Top tips: Using Canva for social media creation

Eye-catching graphics and engaging designs are essential for grabbing the attention of your audience and conveying your message effectively online.

We recommend Canva – a free, versatile and user-friendly graphic design tool that empowers both professionals and beginners to create stunning visuals for social media platforms. (Note that a paid-for version lets you access more features – but you may access these extra features for free if you use it for education or if you are a non-profit).

Here are our top tips to help you get creating.

1. Think first: Define the purpose of your social media post. Are you trying to promote a product, share an inspirational quote, or provide valuable information? Knowing your goal will help you choose the right template, colours, and elements to convey your message effectively.

2. Choose the right template: Canva offers a wide range of templates designed specifically for various social media platforms. Whether you’re creating a Facebook cover photo, an Instagram post, or a Twitter (X) header, you’ll find templates optimised for each platform’s dimensions. This ensures that your designs look professional and look great on users’ feeds.

3. Add your branding: Maintaining brand consistency across your social media content is essential for your recognition. Canva allows you to upload your brand’s logo, fonts, and colour palette, ensuring that your designs align with your brand identity. Keeping all of your designs similar will look much more professional.

4. Play with fonts and typography: Typography can make a significant difference in the impact of your designs. Canva provides a variety of font options that you can use to create captivating text overlays, headlines, and captions. But remember to choose just one or two fonts – and stick to them across all of your designs!

5. Incorporate engaging visuals: Canva has a vast library of images, illustrations, icons, and stickers that allows you to spice up your designs. Choose visuals that resonate with your target audience or relate to your message. Less is more, which brings us to our next point…

6. Embrace white space: In the world of design, less is often more. Don’t overcrowd your designs with too many elements. Embracing white space can enhance the overall visual appeal of your graphics and make them easier to understand. A clean and well-organised design is more likely to capture the attention of your audience.

7. Explore the features: Canva offers loads of features beyond basic design. You can create animated graphics, design presentations, and even edit photos. Take the time to explore the website and learn a few new tricks. Top tip: There are some great tutorials on YouTube or on the Canva design school.

8. Learn and Improve: Design is an iterative process. Don’t be afraid to experiment, learn from your successes and failures, and continuously improve your skills. Book a social media training session with one of our communication experts to boost your confidence in using the programme.

Happy designing!

Would you or your team benefit from social media training tailored to your organisation’s needs, delivered by communication professionals? Get in touch with us today.