Creating engaging social media content has never been more important—or more challenging.
With millions of posts flooding platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn every day, brands and creators must find ways to stand out visually while maintaining efficiency.
That’s where stock graphics come in.
Stock graphics have evolved beyond generic photos—they now include high-quality illustrations, customizable templates, animated visuals, and AI-enhanced elements that help brands create scroll-stopping content without expensive production costs.
But how do you use stock graphics effectively in 2025?
In this guide, we’ll explore the best practices for using stock graphics for social media and how to use them strategically for engagement.
Why Stock Graphics Are Essential for Social Media in 2025
Social media is a visual-first landscape, and attention spans are shorter than ever. Brands need to consistently produce high-quality content—but not everyone has the time, budget, or design expertise to create graphics from scratch.
According to a study, 95% of marketers say that visual marketing is more effective than text-only marketing materials. 9% of those also say its 10X more effective.
Stock graphics provide an affordable, high-impact solution for creating effective social media graphics because they:
- Save time – No need to design visuals from scratch when stock templates are ready to customize.
- Improve brand consistency – Stock assets can be modified to match your brand’s colors, fonts, and style.
- Increase engagement – High-quality visuals perform better on social media, attracting more likes, shares, and interactions.
- Adapt to multiple formats – Stock images, icons, and templates work across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and even TikTok.
However, not all stock graphics work well on social media. Using the right type of stock visuals—optimized for engagement and platform-specific trends—is crucial to success.
What Types of Stock Graphics Work Best for Social Media?
Different types of stock visuals work better for specific platforms and content formats. Here are the top stock graphics that are driving engagement in 2025:
1. Social Media Templates
Stock template platforms like Canva, Envato Elements, and Adobe Express offer pre-designed templates for Instagram posts, Facebook ads, Pinterest pins, and LinkedIn graphics.
These templates are built with engagement in mind and can be quickly customized with brand colors, logos, and messaging.
2. High-Quality Lifestyle Photography
Stock photos have come a long way from the stiff, corporate-looking images of the past. In 2025, authentic, candid, and diverse stock photography performs best.
Images that feel real, natural, and relatable get higher engagement, as audiences respond more to content that mirrors their own lives.
3. Illustrations and Vector Graphics
Hand-drawn, digital, and vector illustrations are becoming increasingly popular across social media, especially in brand storytelling and educational content.
Platforms like Freepik, Vecteezy, and Shutterstock provide customizable vector graphics, icons, and illustrated assets that add a modern, polished look to posts.
4. Animated Stock Graphics and GIFs
Motion-based content performs better on social media than static images, making stock animation assets highly valuable.
Websites like Motion Array and Lottiefiles offer stock animations, GIFs, and video templates that can be quickly edited to match a brand’s aesthetic.
5. Stock Video Clips
Short-form video dominates social media, and stock video clips help brands create high-quality, professional-looking content without a film crew.
Sites like Pexels, Artgrid, and Adobe Stock Video provide royalty-free videos that work well for backgrounds, intros, and cutaway shots in marketing videos.
How to Make Stock Graphics Look Unique and Branded
Using stock images as-is can make your social media posts look generic and unoriginal.
The key to standing out is customization—blending stock graphics with unique design elements that reinforce your brand’s identity.
1. Customize Colors and Fonts
Make stock graphics feel on-brand by applying your company’s color scheme, fonts, and filters.
Many stock assets, especially vector illustrations and templates, can be easily edited in Canva, Photoshop, or Illustrator to match your visual identity.
2. Add Text Overlays
Instead of posting stock photos as they are, add engaging headlines, quotes, or calls-to-action.
Platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn favor text-based content, so turning a stock image into an eye-catching quote post can boost engagement.
3. Layer Multiple Stock Assets
Mixing and matching different stock graphics—such as combining a lifestyle image with illustrated elements or overlaying video clips with animated text—creates a more dynamic look.
4. Use Filters and Effects
Applying branded filters, overlays, and effects helps make stock images feel cohesive with the rest of your content.
This is especially important on Instagram and Pinterest, where a consistent visual aesthetic improves engagement.
5. Crop and Reframe for Social Media Formats
Different social platforms have varying aspect ratios (square for Instagram, vertical for Stories, horizontal for YouTube, etc.).
When using stock graphics, crop or resize them to fit the intended platform while keeping key visual elements in focus.
Where to Find the Best Stock Graphic Resources
With so many stock graphic platforms available, choosing the right one for your needs can be overwhelming.
These are some of the best websites you can use to find unique and high-quality stock graphics on a budget.
Envato Elements – for Unlimited Downloads
Envato Elements is an excellent choice for creatives who need a wide variety of design assets.
It offers unlimited downloads for a monthly subscription, making it ideal for businesses, agencies, and content creators who need stock graphics frequently.
You’ll find social media templates, icons, illustrations, stock photos, and even motion graphics to enhance your content.
Best for:
- Premium social media templates
- Animated graphics and video elements
- High-quality icons and UI elements
Creative Market – for Unique and Artistic Designs
Creative Market is known for its handcrafted, high-quality graphics created by independent designers.
If you’re looking for customizable social media templates, trendy typography, or aesthetic illustrations, this platform offers a curated selection of creative assets that help make your content stand out.
Best for:
- Stylish Instagram post templates
- Custom illustrations and hand-drawn graphics
- Unique fonts and branding kits
Canva – for Easy Customization
Canva is a go-to platform for social media marketers who want professional-looking graphics without needing advanced design skills.
With thousands of ready-to-use templates, Canva makes it easy to create Instagram posts, Facebook ads, Pinterest pins, and YouTube thumbnails.
The platform also provides built-in editing tools, allowing you to personalize graphics with your brand colors, text, and effects.
Best for:
- Social media templates for all major platforms
- Easy drag-and-drop customization
- Quick content creation without design experience
Freepik – for Free and Premium Vectors
Freepik is a fantastic resource for both free and premium vector graphics, illustrations, and social media templates.
It offers a massive library of customizable assets, including infographics, icons, and artistic backgrounds.
Many of its graphics come in editable AI, EPS, and PSD formats, making them perfect for designers who want to tweak assets to match their branding.
Best for:
- Vector illustrations and icons
- Infographics and data visualizations
- Editable templates for social media
Unsplash – for Free High-Quality Photography
Unsplash is one of the best platforms for free, high-resolution stock photography. Unlike traditional stock photo sites, Unsplash focuses on authentic, natural-looking imagery that resonates with modern audiences.
If you’re looking for stunning lifestyle photography, nature backgrounds, or professional-looking brand visuals, Unsplash offers a great selection without any licensing fees.
Best for:
- High-quality, royalty-free photography
- Modern, authentic lifestyle images
- Background visuals for social media posts
In Conclusion
With the right mix of social media templates, authentic photography, illustrations, and motion graphics, you can create eye-catching, professional content without the time and cost of custom design.
By personalizing stock assets with branding, typography, and filters, you ensure that your visuals stand out in crowded social feeds.
If used effectively, stock graphics can elevate your social media presence, drive engagement, and help your content shine in a fast-moving digital world.