The one thing we can all agree on is that small businesses often have tight marketing budgets which leads to a lack of support and resources to create marketing visuals. With an ever-competitive online space it can be difficult to create the marketing components needed to advertise and bring in revenue. The only options that were formerly available required a steep learning curve, expensive design assets, and a lack of structure maintain brand consistency. Canva came along and created a space for small business and content creators alike to effortlessly make anything from social media posts to brochures. In this post, I'll explain why Canva is an essential tool for small businesses to create marketing collateral and visuals.
Cost-effective Subscription
Canva offers both a free and low-cost versions of their design tools with all assets and templates included in the "Pro" version. This enables small business to create professional looking graphics without a big marketing team. You might be wondering why I, a designer, would recommend a product that leaves my work obsolete? I started my business to empower small business not to have them dependent on my services, guiding them to best practices that will lead to success.
Easy Brand Management
With Canva Pro's recent update, we are able to add all of the brand elements in one easily accessible place -- "The Brand Hub". Fonts, color schemes, logos, and other brand assets can be added to any design for a cohesive brand image across all designs. You can even update templates automatically to include your brand assets which saves time and guarantees consistent branding across all marketing collateral.
Endless Design Templates
Canva has design templates that span across social media posts, videos, posters, flyers, brochures and more. These templates are designed by professional designers allowing the user to update and fit their messaging and marketing needs. This frees up more time and budget to spend on necessary business operations or increased revenue!
Collaboration
Canva allows users to collaborate on designs in real-time streamlining the marketing design process. It also allows for an effective feedback workflow allowing leadership to fine-tune designs and fit their market needs, not to mention enabling remote teams to effectively work together on projects and content.
Canva is a powerful tool to help small business create consistent branding and marketing collateral. It empowers small businesses to create professional-looking graphics that align with their brand identity. Whether it's designing social media posts, presentations, or marketing materials, it can be a valuable asset for small businesses in maintaining a cohesive and visually appealing brand presence.
If after reading this article you are still feeling overwhelmed by the digital marketing landscape, contact me to guide you through the complexities.
About the Author
Katie Nehls started her agency in 2020, after layoffs from her corporate job due to COVID. Her goal was to create a foundation for other small businesses so they could thrive, grow, and make their dreams a reality.