to your content. You will also not have to search to the end of the world before you can find videos and images that will suit your content on this site, thanks to its AI-powered search.
Every dime you spend on the images and videos purchased from iStock is worth it. You will also not have to worry about licensing issues since the visuals available here are available for commercial use. A summary of the videos and images available on this platform is given below:
- Licensing free images and videos available for commercial use
- Highly affordable videos and images
- Searching for visuals is easy thanks to the AI-powered search
- 100% unique visuals not found elsewhere
Adobe Stock
You can find a series of images and other top-class content on this platform, which can all be used for free. The interface is user-friendly and you will not have a problem navigating the platform even as a first timer. It is also designed to enable you to synchronize files for automatic storage in the cloud. If you need audio and video files, this platform is equally the best place to visit. Searching for the contents on the site is equally easy. However, you are required to subscribe before you can access the content.
You can access more than 90 million images, videos, graphics, and even templates on this site. The site equally offers 3D Premium and editorial assets. The site is better than iStock since it offers complete integration with The Creative Cloud, which makes it one of the best stock video websites out there today. The 3D assets, templates, and pictures provided on this platform can also be downloaded easily. You can access paid and free assets on the platform for your content creation.
In addition, the platform offers multiple licenses supporting different categories of end-users, including the following:
- Standard license
- Enhanced license
- Extended license
The license type determines if the content can have unlimited web views or be usable for email marketing, mobile advertising, social media or broadcast programs. It also determines if the videos, or other contents can be modified.
Shutterstock
This platform is among the best stock photo websites for content creators. Many services, tools, and top-class media files are available on the platform to help make your content look attractive to readers and viewers. The number of media files on this platform is higher than what you can ever find elsewhere, which places Shutterstock ahead of other platforms mentioned above. You can access up to 125 million files on the platform. More than 50 million of the illustrations, vector graphics and stock photos on the platform are royalty-free, meaning that you can use them for content creation on your website or other platforms without paying a dime. Up to 2 million of the available videos are also royalty-free.
Content creators can access both audio and video files on this platform as is the case with iStock if you need content for your team projects or personal use, Shutterstock is the best place to be. End users can equally access a series of editing tools, making the platform one of the best places for building your image library. The contents provided here are not free, however. You can access up to ten downloads monthly if you opt for the pro-level subscription plan.
FAQs
Q: Why should writers think about Pexel?
It's a perfect platform for writers and podcasters aiming to monetize their content with paid subscriptions. It offers an easy way to send the newsletter directly to subscribers; the creator can offer free or paid subscriptions to their newsletters. The writer preserves full control over the content and email list, which becomes a huge weapon for building an interested audience.
Q: Which platform is best for visual content creators?
For visual content creators, the best options must include YouTube and TikTok. Where YouTube would do justice to long-form videos, tutorials, and in-depth content, TikTok is very good at having short, catching videos that go viral quickly. One other platform where you can access visuals for your content is iStock. The site offers more visuals than even Pexel.
Q: Can these platforms be used together?
Yes, most of the creators out there today are known to use multiple platforms to achieve maximum exposure to different audiences and generate as many streams of income as possible. For example, a creator could use TikTok for building followers, while also using YouTube for detailed content. The same content creator can register on Patreon for exclusives. About peer networking, LinkedIn will help, and Substack will be handy in monetizing written content. Pexels also works very well for monetization.
Q: How has the community been supported by these platforms?
A: Each of the platforms we mentioned above has different community-building mechanisms. For example, Patreon offers exclusives, YouTube offers live chats and comment areas, LinkedIn offers professional networking, TikTok enables viral trends and interactions, and Substack offers direct, newsletter-based content creators.
Q: What should I think about as a content creator when picking a platform?
A: You need to consider the type of content you want to create and your target audience. You should also bear in mind your targets for monetization. Be present on those platforms where your audience exists or is most active, or where options for monetization suit the strategy.
