If you’ve been looking to create some graphics to use on your social media, chances are you’ve heard about Canva. It’s a really simple and easy to use website to create social media graphics, along with a whole host of other types of visual content. You can use templates or design from scratch. Although it’s free to use, there are paid upgrades you can choose from which give you more freedom, additional functionalities and a wider variety of photos and design features.
Whilst Canva is a great tool for your business, there are definitely some key things to remember when creating your designs to get the absolute most out of your time and efforts!
Make sure you create a brand kit
If you’re a business using any type of media, but especially social media, you’ll want to make sure you have a strong sense of your brand identity: A brand kit includes your brand colours, fonts and logos.
Canva allows you to create a brand kit within the website which will show whenever you’re designing graphics, so you can easily access your brand colours, your logos, and brand fonts, all in one place. Taking a little time when you first start using this platform will save you a lot of time in the long run, saving you from searching around for what code colour you should be using or regularly re-uploading your logo. This kit will make it so easy to create professional looking graphics, totally aligned with your brand.
Always use the right size template
Whatever you’re creating, whether it’s for an Instagram story, Facebook post, Pinterest graphic, or Twitter banner, make sure to select the correct size option from the start of your design – this will make sure your post shows properly and in the right dimensions!
Making your post the right size for the specific platform will ensure it won’t be cut off and your post will have the biggest visual impact possible. It’s also worth noting that the pro subscription allows you to resize an existing design, so you can repurpose it for any other platform or format, which can save a lot of time!
Keep your designs simple!
We can’t say this enough. DON’T OVERCOMPLICATE YOUR DESIGNS!
What we mean by this is don’t use loads of different fonts on one post or overcrowd your designs with unnecessary shapes and flourishes. Remember, less is more.
The best looking designs are ones that have a clean, crisp image, as little text as possible using a couple of different fonts at most and a limited colour palette. A whole rainbow of colours with a busy graphic covered in words won’t make for a professional looking graphic.
Spend some time looking at other brand’s designs and figure out what you really like about them. The bold typography? Their neutral colour palette? You’ll be able to really hone in on what you want to include in your own designs through some inspiration from others!
Make it your own
Although the templates are a great starting point, we highly recommend avoiding just changing the text and keeping the design exactly the same. People in the know will be able to spot a Canva template a mile off! So use these templates as a starting point, but customise them so they look original. Or, if you’re feeling super inspired, create your design from scratch!
You want your customers to see an image and immediately know it’s your business, without looking at the username or reading the caption. This might take time to build up, but remember the only way you’ll improve is with practice!
Most importantly, have fun
Even if you don’t believe you’re a creative person, you’ll be surprised at just how much, and how easily you can create professional graphics just by keeping these simple tips in mind.
We would love to see the designs you come up with! Tag us on Instagram @socialbeesocial.
Thank you to our guest Blogger Chantelle Davison – Choice Words By Chantelle