Step 15: Create Your Social Media Posts Using Canva

Estimated Time: 2 hours

Requirements: Draft of content for your posts (from step 12)

In this step, you will use Canva to create your own Social Media posts.

Step 15.1: Prepare to Capture Attention

• You already have your content from step 12. Take some time to fine tune it to come up with what you wish to specifically say - the exact set of words.

• Numbers, facts, quotes are the best at getting people interested.

• Images that evoke emotions are the best at evoking desire in people. You have just about a second before the viewer scrolls up - and your image plays a crucial role in holding their attention and making them read the content. So select good ones!

  • Feel free to revisit step 11 for more on how to create/find images.

• Finally, be clear about the action that you wish the viewer to take (like, comment and share?) and mention it explicitly.

Step 15.2: Create Your Post in Canva

Note: You can create all your posts in the same file by duplicating the pages. However, give them names so that they're identifiable when you submit them.

1. Open the template file.

2. Click on Use Template for New Design. A copy of the file will be created. You can change the name of the new file to your campaign code.

3. Add Campaign Details: Add your campaign code, campaign topic and name in the box provided at the bottom. This will help you get credit for your work, and serve as evidence if you wish to submit it somewhere - even as part of your design portfolio.

4. Add the image you have selected by dragging it, from elements or directly from your system. You can also go to the Uploads tab and upload the image there and then drag it onto the page. You can also click on the image once it is in Canva to add it.

5. Add text: Click on Text >> Add a Text Box to add a text box. Type your text in it.

6. Branding: Align the colours and fonts to the Brand Guidelines shared with you in Step 10.

That's it you're done! Your first post is ready.

For the remaining, simply duplicate the page, by clicking on the icon next to the lock, slightly above the canvas where you were working - to the top right. Remove the text and image from your previous post and repeat steps 4 and 5. 

Remember 

• If your image/graphic overlaps 'ICIMWS 2024' or your campaign details - it should be plain solid colour there. The editing team can make adjustments to fix visibility issues. You may also try to unlock and edit it yourself to learn how it works. But do NOT change the position of either.

• White Space is not a problem in itself. In fact, you should not make the post too crowded - there should be lots of space - it aids readability.

• If the background pattern is a distraction you can insert a solid coloured box to cover it from the specific places. You may also unlock and remove the pattern altogether. 

Step 15.3: Generate Caption/Description for your Posts

Caption/Description is the text accompanying images and videos that you might have noticed on almost all Social Media sites - Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. These have significant advantages including improving the engagement with the viewer and discoverability (by using mechanisms such as hashtags) on the social media platforms.

Here, you can easily generate captions for your Social Media posts using free tools such as AHREFS Instagram Caption Generator. 

Please note: 

1. There will be a separate caption for each of the social media posts. While filling the form in the next step, you should number them 1, 2, 3, and so on... and fill them in the same order as your social media posts in Canva.

2. Remember to add #ICIMWS to your captions/descriptions

Tip: You can save the captions in a systematic way in Notepad or Word and simply copy-paste them while filling the form.

Step 15.4: Submit Your Content to the Editing Team

Note: You may choose to do this after discussing your draft with the editing team.

Ready to submit?

• Get share link (editable)

  • Click on Share in Canva

  • From the dropdown below Collaboration Link select Anyone with the Link. 

  • In the box that appears next to this select Can edit.

  • Click on Copy Link. 

• Fill the Submission Form:

  • Open the submission form

  • Fill the details:

    • Content Type = "Social Media Post"

    • Content Title = Your Content's Title (not the campaign's title)

    • Content Link = Paste the Canva link that you copied earlier

    • Caption = Captions generated in the previous step, in same order as posts in Canva.

  • Submit the form

That's it. You're done!