By Grant Farhall, Chief Product Officer at iStock
Artificial intelligence and machine learning models are continuing to have a profound impact on content creation. Not only is it changing the way people discover and search for information online, but it is also transforming how we interact with and create visual content for marketing.
Our VisualGPS research shows that 60% of small and medium-sized businesses globally source and create their own content in-house. With AI evolving at record speed, it is important for SMBs to know how they can leverage this technology to find relevant content, refresh their brand look and feel, and target customers in new and cost-effective ways.
AI-powered content creation
Firstly, let’s start with generative AI. Text-to-image AI generators can be used by businesses to ideate, iterate and create final images for their website, social media posts, or other marketing materials.
With AI-generated imagery, you can let your imagination go wild with creative prompts. It is not only a good way of visualising scenarios that would otherwise be hard to reproduce, but also a great opportunity to quickly create unique and tailored content for your business. When looking for a tool to use, pay attention to if the model was trained from a transparent and permissioned source of data, that won’t create legal challenges for you down the linefor violating intellectual property rights. And you should also understand what level of legal indemnification is being offered, and how that is being included (or excluded) in the visuals you create.
It also pays to be thoughtful about your audience when considering integrating AI-generated content into your merchandising. With misinformation and deepfakes being widely circulated online and across social media, iStock’s research reveals an expectation from British consumers on transparency, with 87% of respondents saying that they want brands to disclose whether an image has been created or manipulated using AI.
A tailored approach is best. Think about what type of imagery (AI-generated, user-generated content, or pre-shot stock) will best align with your business message and brand identity, as well as the right format (imagery or video) to communicate it. If you do decide to use an AI-generated image on your website or final campaign, consider labelling the image as created by AI to avoid your audience feeling like you have misled them.
AI-powered content modification
Sometimes search will surface the stock image you are looking for, but it could do with a couple of adjustments to meet your precise needs – and that’s where AI comes in.
AI technology can be leveraged in some creative libraries to customize an existing image. Similar to how you create content using a generative AI tool, users can employ prompts to add a new element to the image, replace an object, remove an object or background, and expand the image to the height and width you need – without the need for a photo editor.
AI-powered search
For those who opt for pre-shot imagery or videos in their marketing or product campaigns, let’s explore how AI is helping to improve the online content search experience.
For many years, users have had to search within image libraries by narrowing in on a small number of keywords that try to match the picture they have in their head. Now, services such as Enhanced Search on iStock is transforming how people find relevant images and videos by allowing them to use longer queries with more natural and expressive language.
According to our proprietary search data and analytics, small and medium-sized businesses are turning to natural language to search for stock images and videos. With enhanced search, you can use specific visual descriptors – such as subject details, setting and time of day – in your queries, which makes the process of finding the right content for your project a lot easier.
AI has already helped to automate and optimize the content search and creative process for SMBs in a way that can help save time and money. With a thoughtful approach, SMBs can leverage these innovations within their content workflow to better connect with customers and stand out from the crowd, while still avoiding any legal risks and troubles.
Picture Credits: @ PrettyVectors / iStock by Getty Images
Author: Grant Farhall Chief Product Officer
As Chief Product Officer, Grant Farhall is responsible for the overall product strategy and vision at Getty Images. In his role, Grant Farhall oversees the company’s e-commerce platform and websites, user experience, customer research, and SEO strategy. The goal is to enable Getty Images’ customers to more easily discover, license, and share impactful content to engage their target audiences and ultimately drive their business success.
Grant has been with Getty Images for ten years, most recently serving as Vice President of E-Commerce. He has also held several roles at iStock, including General Manager, where he contributed to developing and implementing a turnaround strategy for the company by simplifying the product and better aligning it with customer needs.
Prior to his time at Getty Images, Grant Farhall worked in broadcast journalism and as a studio manager for various advertising and web development agencies. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary and a diploma in Broadcast Sciences from Mount Royal University. In his free time, Grant enjoys spending time with his eight-year-old daughter, calling plays for the Calgary Roughnecks in the National Lacrosse League, and photographing abandoned buildings in Western Canada.
Statements of the author and the interviewee do not necessarily represent the editors and the publisher opinion again.
