Have you tried Canva?

Congratulations to Canva on their #CanvaCreate event this week where they unveiled 10 exciting new software features.  If you aren’t familiar with Canva yet, this is the little company that could.  10 years ago, a few young Australians started with a goal of building a graphic design platform that was affordable and could be used by anyone.  Despite initial difficulty finding financial investors, they launched their company in 2013 and now have over 100 million active users.  Look no further for a case study in disruptive technology!

This design software is very intuitive if you are a beginner, but if you invest the time to learn the more complex aspects of the software you can create some impressive projects.  The price is unbeatable:  $150 CDN gives you full access to the software itself and millions of stock photos (also video, graphics, audio etc).  If you can’t afford the price, there is a free version. Even better, this is a company with a soul. They offer their pro package to non-profits for free. They are committed to climate change; their business strategy includes tree-planting and carbon-neutral operations.  They even have beehives on their roof. They are also committed to inclusivity and diversity, and champion artists from underrepresented communities around the world. Impressive.

You must be thinking that I get a commission for every new Canva user, but no.  I recommend Canva to my clients just because it is so useful and such great value.  It won’t replace the Adobe products (yet), but if you want to add professional polish to your posters, bring workshop invitations to the next level, or design high-quality social media content, you will really enjoy this product.  If you need help determining whether it’s for you, or want support setting it up, just give me a shout.

Case Study of Viral Post

Last Wednesday night my family wanted to watch another Spider-Man movie.  I love movie nights, but how many Spider-Man movies are there anyway?  I watched the movie out of the corner of my eye and checked my email.  That’s when I saw the Health Canada recall of Kinder chocolates. 

When food recalls happen, I whip up a quick social media post for my healthcare client. Anything that keeps our community safe is on brand.  I pulled text from the announcement, grabbed a Kinder egg photo from the internet, searched Canva for a “sad Easter bunny” and instead found an alarmed one. I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to be too irreverent, but then popped it in and pressed “post” on the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.  It was definitely not great work, but it should keep people safe, I thought.  Back to Spider-Man and Dr. Octopus.

Before the movie ended, the Facebook post had been shared 20 times.  Within 24 hours it was viral. While there is no clear definition of “viral”, having the post shared over 1,000 times, with a reach of 70,000 people seems to qualify.

I spend plenty of time creating content.  I study the trends, I know the theory behind creating viral posts, and this isn’t it. The post didn’t use video, carousels, giveaways, or hashtags.  It wasn’t motivational or artistic. Little thought was given to font, image, or colour theory.   No collaboration with influencers. No engaging questions. And yet…

The key to social media strategy is to discern what works well for you, and then repeat it.  Two things worked well here.  The first was timeliness; responding instantly put us ahead of the press so this really was newsworthy.  The second was the value of the post to the community; everyone wants to protect their loved ones from salmonella. While there is good reason to incorporate all other aspects of content creation, providing timely, useful information must be at the heart of our work.  

Interestingly, the Twitter and Instagram versions did not go viral.  That speaks to different audiences, and the fact that Instagram doesn’t lend itself to sharing.  But we’ll take the Facebook win.  It came with the added bonus of new followers.

Apparently, we are watching another Spider-Man movie tonight.  I can’t wait.

Celebrating New Beginnings

Well, here we are!

If you had told me two years ago that I would be opening a communications consulting business I would have been very surprised. Two years ago (at the start of the pandemic) I was busy launching some social media accounts at a community hospital off the side of my desk. One year ago I transitioned out of full-time employment, but kept the social media work as a volunteer job. Next thing you know, I was back at school to complete formal training in social media so that I could do a better job. And now here I am, ready to take on more.

Social media is complicated. At its best it is fun, it connects us with our people, and it is an accessible source of information. At its worst, it is risky, even dangerous. But it is definitely here to stay. Research has shown that over 83% of us are on social media, and that is projected to grow to 96% over the next 5 years. 74% of consumers consult social media before they make a purchasing decision. Nearly half of adults get their news from social media. While there are steps we can take to reduce the negative risks of social media, we can also embrace its potential. We can use it to share reliable information, to brighten people’s days, and to create healthier communities. We can motivate people to make more informed choices, and we can facilitate them in supporting each other. This is the work I feel called to do.

Thanks for joining me on this adventure! #FeelingOptimistic #LetsGetStarted

Brenda

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bcatchpole