How would you like to create professional graphic designs without the cost of Adobe? If so, then you should check out Canva.
According to the company website, you can use Canva to design “anything” in minutes.
With Canva, “anything” includes:
And more. You can even use the tool as a poor man’s version of Photoshop.
In this review, I’ll go over the features of Canva. I’ll also list its pros and cons.
The first thing you need to know about Canva is that it runs in the cloud. That means you don’t have to download any software to get started with it. You can just use it by visiting the company website and logging in.
But that’s not your only option. If you’d like to design graphics on your smartphone or tablet (a tall order, in my opinion), you can download the mobile app.
In the next several sections, I’ll go over the kinds of designs you can create with Canva.
If you’re just now launching a business, then you need a logo. Canva can help you create a logo that perfectly reflects your brand.
You don’t even need any design experience. The user interface is drag-and-drop.
Once you’re done, you can download your new logo and use it wherever you please: letterheads, web pages, and business cards.
Speaking of business cards…
Like your logo, your business card is a reflection of your brand. If you have a poorly designed card, you’ll undoubtedly lose customers.
Fortunately, Canva makes it easy for you to create a business card that’s sure to impress.
The tool even offers thousands of templates that you can use for inspiration. You’re not forced to create a card from scratch.
You can also upload your own photos, graphics, and logos that you’d like to include in your business card design.
Once again, the drag-and-drop interface is your friend. The business card creator is designed for people with no graphics experience.
In some cases, you still need to go “old school.” You may need to promote your business with a poster.
Once again, Canva is your friend.
The tool lets you create a poster from scratch or start with a template. Then, just add the text and other elements you need to make the poster your own.
You don’t even need to take your finished product to your local Staples or OfficeMax. Canva will print and ship your poster directly to your doorstep.
Are you looking to mass-print flyers and hand them out at some crowded venue? If so, do two things:
Canva boasts that it’s the easiest flyer creator you’ll ever use. Your mileage may vary, but there’s no doubt that you can create some great hand-outs with the tool.
And you’ve got plenty of templates to choose from. Just pick one that’s suited to your brand and add your own message to it.
Then, print it. You can do that with Canva as well.
Just choose the quality of paper, finish, and the number of flyers you want. Place your order online and Canva will deliver your flyers to your home or office.
Looking to switch jobs? Canva can help with that.
In fact, Canva might help you more than LinkedIn. That’s because you can use the tool to design a great-looking resume.
And here’s a familiar word: templates.
That’s right. You won’t have to struggle with creating a resume from scratch. Just start with a template that’s suited to your career interests.
The tool even pre-selects fonts, sizes, and formats for you.
Oh, yeah. Canva will also create a matching cover letter.
What’s not to love?
Getting back to the “old school” theme: have you considered promoting your business with a newsletter? If so, then take a look at Canva for help.
Just browse through Canva’s newsletter templates and pick the one that matches your marketing message. Then, customize it to suit your taste.
Once that’s done, it’s up to you to populate the newsletter with content. Write a few articles that will interest people in your target market.
Then, get it printed. Once again, Canva can help with that.
How’d you like to recognize your employees who’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty? If so, give them a printed certificate that highlights their accomplishments.
Canva can help you make that happen.
Just fire up the app, grab a template, and start dragging and dropping to populate the certificate. Once you’re done, print it out.
Probably a good idea to give your employees a gift certificate to a nice restaurant as well…
Speaking of gift certificates, you can use Canva to create those as well.
In fact, you can make a gift certificate for any occasion. With just a few clicks and some custom text, you’ll have a certificate that you can print and hand out to your best customers.
By the way: you can also share the gift certificate online.
Also: Canva will help you create the right kind of gift certificate. Just select the recipient’s favorite shop and make the purchase. It’s that simple.
You’re probably using social media to promote your brand. If so, you’ll be happy to learn that Canva can help you create some great graphics and images suited to various social channels.
Use the tool for:
Take note of that last item: video intros. Canva is moving into the video space. That means you’ll get more out of Canva than what you’re reading about here.
You can start using Canva for free. In fact, you can keep using Canva for free.
It’s got a 100% free option for people who only want access to limited templates and design types.
If you decide to go Pro, that will cost you $10 per month. It’s billed annually at that rate, though. So you have to sign on for at least one year.
You can go month-to-month for $13 each month.
What do you get with the Pro plan? Access to 60,000+ templates and more than 60 million stock images, photos, and videos.
There’s also an Enterprise plan for $30 per month. Use that if you want to create workflows to get designs approved or if you’d like to restrict the access of team members to specific designs.
Here’s what some of the current Canva users say about their experience with the tool.
First, the pros:
Now, the cons:
There’s no risk to get started with Canva. Like I said, it’s free.
If your business has a need for great graphic designs, why not give Canva a free try today?
Welcome to John Lincoln’s personal website. You can learn about John Lincoln’s books, films, book him to speak and contact him. John is directly associated with many of the businesses mentioned on this website and freely discloses this information.
John Lincoln is CEO of Ignite Visibility, one of the top digital marketing agencies in the nation. Outside of Ignite Visibility, Lincoln is a frequent speaker and author of the books Advolution, Digital Influencer and The Forecaster Method. Lincoln is consistently named one of the top digital marketers in the industry and was the recipient of the coveted Search Engine Land “Search Marketer of The Year” award. Lincoln has taught digital marketing and Web Analytics at the University of California San Diego since 2010, has been named as one of San Diego’s most admired CEO’s and a top business leader under 40.
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