Creating Engaging Content Using Canva with Marie-Louise O'Neill

In this week's episode of The Best Guest we welcome Marie-Louise O'Neill who specialises in branding, design and Canva for SMEs.We talk about:Do's and don'ts for creating brandingCommon mistakes people make with CanvaHow Canva can help you repurpose your podcast interviews<br/>AboutMarie-Louise specialises in branding, design and Canva for SMEs. She offers a range of logo and design 121 services, Canva group training and is an official Canva Creator.With 20 years industry experience and a degree in branding and packaging, she's created everything from logo designs, social media templates and website design in the digital space, to printed brochures, book covers, adverts, banners and packaging.She loves to work with entrepreneurs, coaches, marketing experts and virtual assistants to create consistent content that's on brand but with the flexibility to evolve over time.Her design process is focussed on collaboration, meeting on Zoom and using great tools like Canva to bounce ideas and bring the design to life before her clients' eyes.Key TakeawaysUnderstand the difference between a logo and a brand. A brand encompasses colours, fonts, and the overall feeling you want to convey.When choosing colours for your branding, consider your ideal client and what will appeal to them. Ensure there is enough contrast for readability.Many small businesses use Canva, but some may feel overwhelmed or unsure about using it. It's important to learn how to use the programme effectively and take advantage of its features.One common mistake is not making enough changes to Canva templates. Customize colours, fonts, and other elements to make the design unique and aligned with your brand.Streamline your content creation process by creating templates for different types of posts. This reduces the need to start from scratch each time and ensures consistency in branding.Repurpose podcast interviews by creating audiograms, quote posts, and resizing content for different platforms using Canva's tools and templates.If you're a podcast host, consider providing guests with Canva templates they can easily customize. Share templates as copies to avoid linking and overwrite issues.When designing social media headers, check how they appear on both mobile and desktop views. Don't assume that Canva templates will automatically fit all platforms, as sizes and layouts can change.<br/>Mentioned in This EpisodeCanvaConnect with Marie-Louise O'NeillFacebook pageWebsiteInstagramLinkedInYouTube Facebook group Lovely Canva CrewLovely Little Thoughts JournalLearn to design with Canva with my Lovely Canva Circle programmeLet's chat – book a 121 in CalendlyConnect with Victoria BennionTo learn more