Canva is a great, free tool you can use to craft quality social media posts for your accounts. You can use this graphic design platform to create everything from social media content to presentations. Here are a few ways to use Canva for your business!
Updated April 2024 – Please excuse design elements not included in this post.
When I started my free Canva account, I was shocked by what I was able to accomplish! I started using the platform in college. I began designing flyers and social media posts for things I was doing on campus. Since I’ve started working for clients across a variety of industries, I’ve used it to create social media images for a variety of platforms.
If you want to create beautiful content using free templates and communicate a clear brand image, Canva is a great tool to consider! This is also great for up-and-coming business owners who still manage all facets of their business by themselves.
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What Can I Create with Canva?
You can create all of your marketing materials using Canva. If you need Instagram stories, carousel posts, a brand kit, business cards, flyers, and more. You can take advantage of Canva’s social media templates and create content for things like Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and more.
How to Use Canva to Create Social Media Posts
If you haven’t already, open Canva and create a free account. Now start exploring! (Note – you do need an email address to create an account with Canva!)
From the home page, you can head to the top, right page and hit “Create a design.” Using the search bar, you can find common designs or begin customizing your own designs. A few common sizes are:
– Instagram feed posts – 1080×1080 pixels
– Facebook feed posts – 1200×630 pixels
– Pinterest feed posts – 1000×1500 pixels
Once you’ve selected your design and opened your workspace, begin familiarizing yourself with your left sidebar editor’s panel. You can begin searching for pre-made templates that are automatically sized for the design you’re working with. Or, you can begin navigating other design elements to create your own beautiful social media images.
You can also organize different design elements in folders and save those folders to your editor’s panel. I group images and brand colors in those folders to make my design sessions flow smoother.
As you create your design, be sure to refer to your top editor’s panel so you can adjust the color, transparency, orientation of your image and more.
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Tip – There is an option to become a Canva Pro User. For a monthly fee, you have access to additional features like image editors, unlimited downloads from stock photos, and collaboration features.
When you’re finished with your design, hit “Share” in the top, right-hand corner of your browser and scroll down to “Download.” Select your file type and hit the download button. Ta-da! Your design is now yours to publish where you need to!
Note – If you are using the free Canva version but include a design element that’s only available for Canva Pro users, there will be watermarks on your downloaded images. To avoid the watermarks, you can upgrade to a Canva Pro account or pay for your Canva Pro images prior to downloading. There will be an option to pay, as well as your total, on your download screen.
How Do Beginners Create Content?
The design process for each business is going to look different based on your needs. If you aren’t comfortable with designing your own social media images, perhaps you decide to hire your social media content creation for a season. If you’re reading this blog post, chances are that’s not what you’re interested in doing.
My design process is fueled by what content my audience wants. I talk more about that in How to Market Your Business as a SAHM, so I highly encourage you to head over there to read that post.
(PSST: Download my FREE marketing ebook while you’re at it! It will help you find your target audience and better understand what they want from you!)
Your design process may look like scrolling through the templates tab of Canva to get a feel for what inspires you design-wise. Or, you may know that you need to create content for a physical product you have, so you forego Canva templates and begin crafting your own template you can reuse.
If you are using a Canva template, feel free to change the background colors to match your personal branding. Use other design tools, like transparency, crop, and image editors to get the perfect design!
Finally, be sure to explore the different fonts Canva offers its users. Again, match them to the branding of your small business.
My design process looks like this:
I complete my market research and better understand the questions my audience is asking. After I create content that serves my audience, I make sure it’s appealing. I don’t use busy designs and I always incorporate my brand colors and on-brand fonts.
I also work on my content in advance. I attempt to be a week ahead of schedule. That way, if a design just isn’t coming together, I know that I have time to let it sit for a day or two and return to the design refreshed and ready to bring it together.
When I hit other creative slumps, I’ll also turn my attention to a different project or scroll through pre-made templates for inspiration.
Finally, I schedule content in a timely manner. Social media works cyclically and with trends.
That means I need to schedule my seasonal content one or even three months before the holiday or season it’s necessary! However, algorithms can continue to spread your content so long as it’s getting engagement.
Trends don’t work this way. And neither does virality.
You may have heard social media managers encourage you to use “trending audio,” or audio with very few uses. This is because someone interested in using the audio may refer to the already created content for inspiration.
If you were quick to jump on the bandwagon, you have a higher chance of having your content seen.
This doesn’t promise long-term, steady engagement.
If you’re looking for your content to live on, consider creating content for a blog, Pinterest, or YouTube. These platforms act as search engines and are great ways to see the fruits of your labor live on.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canva good for Instagram posts?
Canva is an easy-to-use, free program that will help you craft great Instagram posts. The customization options merge with the user-friendly basis of the app to help you go further in your designing.
What is the best time to post on Instagram?
This may be controversial, but there isn’t a great time to post on Instagram. I encourage you to find a posting schedule that works for you! I think it’s also important to remember that it isn’t necessarily when you’re posting your content – it’s what you’re posting. If your audience doesn’t resonate with your content, you’re going to know. Because no one will engage with it! Create content that serves your audience and focus on that first. Timing your social media content may not impact your business as much as you think it does.
Other Canva Features
Canva also offers a mobile app. Whether you’re working on the mobile app or on a desktop, you are able to upload your own images to create your Canva designs.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to schedule your social media content to your social media pages from Canva. However, there are scheduling systems built into many social media platforms that will allow you to schedule your content for free. There are also other services that require a monthly payment. Use what works best for your needs and your business.
Need Tools to Get Started?
This camera is an upgraded version of the camera I use. Learning to use a camera is an incredible tool to add to your tool belt!
An external hard drive will help you store all of your graphics and raw images.
A tripod is a great investment, especially if you’re creating all of your own content!
Programs That I Love
These are the programs I use to help me grow my blog. Please note – these are affiliate links! That means I make a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Square – Affiliate Link
If you sell physical products as I do, you need a simple solution to having an online store and a way to accept different forms of payment. Because cash is great, but cards are convenient! I found a solution to all of those with Square.
Now don’t get me wrong – the website took some getting used to. But whenever I file a ticket, I always see a resolution within a day or two. The Square team is quick to help me find solutions and troubleshoot whatever issues I’m having! I’m able to manage pick-up locations, online listings, and more with my Square account. Use my affiliate link to get your Square store started and we both get rewarded for using the platform!
*This is my account with my backyard homesteading blog, The Learning Life. I launched a line of beeswax beauty products July 2023 and have been able to process all of my sales with Square!
RankIQ – Affiliate Link
As a blogger, the name of the game is search engine optimization (SEO) and keyword research. What’s the use in a blog chock full of helpful information if there’s no way to find it?! And as a busy mom, we both know that I don’t have time to waste.
Enter in – Rank IQ.
RankIQ is an artificial intelligence-driven keyword research service that focuses on just that – keywords. Other keyword research services will highlight data that isn’t helpful or necessary to a blog. We need to know how to rank, and RankIQ gives me the information I need to achieve that goal. Did I mention it was developed by a man who became a millionaire himself via his blogs? These are tried and true methods.
If you’re interested in creating a blog and want to get a jump start on ranking on Google, I highly recommend Rank IQ. When you use my affiliate link, you directly support my business. Thank you for supporting Homemaker and Happy!
Convert Kit – Affiliate Link
There are several email services out there. My favorite is Convert Kit. In the beginning, your pricing is free for up to 1,000 subscribers. From there, the price changes per month based on what your goal for your blog is.
When you use my affiliate link, you directly support my business. Thank you for supporting Homemaker and Happy!
How Do You Use Canva?
I am a big fan of Canva, simply because I feel like it can turn anyone into a graphic designer. I love how I can create premium images for my social media sites and blog posts!
But I want to know – how do you use Canva? Comment on this blog post and let me know!
To see how I use Canva for social media images, follow me on Pinterest!
More from Homemaker and Happy
Creating an income from a side hustle can be fun. And it doesn’t have to be from a marketing business!
You can use all of the tips we talked about in this blog post to market your baked goods, hand-sewn clothes, crafts, soaps, and more.
What are you good at? Start there!
If you’re looking for craft ideas to get you started, I have a whole section of my website dedicated to DIY decor!
If you’re looking for baked goods to sell, you can start with chocolate-covered marshmallows. These take a day to set up, but boy – they are worth the wait!
For more inspiration on homemaking, motherhood, and side hustles, follow me on Pinterest!
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