Featured For Learners

How to: utilize Canva to build your own personal brand Pt. 2

by Isidora Mladenović • October 15, 2022 • 5 minute to read

Note: This is part one of two articles on how to leverage Canva to amplify your voice. If you want to start from scratch, here’s part one. Since you have already set foundations for your personal brand, the next step is to get your brand out there. The first question on your mind is probably: “How do I communicate my brand in a unique way that stands out?” Canva is a free graphic design tool that makes it easy for anyone to create designs for their personal brand. The platform boasts over 75 million users worldwide, a database of more than 1 million stock videos, photos, and other graphic elements, and the ability to translate your brand visually in a way that you might not be able to without professional design skills. In this guide, you will learn how to easily create a CV that stands out, lay out a website that speaks to your unique audience, and create compelling communication material that you might need in an online or offline setting. So let’s begin! Luckily there is a tool that can help your content look professional without spending hours on advanced tools like Photoshop or Illustrator – world, welcome Canva! Canva is a leading design platform that aims to make graphic design (and more!) more accessible for non-designers. One of its key benefits is the number of templates that you can use and adapt to visually organize your work. Another benefit is a vast library of images, elements, fonts, and videos, which saves you time and drive space as it is safely stored on Canva’s cloud. This article is part one of two that will help you discover, build and communicate your personal brand to the world. With that, let’s dive right in!
Create a CV.
A CV, or a curriculum vitae, is a document that describes your experience, skills and achievements. It’s an excellent way to showcase what makes you uniquely qualified for a job or any other opportunity. Remember: your CV is only one step in the hiring process and it shouldn’t be used as an excuse not to apply for jobs (especially if they’re a perfect fit). The sooner you start applying for your dream jobs, the sooner will you be on the mission to create greatness! Luckily, Canva offers a range of CV options for you to explore, and if you sign up for their Premium service, that offer will expand even further. Here is what you need to do in order to make a perfect CV:

In the home page, search for Resume and select one of the templates that truly match your mood board’s values. Do not worry about colors and fonts – you will be able to change this later. If you have extensive experience which you are willing to share, make sure that your template offers a few pages that can hold all of your info.

Next, upload your photo and add your information and fill out your CV. Canva has an amazing feature where you can add templates even once you started designing, so if the current selection doesn’t make the cut anymore, feel free to shift to a different template found under the Templates card.

Build your own personal website by creating header images and other graphics to use
A huge part of marketing is branding, and a huge part of branding is having a personal website. If you don’t have one yet, get started! Canva has recently rolled out a possibility to design and publish your own Canva site – completely free! So if you want to take your presence into the digital realm, this is a great transition before you get your actual website.

Firstly, you can search for Website and choose from the series of designs inspired by your personal brand:

Next, you need to write your content for the website. A good start would be this article with tons of good examples for copywriting.

Once you’ve created your site and added content (more on that in the next section), it’s time to start adding graphics and images to make it look more professional. Here’s where Canva comes in handy again! Use imagery of yourself, your work, or ones that match your moodboard to truly tell the story of yourself, your journey and how you can help others!

You need to make sure that your color scheme is present in your site in order for you to be truly recognizable; here’s a great video on the rules of using color in websites.

Design your social media pages.
Your social media needs to follow the look and feel that you worked so hard to establish. This is also where most interactions happen, and your audience will like to see consistency in your work. It’s an opportunity to introduce yourself and build trust with current and potential followers, so make it count!

First up: header images! Headers are your personal ad space, and they are the first thing that people see when visiting your page. They’re also great if you want something more interesting than just text on your profile picture; using eye-catching fonts or patterns can make people take notice from afar without having to click through first (which sometimes isn’t easy if the profile picture itself isn’t very appealing).

Create a consistent look and feel across all your social media pages by using a brand color palette. Use this palette in the design of your header image, as well as in other areas of the site where you have control over color schemes (e.g., banners).

Make sure to use your logo—and don’t forget about sizing! This is an important part of creating a recognizable brand identity for yourself online.

The image should be wide enough so that it doesn’t get cropped when shared on social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook. Try this size guide to see what size is needed for each platform.

Create stunning animations for each purpose.
Canva’s animation tools allow you to transform your brand into a moving and animated experience. If you’re someone who likes to get creative with the way that you represent yourself and your work, this is the perfect opportunity for you! Animated videos are great for getting across complex concepts in a fun and engaging way. They can be used as promotional material for new products or services, or even just as an introduction (or handshake) on social media platforms like LinkedIn. They can also be used to show how processes work, how products are made, or even just how your company came about in its current form.
Create and schedule social posts.
One of the best features of Canva for Work is the ability to schedule social media posts. This means you can create posts and schedule them for later, so you don’t have to worry about getting them done right away. You can even set up a calendar so that your posts are automatically posted at certain times each day or week! That way, you’ll never miss an opportunity to promote yourself or your brand on social media. When creating a template in Canva for Work, make sure to include hashtags in your post title and descriptions so that people searching for those terms will find them! Also, make sure that whatever website or platform you’re using is linked in both the image’s caption and description text—this helps people who come across it on their own realize they’re looking at something they should be paying attention to.
Use templates to create everything – from brochures, flyers, and business cards to digital products
This might sound like a broken record, however, one of the best tools to use on Canva is the template gallery. Here, you’ll find tons of pre-made designs that you can customize with your own colors, fonts, and images. This is an easy way to create anything from a business card or flyer to a website or social media graphics.

Go to Canva’s template library and select the type of collateral which you’d like to create

Select one of the templates to edit

Add your content and make sure that your design matches your brand and color palette

If you intend to print your design, simply select PDF (Print) and check the box ‘Include Marks and Bleeds’. This will create a white outline around your design that your local printing shop would need, and they’ll be grateful!

Whether you’re creating a personal brand, or just an image to showcase your skills online but you do not have the essential knowledge of various design tools, Canva has got you covered. It’s easy to use and offers some great templates that will help you create stunning visuals in no time at all. The best part is that its free version is already very resourceful, and a premium will cover all the needs you might have – and more! So get out there and start building your own personal brand with Canva today!