15 Minutes to Social Stardom

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, social media stands as a powerhouse for fostering business growth. Its ability to connect brands with a global audience is unparalleled, making it an essential tool for businesses of all sizes. However, for entrepreneurs and small business owners operating on a shoestring budget, the challenge of maintaining a consistent and visually appealing social media presence can be daunting.

Creating compelling content regularly is not just about staying relevant; it's about establishing a brand identity, engaging with your audience, and ultimately driving growth. This task, often considered resource-intensive, poses a significant hurdle for businesses operating on limited funds. As we delve into this article, we'll explore a game-changer for businesses aiming to overcome this challenge – Canva. Please note, this is NOT an affiliate. I am not affiliated with Canva in any manner, it is just one of the tools I use to create effective amrketing assets for my clients.marketing

Introducing Canva: Your Budget-Friendly Social Content Ally

Amidst the myriad of tools available, Canva emerges as a beacon for businesses looking to make a substantial impact on social media without breaking the bank. Canva, a user-friendly and cost-effective graphic design platform, has revolutionized the way small businesses approach content creation. With its intuitive interface and vast array of design templates, Canva empowers even the least design-savvy individuals to produce professional and engaging content.

As we journey through the following sections, we will unravel the potential within Canva, exploring how this tool can transform the often-overwhelming task of generating a month's worth of social content into a streamlined and efficient process. Whether you're a solopreneur, a startup, or a small business with a tight budget, the power of Canva awaits to elevate your social media game.

The Problem:

How can I create enough content, for 30 or more days, that doesn’t consume a ton of my very precious work hours?

Seems daunting, at the least, doesn’t it?

Below, is a simple process I’ve taught to a number of my teams and clients to help them create a month’s worth of content in 15 minutes or less.

The Process:

NOTE: For this process, your account will require the Canva Pro subscription plan. If you don’t have the Canva Pro plan, you can activate the Free Trial of Canva Pro. You have 30 days to cancel the trial and avoid any fees.

As part of this tutorial, I’ll be demonstrating two different workflows for creating a huge amount of content in very little time…

Workflow 1: The Spreadsheet method

This method is great for text-based content. I’ll be using it to create a bunch of Brand quote posts for instagram that I can share to inspire, educate, or inform.

To start, I have created several Google Sheets that I keep handy to collect quotes, tips, inspirational sayings, etc. on different subjects. As I stumble across interesting content, I copy and paste it into the relevant spreadsheet. This enables me to collect content as I go about my normal day. In no time, I have hundreds of content elements that I can use to create content marketing for my brands. Below, you can see a section of quotes from my Brand Quotes spreadsheet.

Once I have a spreadsheet full of data I want to use for my social content, I export the data as a .CSV file.

Next, I’ll fire up Canva, create a new design, and select an appropriate template. In this case, I’m going to select the Square Instagram Template, and utilize one of the free Quote templates available in Canva to quickly come up with a base design.

I know I have some longer quotes, so I’m going to decrease the size of my font so that I have less cleanup to do. I’m also going to add a text holder for the author’s name.

The magic happens when we delve into the Apps section of Canva and call up the Bulk Create tool.

I need to Upload my CSV file so I can connect the data to the text elements…

My data is going to show up with the column headers I had in my spreadsheet - in my case, “Quote” and “Author”.

Once the data is uploaded, I can select the elements in the graphic that I want to have populated with the data from the Spreadsheet. So, I click on the “…” on the Quote element, select the Connect Data option, and tell it to use the Quote Data. I’ll repeat this for the Author element as well.

Once I have connected the data source to the various elements, you will notice that the element changed to reflect the data source it is connected to.

Once I hit CONTINUE, the app will generate designs for all the data sources - in my case, I had 30 entries in my spreadsheet and instantly created 30 designs.

I’ll usually scroll through all of the designs and make any tweaks or changes necessary to finalize the designs. Once I’ve finished, I can either schedule the posts in Canva, or export them and schedule them in my Social Media Management software of choice.

Workflow 2: The Manual Data method

This method is great for complex data or image-based content. The main difference is within the Bulk Create app…

Once again, I’ll fire up Canva and start a new design. I’m still using the Square Instagram Format, but this time I’ll use my own elements. In this example, I’m keeping it simple. I’ve added a simple Frame element. I’ll size it so that it leaves space to showcase some text, in this case, the artist’s name.

Like before, we access the Bulk Create app in the App icon on the left rail. Rather than Upload a CSV, this time we are going to manually add the data.

When you select to enter the data manually, you will be presented with a spreadsheet-like page view. I created a text column and an image column. I added in the Name…

and then selected the + element in the Image cell and added one of the images I had previously uploaded into Canva.

Once my data is complete, I select Done.

Like before, I’m going to connect my data sources to my design elements. The only difference is that for the image source, we will be connecting it to the Frame Element.

Complete the bulk creation process and schedule your content…it’s that simple.

Content Ideas

Now that you know the process for quickly generating tons of social media content, can you use some suggestions for content you can use? Here’s a list of potential content ideas suited for the creative or small business.

• Motivation Monday:

  • Share motivational quotes or stories to kickstart the week on a positive note.

• Tip Tuesday:

  • Offer valuable tips and tricks related to your industry or niche.

• Wednesday Wisdom:

  • Share insightful industry insights, facts, or thought-provoking questions.

• Throwback Thursday:

  • Take a trip down memory lane, showcasing past achievements, milestones, or memorable moments.

• Feature Friday:

  • Highlight a specific product, service, or team member each week.

• Spotlight Saturday:

  • Showcase customer testimonials, success stories, or user-generated content.

• Sunday Funday:

  • Share lighthearted and fun content, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or team activities.

• Weekly Challenge:

  • Engage your audience with a weekly challenge related to your brand or industry.

• Quote of the Week:

  • Feature a powerful or inspiring quote relevant to your business or values.

• Product Showcase Week:

  • Dedicate a week to showcasing different products or services in detail.

• Behind-the-Scenes:

  • Provide a peek behind the curtain, showing the inner workings of your business.

• Customer Appreciation:

  • Acknowledge and appreciate your customers through shout-outs, features, or exclusive discounts.

• Educational Insights:

  • Share educational content, tutorials, or industry insights to position your brand as an authority.

• Storytime Sunday:

  • Share stories about your brand's journey, challenges overcome, or lessons learned.

• Employee Spotlight:

  • Introduce team members and share their roles, contributions, or fun facts.

• Local Love Week:

  • Celebrate and support local businesses, causes, or events.

• Seasonal Sensations:

  • Tailor your content to fit the current season, holidays, or trending topics.

• Community Engagement:

  • Encourage interaction by asking questions, running polls, or seeking opinions.

• Trivia Tuesday:

  • Share interesting facts or trivia related to your industry or niche.

• Fan Favorites:

  • Showcase popular products, services, or content based on audience feedback.

These themes offer a diverse range of content ideas, allowing you to plan ahead and maintain a consistent and engaging social media presence throughout the month.

Conclusion

In wrapping up our exploration of Canva as a game-changer for social content creation, it's evident that this user-friendly platform offers a myriad of benefits for businesses operating on a shoestring budget. From its intuitive interface to a vast library of design templates, Canva empowers businesses to transform their social media presence efficiently and cost-effectively.

The streamlined process of creating a month's worth of social content becomes not just feasible but enjoyable with Canva's capabilities. By leveraging its features, businesses can maintain a consistent brand identity, engage their audience effectively, and amplify their online impact.

As you embark on your social media journey, consider the potential within Canva to elevate your content creation game. It's not just a tool; it's a creative companion that enables you to turn ideas into visually stunning and shareable content. With Canva, the possibilities are limitless, making it an invaluable asset for businesses looking to make a lasting impression in the digital landscape.

Share Your Canva Experience:

We'd love to hear about your experiences with Canva. Have you used it to streamline your social content creation? Share your success stories, challenges, and creative triumphs with the Growth on a Shoestring community. Your insights could inspire and guide fellow business owners on their journey to social media success.

Experiment and Innovate:

Don't stop at the basics. Take a leap and experiment with different Canva templates, design elements, and features. The true power of this tool reveals itself when creativity knows no bounds. Share your experiments and discoveries – you might just uncover a unique approach that sets your brand apart.

As you dive into the world of Canva, remember that the best results often come from a blend of creativity, strategic planning, and a touch of experimentation. Your social media canvas is ready; let Canva be the brush that paints your brand's vibrant and compelling story.