Designing your marketing collateral takes time if you want it to look professional, and generally, time is in low supply. So, what do you do when you get a last-minute project, and your designer is already booked? Do it yourself with a tool like Canva or Piktochart. Both are easy-to-use tools, and they both give you the ability to create professional-looking graphics without needing more complex design software like Photoshop or Illustrator.
While it doesn’t eliminate the need for a professional graphic designer for more complex projects, it allows you to easily create day-to-day content like social media posts and email banners.
These online-based services feature drag-and-drop builders that make it simple to create content that looks professional. Additionally, they allow you to upload your brand standards directly into the tool, so you don’t have to continuously look for hex codes. It’s worth noting that only one brand standard is allowed in the free version.
4 Reasons to Give Online Design Tools a Try
Reason 1: It's Easy
We can’t stress this enough. You don’t need to have prior design skills to use these tools. The drag-and-drop functionality will help you put together all kinds of content – from infographics to proposals and more. They allow you to edit and upload pictures, change colors, transparency, fonts, sizes, etc.
You can also copy your work and create different versions for the times you need to make a post for more than one channel. For example, I was creating a social media post promoting a speaking engagement in Canva. It had to be posted on Instagram and Twitter. The copy option made it easy for me to maintain the same look and feel, while saving me extra time.
Reason 2: They Have Free Versions
Who doesn’t like free things? Canva and Piktochart offer free versions that feature plenty of tools to keep your project running and looking good.
Reason 3: Endless Template Options
With more than 50,000+ templates to choose from on Canva, there’s a look for every project. Templates are divided by content type and topic, making it simple to find exactly what you're looking for.
Reason 4: Size Matters
No one wants their content to be cut off. That’s why, regardless of where your content will be posted, you need to make sure you are choosing the right size. With Canva and Piktochart, you don’t have to worry about searching Google for the right design specs for a digital ad or banner. Canva and Piktochart offer predefined sizes depending on the content your creating, and Canva lets you customize your dimensions as needed.
4 Content Creation Ideas with Canva & Piktochart
Now that you know how you can use these tools to turn your team into a content producing machine, you're probably looking for some examples of how to use it. Well, look no further! Here are 4 ideas to get you started:
Content Idea 1: Branded Templates
A business card is not the only item that needs to be designed to match your brand. From case studies to proposals, most businesses want their content to have the same look and feel. Canva and Piktochart allow you to create templates that include your colors and chosen style.
These templates can be shared with your coworkers so they can add content when they're ready. For example, you can create a branded sales deck that's shared with your sales team, facilitating marketing/sales alignment as both teams work together to create the right content for their targeted audience.
Content Idea 2: Social Posts
Want to make your LinkedIn Sponsored Content eye-catching? With Piktochart and Canva, you can create content for all your social media platforms: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Try one of the templates like the one below in Piktochart for that something extra.
Content Idea 3: Presentation
Presentations are used by businesses daily. Having a well-designed presentation will give you the confidence you need to tell your story. In Piktochart, you can choose a presentation template and get 10+ different slides following the same style that you'll be able to use. You will have a variety of slides choose from in terms of layout and color options.
Content Idea 4: Infographics
Most people don’t want to stare at boring numbers or data. Infographics are a powerful tool that attracts people’s attention and helps them digest the information quickly. Piktochart helps you dress up your data to make the most impact.
The Verdict
You don’t need to be an expert in design to create amazing content that will help you and your business be successful. Use the templates, or if you’re feeling creative, you can design your own.
Interested in learning about more tools?
Check out this blog on selecting the right project management tool for your team.
