Social Media | Using Canva to Create Content

I want to start by saying there is no substitute for a graphic designer - they are absolutely worth their weight in gold, and if you can please support a freelancer - they are small business owners too.

But sometimes it's not possible right now (can't afford it, don't have the time to wait, haven't found one that "gets you") and so here's a DIY solution that uses Canva to create "on brand" images that you can use on social media.

You'll need to sign up for Canva - the free plan should give you more than enough functionality if you're just starting out and don't want to commit to the paid plan. 

You'll need to know your brand colours by their HEX code - don't worry if you don't have the codes, I will show you a simple way to find them. If you don't have brand colours or you'd like to refresh the look for the new season I've got a couple of solutions for that too.

Finding the HEX codes for your brand colours

There are a couple of simple ways to get the HEX codes for your brand colours. You can use an online tool to get the codes - I use the Image Colour Picker website.

Upload your image and then use the dropper tool to land on the colour that you want the HEX code for, make a note of these colours and then plug them into colour code section - this is great for customising your Shopify site with your brand colours.

This isn't always foolproof though, so sometimes I just use Canva for the whole process. To do this, upload your image directly to Canva, click on the colour icon on the taskbar it will show you the colours already in the image.

Finding HEX codes for complimentary colours

If you don't have a full range of brand colours or your assets do not have a range of brand colours, you can use a website like Colour Hex which will help you to find some options.

Add your HEX code and you will be presented with a colour palette of HEX codes as well as RGB codes. Canva will do something similar - that will be covered in the next step.

Creating social media content

Now that you've got some HEX codes, here is the basic steps to taking a Canva template and making it your own (instructional video is below);

1. Log in to Canva
2. Under Templates > Social Media click on Instagram Post
3. Choose a post that you like the look of
4. Change the colours to your brand colours
5. Change the font to your brand font
6. Download your image
7. Upload to social media

If you haven't already, join the Running In Heels Facebook Group to share ideas and tips for your online business.