Hello Creative!
Have you heard of CANVA? If no, keep reading. Are you using Canva but know you could use it better? If so, keep reading.
I consistently do research to find ways for my clients to create professional outcomes without overspending. Canva might be the best discovery I've ever made, and I promise you I wish I'd found it YEARS ago. BusinessInsider.com sums up this awesome site with the following descriptions (emphasis mine):
- Canva is a free graphic design platform that's great for making invitations, business cards, Instagram posts, and more.
- Canva's wide array of features allow you to edit photos without extensive photo editing knowledge or experience.
- A drag and drop interface makes customizing thousands of templates simple and EASY.
Free - Yes! There are paid plans that offer countless cool features and tools, but the free plan is fine for any author's marketing or document needs.
Edit photos without knowledge or experience - Um, let's just say that I have no "artistic eye," substandard vision (and twenty pairs of readers from Dollar Tree to prove it), zero photo editing training, and I can edit photos like a pro, well, semi-pro or highly qualified amateur, thanks to Canva.
Drag and drop - Whew! Finally, a word nerd like me doesn't have to morph into a graphic designer to accomplish basic tasks.
Templates - You name them. They are in there! From invoices to journal pages to receipts to sales forms to invitations to book covers to [like I said, you name it], Canva has so far offered everything I could possibly need, not only for my authors but also for my business.
Easy - I'm actually reading an uplifting book right now called Let It Be Easy. Well, Canva is just that: EASY. BUT, and I cannot stress this enough, a small investment in time and training will pay off in HOURS AND DOLLARS AND STRESS UNITS SAVED. Hmmmm, I should come up with a word to quantify stress. Any ideas? Volume = decibels, Weight = pounds, Time = hours. And, if you are already using Canva, you can drastically increase your speed and efficiency with training.
My buddy and fellow instructor, Brenda Cadman, offers just that: TRAINING, and in Canva style, the training is straightforward, easy to follow, and quick to implement in your business or personal life. Brenda's training is online, self-paced, and includes slides, printable notes, cheat sheets, and more. You'll love it. My team (Lauren, Madeline, Debbie, Maisyn, Genesis, Ginger) and I collaborate in Canva. Clients and I collaborate in Canva. We have used Canva for the following designs, and this is just a short list off the top of my head:
What in this list could/do you create?
bookmarks ~ flyers ~ invitations ~ receipts ~ invoices ~ sell sheets ~ order forms ~ journal creation (books I sell!) ~ book COVERS ~ Facebook posts ~ Instagram posts ~ Pinterest Pins ~ LinkedIn posts ~ online banners for social media and web pages ~ product brochures ~ photo editing ~ artwork for books ~ coloring book pages ~ presentations ~ slide decks ~ cheat sheets ~ checklists ~ entire illustrated books ~ tutorials ~ postcards and other stationery ~ posters ~ signs
ENTIRE AUTHOR BRAND MARKETING KITS, TOO!
Canva emailed me a few months ago to congratulate me on creating my 1,000th design. I'm probably close to #2,000 now.
Here's what I suggest you do: GIVE IT A SHOT AND HAVE FUN CREATING ANYTHING.
FIRST, visit this site for a quick, free tutorial from Brenda called 10 Time-Saving Canva Tips. This will give you valuable information and a look into Canva.
Here's the link: 10 TIME-SAVING CANVA TIPS
SECOND, visit the pages below and learn how you can invest a little time and money in something that will, if you're like me, pay off "thousand-fold."
Canva for Beginners - click HERE
Clean Up My Canva - click HERE
Create Your Canva Brand Kit - click HERE
IMPORTANT - You can bundle all of these trainings and save money.
Click HERE for bundle information and pricing:)
Friend, I am doing this training, too. I practice what I preach for sincerity as I teach. (Okay, I may be a writer, but that doesn't mean I'm a poet. At least I rhyme, right?) The point is that in only seven minutes, I made a cute Canva .mp4 design (turn up your volume:) as an example.
Then I saved it as an Instagram post/image.
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Give yourself an hour this weekend to look at Brenda's training and set up/improve your Canva account. Remember, too, that if graphic design doesn't interest you whatsoever, my team and I are ready to help you. We create entire author brand marketing kits. Email me for information, pricing, or to set an appointment at dyer.cbpublishing@gmail.com or visit https://www.crippledbeaglepublishing.com.
HAPPY CREATING, CREATIVE!
xoxoxo
Jody
