A Marketers Guide to Canva (Part One)

Canva Basics

As a Marketing Coordinator, Canva is one of my favourite tools to use. Canva has an easy to use interface and affordable pricing models, making it an excellent tool for small businesses. If you’re starting off with Canva, here are my top five favourite basic features. 

Before we begin, it’s important to note that Canva offers a free version and a paid premium version (US$12.95 per month). 

• The premium version is a good investment if you’re regularly using the platform.
• The free version is great if you’re starting off or only using the platform occasionally.
• The site offers a 30-day free trial if you would like to investigate the premium version.

1. Royalty Free Images

Canva has a photo library containing millions of royalty-free images. You can add images to your design or download them from the site. There are three different types of images:

• Free images.
• Premium images. Images that are accessible with a premium account.
• Paid images. Images that you pay for (usually a dollar) to have the watermarks removed (even if you have a premium account). This provides a great option if you don’t use Canva regularly. 

A Canva subscription could be a great alternative to an iStock subscription. iStock images are of higher quality and great for website design however, the quality is not necessary for a majority of marketing content (i.e. social media posts). With Canva, there is no limitation on how many images you can use. 

2. Elements 

Images are not the only form of visual communication. The elements tab provides access to a range of graphical features including:

• Stickers. Can be added to the sides of images to add visual appeal.
• Icons and graphics. Used to visually communicate information.
• Graphs. Used to add data and statistics to presentations.
• Geometric shapes. Used to add interest to designs. 

3. Templates

Templates are fantastic if you need some inspiration or you’re in a rush, Canva gives you access to a library of professionally designed templates (e.g. social media posts). Ensure you modify the template to match your company branding. 

4. Resizing (premium feature) 

There is a resize button on the top left of the designs. The resizing feature is fantastic in two scenarios: 

• When you use the wrong dimensions (e.g. you created an A4 poster instead of an A3 poster). 
• You want to re-use the content in a different form/s (e.g. Instagram post and story). 

5. Design School

Do you want to improve your design skills? Canva Design School offers a range of free and premium design courses. Some of the courses include:

• Graphic Design Basics. 
• Social Media Mastery.
• Branding your business.

So, we have highlighted many Canva benefit in our Marketers Guide To Canva Part One. To further improve your Canva game, check out the sequels,  Marketers Guide To Canva Part Two and Marketers Guide To Canva Part Three to take your Canva game to the next level!