Canva

What it is

Canva is an online design tool that works in a browser and on phones. It has thousands of templates for social media posts, banners, flyers, presentations and videos. Its AI features (grouped under names like Magic Studio) can generate images and text, remove backgrounds, resize designs and more, depending on your plan.

Best for

• Instagram posts, stories, WhatsApp Status images and Facebook banners
• Festival and offer graphics using your real product photos
• Removing or changing the background of a product photo
• Resizing one design for several platforms
• Simple presentations, flyers and short videos with captions

How to start

1. Sign up on the official website or app.
2. Search for a template for what you need, for example "Diwali sale Instagram post".
3. Replace the template's images with your own product photos, and edit text and colours to match your brand.

Example uses

• Upload a phone photo of your product, remove the background, and place it on a clean festival template.
• Create one post design, then resize it for Instagram post, story and Facebook in a few clicks.
• Ask the AI writing feature for three caption ideas, then edit them in your own voice.

Pricing

Canva has a free plan with many templates and basic features. Paid plans add premium templates and assets, more AI features, brand kits and team tools. Check Canva's official pricing page for current plans.

Watch out for

• Use real photos for products you sell; generated images of products can mislead customers.
• Check the licence terms of templates and elements before using them in paid ads.
• Do not use other brands' logos or characters in your designs.

Our tip

Create a simple brand kit (your logo, two colours and one font) and use it on every design. Consistency makes a small business look professional. See our course AI for Marketing and Small Business.