What is Creative Commons?
Creative Commons (CC) is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools. These tools include various licenses that content creators can use to specify how others can use their work. By applying a Creative Commons license, authors give people the right to share, use, and even build upon their work, all within the boundaries set by the license.
How Does Creative Commons Impact Email Marketing?
Creative Commons can significantly impact
email marketing by providing marketers with a broader range of content to use in their campaigns. For instance, images, articles, and other materials licensed under Creative Commons can be legally used to enhance the visual and textual appeal of emails. This can lead to more engaging and effective
email campaigns.
What Types of Creative Commons Licenses Exist?
There are six main types of Creative Commons licenses, each with different levels of permission: CC BY (Attribution): Allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the work, even commercially, as long as they credit the original creation.
CC BY-SA (Attribution-ShareAlike): Similar to CC BY but requires that new creations be licensed under identical terms.
CC BY-ND (Attribution-NoDerivs): Allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as it is passed along unchanged and in whole, with credit to the original creator.
CC BY-NC (Attribution-NonCommercial): Lets others remix, adapt, and build upon the work non-commercially, and although their new works must also acknowledge the original creator and be non-commercial, they don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.
CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike): Allows others to remix, adapt, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as they credit the original creation and license their new creations under the identical terms.
CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs): The most restrictive license, only allowing others to download works and share them with others as long as they credit the original creator, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially.
How to Find Creative Commons Licensed Content for Email Marketing?
Finding Creative Commons licensed content is relatively easy. Several websites and search engines offer filters to locate such content. Some popular sources include: Flickr: A photo-sharing platform that allows users to filter images by Creative Commons license.
Wikimedia Commons: A database of freely usable media files.
Creative Commons Search: A search tool that allows you to look for images, music, and other media under CC licenses.
Best Practices for Using Creative Commons Content in Email Marketing
While using Creative Commons content can enhance your email marketing campaigns, it's essential to follow some best practices: Always Attribute: Ensure you give proper credit to the original content creator. This usually involves including the creator’s name, the title of the work, and a link to the original work.