Introducing Stock Photos for Your Instagram Stories

We’re excited to share that it just got even easier to create Instagram Stories with the Animoto: Social Video Editor. As of the latest update, our iOS app contains a massive library of photos from Getty Images that you are free to use in your videos.

In this article, we’ll show you where to find stock in the Animoto: Social Video Editor app. Plus, we’ll share some best practices for using stock imagery in your Instagram Stories. Let’s dive in!

How to use our Getty Images library

Ready to start adding photos from our Getty Images collection to your Instagram Stories? We’ll show you how. Note that we’ve also got a collection of photos and video clips available from Getty Image in our browser-based video editor at animoto.com. You can learn more about that here.

Step 1: Download our iOS app

To access our library of Getty Images photos for your Instagram Stories, the first thing you’ll need to do is make sure you’ve got our app installed on your iOS device. Check out the video below to learn more about Animoto: Social Video Editor.

Step 2: Start a new video

Once you’ve downloaded the app and logged in, it’s time to get started. You’ll have the option to choose a template or start from scratch. You can use stock photos in any video project, whether it’s a template or not. In the next section, we’ll explain how both work.

Step 3: Add stock photos

The big moment is here: it’s time to add Getty Images photos to your project. If you started with a template, tap on the template image you’d like to replace and then tap the “Media” icon in the bottom left of the screen.

Use keywords to search our collection of over 1,000,000 images to choose one for your video. When you find the image you like, just tap to add it to your video.

If you’ve started from scratch, simply add a new block. Then, tap to add media and search for stock in the same way you did above. To learn more about starting from scratch, check out our full guide to the app.

Step 4: Add the final touches and produce!

Once you’ve added all the final touches, including the right text, colors, and fonts, you’re done! Produce your video and share it with the world.

Tips for using our Getty Images library

Need a little help finding the right photos for your next Instagram Story? Here are some tips to help you get the most out of the Getty Images library in our iOS app:

• Consider your brand. Choose images that match your brand aesthetic and mood. Keep your target audience in mind and ask yourself whether the photos you’re choosing would resonate with them.
• Keep format in mind. In the app, you’re creating vertical videos. Therefore, it’s important to choose images that work well in the vertical Story format. If you’re using layouts in the app, choose photos that are the right aspect ratio for the various sections of the layout. Learn more in our guide to adding multiple photos to an IG Story.
• Start with a wide search and narrow down. Start with more general keywords and narrow down to get to just the right image. For instance, start with “vacation” and then add “beach.” Refine as you go.
• Use connecting words in your search. You can include words like AND, NOT, and OR to further narrow down your search and find exactly what you’re looking for.
• Save the best for first. Put the best images up front. This’ll help you catch viewers’ attention and entice them to keep watching.

And there you have it! You’re ready to start using Getty Images in your Instagram Stories. Once your video’s done, tag @animoto when you share to Instagram so we can see what you’ve made!