Disclosure before we start this blog. We don't get paid by Canva but of all the tools we use at Apple Orchard Marketing this is one we have found really moved our images up a notch so wanted to share more about it with you. We use the paid version and all the images you see on our LinkedIn Company Page are created using this tool.
In today's digital age, establishing a strong brand presence across various platforms is vital for any business's success. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned marketer, maintaining consistency in your brand image can be challenging, especially when creating visuals for social media, websites, newsletters, and more. However, fear not, for there's a game-changer in town – Canva.
At Apple Orchard Marketing, we understand the importance of crafting visually appealing content that resonates with your audience while maintaining brand coherence but also the difficulty of finding time to do this if you aren't a graphics specialist. As that describes us perfectly we wanted to share with you how we do this using Canva – the ultimate tool for creating eye-catching templates that ensure your brand remains consistent across all channels.
Why Canva?
Canva is a versatile graphic design platform that empowers users to design anything from social media graphics to presentations with ease you don't need to be a graphics specialist and its quite intuitive.
User-Friendly Interface: Canva's intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes designing a breeze, even for those with little to no design experience.
Abundance of Templates: With thousands of professionally designed templates at your fingertips, you can quickly create stunning visuals tailored to your brand's identity. Simply pick one you like the look of and change the colours to your brand
Brand Consistency: By customizing Canva templates with your brand colours, fonts, and logos, you can ensure that every piece of content reflects your brand's personality and values. If you are using the paid version you can create a brand kit so you always use the right colours, fonts and store any templates you design.
Time and Cost-Efficient: Say goodbye to lengthy design processes and expensive software – Canva offers a free version with robust features, as well as affordable paid plans for additional perks.
Creating a LinkedIn Post Template: A Step-by-Step Guide
To illustrate how easy it is to use Canva, let's walk through the simple steps of creating a LinkedIn post template:
Sign Up/Login: Head over to Canva's website and sign up for an account if you haven't already. It's free and takes just a few seconds.
Choose a Template: Once logged in, navigate to the templates section and select the "LinkedIn Post" template category.
Customise: Browse through the available templates until you find one that aligns with your brand's style. Click on it to open the editor.
Personalise: Replace the placeholder text and images with your own content. Don't forget to incorporate your brand colours, fonts, and logo for consistency.
Add Elements: Enhance your template by adding elements such as icons, illustrations, or shapes to make it stand out.
Preview and Download: Once satisfied with your design, preview it to ensure everything looks perfect. Then, download the template in your preferred format (e.g., PNG or MP4).
Utilize: Your LinkedIn post template is now ready to use! Simply upload it whenever you have an announcement, update, or piece of content to share with your professional network.
Free vs. Paid: Which Version is Right for You?
Canva offers both free and paid versions, each catering to different needs:
Free Version: The free version of Canva provides access to templates, design elements, and basic editing tools. It's perfect for individuals and small businesses looking to create professional-looking graphics without breaking the bank.
Paid Plans: Canva's paid plans, such as Canva Pro, unlock additional features like advanced design tools, unlimited storage, and the ability to create a brand kit for seamless brand management. These plans are ideal for larger businesses and teams with more demanding design needs.
What's new in 2024/2025
Canva has introduced several significant features and updates over the past year that can further enhance your brand's visual identity. Here's an overview of these new tools:
1. Magic Studio: AI-Powered Design Tools
Launched in late 2023, Magic Studio offers a suite of AI-driven tools designed to simplify and elevate your design process:
Magic Switch: Effortlessly convert documents into presentations, enabling seamless content repurposing.
Magic Grab: Transform images by isolating and modifying specific elements within them.
Magic Media: Generate videos from text prompts, streamlining video content creation.
Brand Voice: Produce on-brand marketing copy, ensuring consistency across all communications
These tools are designed to make design more accessible and inclusive, allowing users to create professional-quality content with ease.
2. AI Enhancements: Magic Media and Magic Write
Canva has continued to innovate with AI capabilities to streamline content creation:
Magic Media: Generate unique graphics, including icons, stickers, and illustrations, from simple text descriptions.
Magic Write: Produce text in your unique tone of voice by uploading a sample, ensuring personalized and consistent messaging.
These enhancements allow for more efficient and tailored content creation.
3. Video Editing Features: AI-Powered Tools
Canva's video editor has been upgraded with AI-powered tools to simplify video creation:
Highlights Tool: Automatically generate concise clips from longer videos, ideal for social sharing.
Enhance Voice: Remove background noise with a single click, ensuring clear and professional audio.
These features make video editing more accessible, even for those with limited experience.
4. Photo Editing: Blur Brush and Image Enhancer
Canva's photo editing capabilities have been expanded with new tools:
Blur Brush: Selectively blur areas of your photo to emphasize the main subject.
Image Enhancer: Improve the quality of pixelated or blurry images with a single click.
These features allow for more precise and high-quality image editing.
By leveraging these new features, you can further elevate your brand's visual content, ensuring it remains engaging, professional, and on-trend.
We have used the magic media either to create images or to give us ideas for image creation we can then recreate more specific to our business. We haven't had great success with the video creator and some issues with medical terminology, which it won't allow you to use.
We also love the highlights tool in video editing, especially if you have a longer video on your website and want just a teaser for a social media post.
In conclusion, we have found Canva a game-changer for businesses striving to maintain brand consistency while creating visually stunning content for various platforms. With its user-friendly interface, templates, and customisation options, it's never been easier to elevate your brand's presence and captivate your audience.
Ready to take your branding to the next level? Try Canva today and unleash your creativity like never before!
If you are not quite ready to do this and want us to take a look at your branding or want a workshop on using Canva then get in touch.
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