Looking to improve the overall look of your social media content, website or blog, but feel like you might just lack the right knowledge or skills? Let us introduce Canva to you.
We know that programs like Photoshop and Illustrator can be daunting to new users, and may take a while to get the hang of. Canva removes this element of stress so that even the most technologically impaired amongst us can make beautiful graphics with ease.
What is Canva?
Canva is a popular online design tool that allows you to create stylish images from a wide range of templates. Be it an Instagram post or logo for your business, a cute quote graphic or styling up a customer review, or even personal projects like invitations and greetings cards, Canva has you covered.
Here at Pedddle, many of our members find Canva useful in making images for their social media, websites and blogs. Due to its drag-and-drop nature, Canva has a rep as one of the most user-friendly platforms!
Canva is free to use, but there are certain extra features that you can purchase. Once you’ve made an account, you’ll be able to use Canva on devices like your laptop or phone, and the latter can be very handy for accessing and updating your saved designs while you’re on the go!
How do I get started on Canva?
Let’s take you through the basic functions of Canva. Once you’re signed in to your Canva account, you’ll see a selection categories including Social Media and Marketing.
Click through them, and you’ll be offered templates based on dimensions for each type of design. You also have the option to create your own post and customise the size if you need to.
Depending on what you use most, they will offer you things like Facebook cover photos, Twitter headers and poster layouts. If you use Canva for a restaurant or bar, then they may offer you menu and flyer templates.
Once you have a few designs under your belt, they should be accessible from the same page as the templates. You can use the ‘Create a team’ option to drop and share your designs, so anyone you’re working with can have their input. You can send messages and comments to each other through the platform too.
It’s totally possible to create your designs without paying a penny, as Canva has thousands of free images and graphics you can choose from, but if you’re interested in paying for its Pro features you’ll have access to even more. You may want to upload your own product images, or use stock images from another site. If you’re new to using stock images and unsure of how they work, Pedddle has a blog post covering the do’s and dont’s and lots of our favourite stock image sites. Click here to read!
Another of Canva’s paid features is the Brand Kit, which allows you to save a colour palette, logo, font and templates for your business, so you can easily access and use them in marketing pieces while keeping a consistent brand message and theme.
Benefits of using Canva
So you’ve gotten yourself set up, navigated your way through Canva’s home page and chosen a layout to build your design on. When you click on your choice, you’ll be taken straight to the design page. Now’s the fun part!
Let’s recap on everything you can try out:
- Pre-sized templates. Ready made formats for you to choose from or the option to build a custom sized post.
- Photos, Elements and Text. Upload your own files to wok with or choose from thousands of free fonts, images and graphics (Scroll down to the next image to see).
- Filters and Effects. You can apply filters and enhance your photos, crop the size of images and flip them.
- Align and Layer content. You can layer images and graphics on a template, and Canva will show you when an image is central to the layout.
- Free with the option to pay. There are great features through the Pro payment plan like the Brand Kit, but you’ll pretty much have all the tools you need for your small business through Canva’s free features.
Finally, Canva has its own blog page full of useful articles for small business owners, especially good for tips on social media and marketing. Find it here.
As you can tell, at Pedddle we’re big fans of Canva, and many of our stallholders are too. If you’ve used Canva or are now considering it because of this article, let us know! It can be an incredibly valuable tool for those who are starting their own business, blog, or want to advertise their products (like our stallholders!)
Just getting started with with your business? You can view our other blogs to see how they can help you, or click here to find out more about becoming a Pedddle Member.