Canva is an amazing tool for content creators and small business owners! It’s basically an easy to use graphic design app and website that lets you make everything from Instagram story posts to banners to help you advertise your cause. A lot of the graphics and functions available are free to use, too, so it’s my all-around favorite for creating eye catching posts! Here’s how to use Canva 101 & some Canva tips to help you make the most of it…

The Home Page

On the home page of Canva (either on the app or the desktop site), you’ll find options to create Instagram story posts, wallpapers, Instagram highlight covers, logos, and more! You can also search Canva’s offerings to find more options.

Your Projects

Here’s where you’ll find all your past projects! They’ll auto save to this folder so you can use/edit them later.

Your Brand Kit

The Brand Kit feature of Canva is really helpful because you can create custom color palettes, fonts, logo collections, and more that are specific to your brand. They’ll then be easily accessible when you’re creating your designs, and it ensures your content stays consistent across posts!

Tips & Tricks

One of my favorite things to do on Canva is create engaging Instagram stories! You can browse through all the premade templates or you can create your own. Anything with the “Free” note on it is free to all users, while other choices may require their premium subscription.

My tip of choice for making Instagram stories in Canva is to use the Animation feature on each slide. It makes your story more dynamic, and encourages viewers to interact with it! It also encourages people to view your story for longer, which really helps increase Instagram story views!

I also love using Canva to create Instagram Story highlight covers! Just a tip if you create some- minimal story highlight covers look better on a profile (they will be small, after all!), and they should be designed to complement the overall tone and colors of your feed!

My last Canva tip (& design tip overall!) is to opt for designs that are fairly minimal and not super text-heavy! A lot of times, when people see a really text-heavy post, they’re more likely to just scroll right past it without taking the time to read! When you’re designing, keep these pointers in mind:

• Make it easy to read (don’t use hard to read fonts)
• Make it impactful (either with colors or content)
• Make it effective (ie convey your message & get to the point!)
• Make it yours (include your brand logo, social media handle, or website in the graphic so people associate it with you!)

I hope this Canva 101 and tips helps you create effective media for your brand! Drop any questions below in the comments! (PS- this post isn’t sponsored; I just use Canva a lot and wanted to help other creators!)

Xx Tabi