Real photos or AI images: which works better for small business social media?

Why real photos win for small businesses

When someone is deciding whether to let you into their home, fix their roof or cater their wedding, they're looking for proof. A real photo of a real job is proof. An AI image, however polished, isn't.

That lines up with what consumers say. In Getty Images' Building Trust in the Age of AI research, published in April 2024 and covering 25 countries, 98% of people agreed that authentic images and videos are pivotal in establishing trust. Nearly 90% wanted to know whether an image had been created with AI, and 76% said it's getting to the point where they can't tell whether an image is real.

In other words, people are already a little suspicious of what they see online. A photo of your bakkie outside a house in their suburb, or your team on a job, cuts straight through that.

Real photos also do things AI images can't:

• They're recognisable. Customers see your branded van, your shopfront or your face, and remember you.
• They're local. A job in a suburb people know says "we work near you".
• They match what customers will actually get. Nobody is disappointed when the finished job looks like the photos.

When AI images make sense

AI images aren't the enemy. They're a useful backup when you don't have a suitable photo:

• Tips and advice posts, like "5 signs your geyser needs replacing".
• Announcements: holiday hours, a new service, a special offer.
• Seasonal posts: summer, festive season, back to school.
• Services you offer but haven't photographed yet. Use it as a stand-in until you have a real job to show.

The line to hold is simple: AI can illustrate an idea, but it shouldn't pretend to be evidence. Don't use an AI image of a beautiful kitchen as if it's a kitchen you fitted.

How to spot an AI image that will look fake

If you do use AI images, check them before posting. Common giveaways:

• Hands with the wrong number of fingers, or tools held in impossible ways.
• Garbled text on signs, labels or packaging.
• Made-up logos on uniforms or vehicles.
• Everything too perfect: spotless surfaces, flawless lighting, no real-world mess at all.

Meta may also add an "AI info" label to images it detects as AI-generated, so assume people will know.

How to take better photos with your phone

You don't need a photographer. A modern phone and a few habits are enough:

1. Wipe the lens. A greasy lens is the single most common reason phone photos look hazy.
2. Use natural light. Open curtains, face the window, shoot outside in the morning or late afternoon.
3. Shoot portrait. Vertical photos fill more of the screen on Instagram and Facebook.
4. Take before-and-after shots from the same spot, at the same angle. The difference is the story.
5. Tidy the frame. Move the bucket, the extension cord and the empty coffee cup out of the shot.
6. Take several shots, then pick the best one later.
7. Include people where it makes sense, with their permission. Faces get attention.
8. Go easy on filters. The goal is "this is what it really looks like".

Build a photo habit

The businesses with the best feeds aren't better photographers; they just take photos every time. Try a simple rule: three photos per job, before, during and after. At five jobs a week, that's fifteen photos, which is more than enough for a steady feed.

For ideas on what to capture in your trade, see our guides for plumbers, painters, landscapers and other industries.