Facebook and Shutterstock giving advertisers more options

Advertisers on Facebook will shortly be getting some new options for sprucing up their ads with high-quality stock photographs from Shutterstock. All of Facebook’s more than 1 million active advertisers will get integrated access to millions of photos and illustrations (over 25 million, to be exact) for use in their Facebook ads.

Facebook advertisers will be able to search and choose images directly within Facebook’s ad creation tool, saving time and money. Advertisers can opt to use up to six images in their group of ads, so they can determine which one works best. It really simplifies A/​B testing of your ad’s images, which should result in much better response rates over time. The great part is that you can mix in images from Shutterstock, as well as your own images and images you’ve used in previous ads.

Shutterstock images can be used in any ad using Facebook’s Ad Creation tool, whether they’re mobile, desktop, or news feed ads. These images are used at no additional cost to the advertiser.

But the nice thing is that Shutterstock contributors still get their normal royalties whenever their image is licensed via Facebook. This is a huge deal for photographers, as it means more exposure for their work and potentially more income. With more than 18 million small businesses using Facebook pages, there’s a lot of room for growth in the future.

Images used in the ads are restricted to digital size, so advertisers can’t turn around and use those images in other advertising (they’ll need to buy a regular royalty-free license if they want to do so). Royalty rates are the same or higher than those for subscription downloads.

Access to Shutterstock’s API is a great opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses, who might not have the same resources as larger companies. It gives them a more level playing field in the Facebook ecosystem, without adding a bunch of additional costs.

Overall, this is a great move on the part of both Facebook and Shutterstock, giving more opportunities for photographers and advertisers.

Do you advertise on Facebook, are you interested in the new image options? Do you provide images via Shutterstock, are you excited by the possibilities? Let us know in the comments.