Annette Kessler – Page 3 – IFTS, Inc. Blog

Creating Video Marketing Content With Canva: Useful Strategies For Your Small Painting Business

Creating Video Content With Canva: Useful Strategies For Your Small Painting Business, PART 2

Let’s face it, in the world of small business marketing, standing out can be tough, but is critical. In our last blog, we gave you the tools to create professional-looking videos with Canva, without needing a Hollywood production team.

But hold on to your paintbrushes, because in this article, we’ll be unleashing your inner creativity to make those videos shine brighter than a fresh coat of paint!

Let's Get Creative

Canva also allows small businesses and house painters to add text, graphics, transitions, and music to make their marketing videos more engaging and effective. These features can add interest to the message and grab the viewer’s attention.

Here are some simple ways to make your videos stand out from the crowd!

Got Graphics?

Graphics and text are a great addition to your marketing video and help you create a moving story for your brand. Try not to get too carried away with adding these elements to your video, though. You can always add more later! Start simple by doing the following:

Select the “Elements” tab from the toolbar on the left-hand side of the editing screen.
Choose the graphic or icon you want to add to your video and drag it onto the timeline.
Resize and adjust the graphic as necessary and position it where you want it to appear by dragging the corners of the purple box that appears when you select a graphic.
Click on the graphic to also customize the color, size, position, rotation, or transparency of it.
Repeat the process to add more graphics to your video as required.
The same steps can be applied for adding custom text by selecting the “Text” tab located on the same toolbar as the “Elements” tab.

Add Animation!

Animating graphics in Canva can add a lot of interest and movement to your marketing video. Animations can make your video look better and help you tell the story in a more exciting way. Here’s how to animate graphics in Canva:

Select the graphic that you want to animate by clicking on it in the editing screen.
Click on the “Animate” button located in the upper left corner of the editing screen.
Choose the animation style that you want to apply to the graphic, and adjust the animation settings as necessary. Canva provides a range of animation effects, such as fade-in, slide-in, and bounce.
Adjust the timing and duration of the animation by clicking on the “Animation length” button and setting the length of time you want the animation to last.
Preview your animated graphic by clicking on the “Play” button located in the bottom left corner of the editing screen.

*Pro tip* – Like graphics and text elements, animations should be used sparingly to avoid overwhelming the viewer with too many moving elements.

Timing is Everything

Timing is a critical aspect of video editing, and it’s no different when adding graphic elements to your marketing video in Canva. If the timing of your graphic elements is off, it can take away from its effectiveness and impact on your viewer. Therefore, it’s important to know how to change the timing of these elements in Canva.

You will need to navigate to the timeline tab located at the bottom of the editing screen. This is where all of the elements you have added to your video are displayed in order of appearance.
Once you have located the graphic element you want to adjust the timing for, simply click on it to select it. You will notice a tab with three dots appears above, and when you click on those dots, a new menu pops up with several icons, including a timer.
Choose the timer icon to show its timing, which is now displayed as a purple bar with a thumbnail of the graphic just above your video timeline at the bottom of the editing screen.
To adjust the timing of the graphic element, simply click and drag it to the left or right along the timeline.

*Pro tip* – keep in mind that the timing of your graphic elements should be in harmony with the overall rhythm and pacing of your video. You can experiment with different durations and timings to see what works best for your video.

Smooth Transitions

When you have more than one video clip in your video timeline, you can choose to transition between those clips in fun and unique ways such as fades, slides, pops and more! Transitions can help create a smooth or more interesting flow between the sections of your video. Here’s how to add them:

With your cursor, hover over the space between two clipped sections of your video. A plus icon will appear, as well as the transition icon.
Select the transition icon and a menu will appear with different types of transitions you can apply to your video.
Choose the desired transition style and it will appear on your video’s timeline between the two video clips.
While in the transitions menu, you can adjust the duration by dragging the slider bar that appears below your selection.
Repeat the process to add as many transitions as you’d like.

*Pro tip* – To add the same transition between each video clip, click on the “apply between all pages” button at the bottom of the menu to save time.

Music to My Ears

And last but not least, don’t forget about the audio. Your visuals might be on point, but bad audio can kill a video faster than you can say “soundcheck.” Make sure your audio is crystal clear and be sure to add music to your video to make it more engaging and emotional. Canva has a library of music you can use or you can upload your own. Just make sure you have the right to use it. Here’s how to adjust the volume of your video’s audio and add music:

Select the “Music” button from the toolbar on the left-hand side of the editing screen.
Choose the desired music track from Canva’s library or upload your own track.
Select the music track and a new audio timeline bar will appear below your video’s timeline.
When you click on the audio timeline bar an audio effects menu will show at the top of the video editing screen. Adjust the volume of the music by clicking the audio icon and dragging the slider in the volume tab.
Trim the audio clip as necessary by dragging its edges.

*Pro tip* – If the track you’ve added to your video is too short, simply click the ending point of the track in your video and add it again. You may need to adjust where the music tracks overlap so they are in sync.

Get Ready to Roll!

Once you’re done adding effects and editing the visuals, it’s time to review your work and make sure that everything looks perfect and is ready for export. To do this, you can use Canva’s play button located near the top left corner of the page to preview how your entire video flows together.

Made a mistake? No problem!

The undo button is also located near the top left corner of the page, or with Canva Pro, you can revert to a previous version of the video and go from there.

Once you’ve finished editing your video, it’s time to export it so you can use it for marketing purposes. Simply click on the “Export” button and choose your desired video format and resolution.

Canva offers a range of options, including MP4, GIF, and MOV. You can also choose the quality and resolution of your video.

*Pro tip* – Keep in mind, many social media platforms only allow videos of a certain length to be posted, so be sure to adjust accordingly.

This is the Way

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of videos to see what resonates with your audience. Try creating how-to videos, product demos, behind-the-scenes videos, or customer testimonial videos to see what works best for your business.

By using videos to showcase your products and services, share your expertise, and promote your events, you can increase engagement and reach a wider audience.

Now you’re ready to share your videos on social media, embed them on your website, use them in your email marketing campaigns, and start getting the most out of your video content!

With these tips and strategies, you’ll be able to create professional-looking marketing videos that promote your small business or house painting services that attract new customers and blow your competition away!

Remember, making videos should be fun and creative, so don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. Happy video-making!

Need more help? Contact our social media experts at IFTS, and we will get the job done for you! Give us a call today at 412-715-6266, and we’ll get you started on creating videos that will take your business to the next level.

Creating Video Marketing Content with Canva: Useful Strategies for Your Small Painting Business

Creating Video Content with Canva: Useful Strategies for Your Small Painting Business, PART 1

Marketing videos can be a great way to promote your small business or house painting services. They allow you to showcase your skills and services in an engaging and visually appealing way. However, creating high-quality marketing videos can be challenging, especially if you don’t have the resources to hire a professional videographer or video editor.

What if we told you there’s an easier way to create those videos yourself?

We’re talking high-quality, friends – images and videos that will make your video look like a million bucks (even if it only cost you $12.99 a month for Canva Pro).

That’s right, you can make professional-looking videos yourself using Canva, which is a user-friendly graphic design tool that will have you making amazing videos in a matter of minutes. In the past, we’ve covered making social media posts quicker and easier using Canva, but in this blog, we’ll give you some of our most useful pointers for making marketing videos, specifically for small businesses and house painters.

Creating marketing videos for a small business or painting company can seem daunting. But with Canva, you can create an amazing video without having to be a professional videographer.

Have a Plan For Your Marketing Videos

How Can Small Painting Businesses Use Videos to Market Their Products and Services?

Like with social media post creation, you need a plan for your video marketing. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Decide how you want to promote your services and who your audience is.

For instance, if you own a painting company, you may want to use video to showcase your team at work, customer reviews, tips and tricks, or a recent project, highlighting your attention to detail.

Here are some ways small painting businesses can use videos to market their products and services:

Showcasing Products

You can create videos that show your products in action, such as videos of painting techniques, before and after shots of painting projects, or your favorite paint brands.

Sharing Expertise

As a painting business owner, you have expertise in the field that your customers can benefit from. You can create videos that share your expertise, such as videos on how to choose the right paint color, how to paint a room like a pro, or how to prepare a surface for painting.

Behind-the-Scenes Videos

Behind-the-scenes videos are a great way to show your customers what goes on behind closed doors. You can create videos that show your team at work, your painting process, or a day in the life of your painting business.

Promoting Events

Videos can be used to promote events such as workshops, or charity events. You can create videos that showcase what your customers can expect at the event, including the painting project they will work on, the tools they will use, and the techniques they will learn.

Sharing Testimonials

Customer testimonials are a powerful marketing tool, and videos can be used to showcase them. You can create videos that feature satisfied customers talking about their experience with your painting business, including the quality of your work, your customer service, and your attention to detail.

These decisions will help you create an effective video that resonates with your target viewers.

Be sure you stay on brand, though. If your brand is fun and upbeat, go ahead and reflect that in your videos!

First Things First - Getting Started in Canva

Create A Canva Account

To start creating videos in Canva, follow these easy steps:

Log in to your Canva account. If you don’t have one, you can easily sign up for a free account.
Once you’re logged in, click on the “Create a design” button and select “Video” from the dropdown menu.
Once you’re in the design screen, you’ll need to upload your video footage. Canva makes this easy by allowing you to upload videos directly from your computer.

*Pro-Tip* – If you’re feeling a little camera shy, you can even access various stock footage that is specifically designed for businesses and house painters and add your own uploaded audio files as the background.

This footage can be a great way to add an extra layer of professionalism to your video and make it stand out from the crowd!

Choose the Right Template

So, you know your brand and your audience, but you may not know how (or have the time) to create the overall style of your video from scratch.

This is where Canva Pro is worth the upgrade. With hundreds of templates for making marketing videos and other graphics, it’s easier than ever to choose the right template for your needs!

*Pro Tip* – If your brand colors are blue and green, you might want to choose a video template that already incorporates overlays and graphics with those colors or one that uses shapes that mimic the shapes used on your website.

Keeping it Simple-Streamline the Editing Process

Once you’ve uploaded your audio and/or video files and chosen a template, incorporating the style and colors of your brand, it’s time to start editing. When it comes to editing a marketing video using Canva, it can be helpful to approach the editing process in a step-by-step way.

Break down the editing process into smaller tasks and complete each task one at a time, rather than jumping back and forth between tasks. This will make it easier to stay focused and keep track of what you’ve completed and what still needs to be done so you can avoid getting bogged down in one aspect of the editing process and losing momentum.

To use a sequential editing process in Canva, here are some rules to go by:

Adjusting the Size and Scale Of Your Video

To do this, you’ll need to crop the footage first so that only the parts of the clip that are relevant to your message remain in the final product. It’s important to keep in mind that cropping a video will remove any parts of the footage that fall outside of the crop box.

Additionally, if you want to maintain the original aspect ratio of the video, you should ensure that the crop box is proportionally sized. Canva makes this easy by allowing you to select specific parts of your video and delete anything else by following these steps:

After uploading your video into Canva, select the video on the timeline that now shows on the timeline bar at the bottom of the editing screen.
Click on the crop icon located on the toolbar above the timeline.
Use the crop handles that appear on the edges of the video to adjust the size and shape of the footage.
Move the crop box over the area of the video you want to keep and adjust the size and shape as needed.
Click the “Apply” button to crop the video to the selected dimensions.
If you want to adjust the crop again, simply select the video and click the crop icon to reopen the cropping tool.

*Pro tip* – Aspect Ratio requirements vary between social media platforms. Instead of cropping your video manually, with Canva’s pro feature, you can copy and resize your video to fit any format automatically. You may have to adjust your video to fit the new screen size, but it is a quick way to create videos for a variety of social media outlets. So if you know you will be posting a video on several sites, this is a helpful tool.

Add Your Logo

Continue the editing process by adding your logo to the video first, before cutting the footage. This ensures that your branding is prominently displayed throughout the video and creates a cohesive look and feel. Here’s how:

Select the “Uploads” tab or the “Brand Hub” tab (See our previous article about using Canva’s Brand Kit to save all of your logos, fonts, and colors in one area for easy access in this tab)and upload or select your company logo.
Drag and drop your logo onto the video timeline and adjust its size and position as necessary.
You can also add other branding elements, like your company name or contact information, at this stage.
Don’t forget to change out any of the pre-designed template fonts with the fonts you use on your website or with a font very similar to your other marketing documents.

Cut Your Footage

Cutting a video is an essential step in creating a marketing video using Canva, as it allows you to remove any unnecessary footage that doesn’t add value to your message. There are a couple of ways to do this, but here is the easiest way we’ve found to cut a video in Canva:

Select the small thumbnail of your video in the timeline tab at the bottom of the editing screen so that it is outlined with a purple box.
Play your video back in the editing screen and simply hit the “S” key on your keyboard to cut the video at a certain point. You can also hit the pause button and then hit the “S” key.
Repeat the split tool process to cut your video footage into different segments, depending on how many different clips you want to include in your final marketing video.
You now can simply select and delete any portions you want to remove from your final video. Remember to keep your audience in mind when selecting which portions to include and which to cut, as their engagement is key to the success of your video marketing efforts.

*Pro tip* – If you want to have an image or one of Canva’s stock videos playing over your video, but still be able to hear the sound, simply select your video in the main editing screen. A three-dot tab will appear and when clicked on, choose the option to detach your video from the background. Then, select the checkerboard icon at the top of the screen and adjust the transparency of your video to zero.

Now that you’ve got a plan and the basics down, look for our next article, Part 2, where we will jump right into adding some flair to your videos with all of our favorite Canva creative tips to make your videos really pop!

Social Media Hacks: 10 Ways to Make Posting Quicker and Easier for Small Businesses Using Canva PART 2

Are you a small business owner who doesn’t have the time or energy to create and design for social media posts?

Do you need ways to make posting quicker and easier?

You’re not alone! With ever-increasing expectations in both reach and quality of content, it can be hard to keep up.

That’s why we’ve gathered some of our favorite social media hacks that will help make creating attractive, professional social media posts quicker and simpler for small businesses like yours.

If you’re a small business looking for easy ways to create social media posts without spending a ton of time or money, then Canva is your go-to tool.

As the leader in DIY design and visual content creation, Canva makes it easier than ever for brands to whip up stunning visuals that engage their customers—all with just one click.

Last time, we covered 4 hacks for getting started in Canva–we talked about what Canva is, how to get your business set up quickly, and how to keep your files organized for maximum efficiency when using Canva. If you missed Part 1, check it out here.

In Part 2, we’ll go over the easiest ways to use Canva’s design tools so you can start posting professional looking social media designs right away!

There's More to Getting Started in Canva

Hack #5: Using the "MORE" Menu Tab

In Canva, more is more. Whenever you see a three-dot tab in a toolbar, that means there are even more options for your design!

This can be information overload if you’re not used to Canva. But, if you click the “more” tab, you’ll find a ton of features that will help make your social media designs even more unique and on-brand.

For example, in the More tab, you can copy an entire design or an entire folder, make subtle changes, rename it, and then save it again as a brand new design.

No more starting from scratch, and it’s super easy!

The More tab also allows you to add special effects such as blur or vignette to draw attention to specific elements of your design. You can also access features like adding links or adjusting the transparency of page elements, graphics, and overlays.

In addition, the “More” tab gives you access to options for layers, which can help you separate different parts of your design so you can change them even more.

This is especially useful if you want to make certain graphics stand out at the front of the page and appear “on top” of other graphics to create a multi-layered look.

Quick keyboard “command” shortcuts are also listed out for you in the more tab, making it easy to select, copy, and paste anything on your page with the click of a button.

Select a group of multiple elements, like a box of text and a logo icon from your page, by holding down the “shift” key as you select each item, and then click “group” in the more menu.

You can then copy and paste that entire group of icons, text, etc. to a new page while keeping the size and spacing the same from one post to the next.

The Quickest and Simplest Canva Tool for Beginners

Hack #6: Use Canva's Quick Create Tool

Canva’s Quick Create tool is a great way to create social media posts that are both eye-catching and on-brand.

Quick Create has a small library of templates that automatically add your company’s logo, colors, and preferred fonts to pre-formatted social media designs.

You can literally create polished posts in minutes. Best of all, you don’t need any design experience at all to use it, and it’s free. This is a great option if you’re just getting started and do not want to make too many design choices.

If you like having a more customized look for your social media posts, this may not be the best option for you. It is a nice starting point, though, because you can still customize these designs as much as you’d like after they are saved in Canva.

To use the Quick Create tool, just log in to your account and select the social media icon button located at the middle of the home page. The Quick Create tab is listed in the “popular” section and should be the first option you can choose.

You will be prompted to pick the social media formats you will need, the text you’d like to add, and the style you like the most out of Canva’s pre-selected design templates.

There are only 5 steps to complete before your social posts are ready to go!

Right now, video formats are not supported in Canva’s Quick Create tool, but you can save the Quick Create designs and use them to make a video in a new design later.

It’s really that easy!

Let's Get Moving

Hack #7: Quickly and Simply Animate Your Social Media Posts in Canva

Now, you might not be ready yet to make an entire video using Canva, which we will cover more in depth in a future blog post, and you may not even want to make a short video clip, but adding one of Canva’s pre-made animated graphics to your post is the easiest way to add some movement and interest to your social media posts.

Simply choose a design element and select the “animated” option under the filtered search tab. This will bring up some animated stickers and icons to add to your post.

You can also click on the “animate” tab in your design screen’s toolbar, which will allow you to choose from a number of motion effects that can be applied to the text, entire page, or graphics.

Then, just hit the play button at the top right corner of your screen, and you’ll see the animated graphic start to move.

With Canva’s Pro feature, you can even speed up or reverse the direction of certain types of animation.

When you’re done, click “share” and choose the option to download as an MP4 or GIF file (just remember that a GIF can’t be downloaded with sound but will play on auto-loop).

Check out one of our previous articles on how to film a video on your smartphone and turn it into a social media post.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Hack #8: Quickly and Simply Add Audio to Your Social Media Posts in Canva

So you’ve made an animated design in Canva, but something’s missing. What could it be?

Yes, Sound! You can add music or sound effects to your social media posts with Canva.

Just like the animated graphics, you can find a number of audio files from inside the design screen by clicking on the “audio” tab in the toolbar and selecting from one of their available options.

Here, you’ll find a variety of royalty-free soundtracks and sound effects that can easily be added to any post.

You can also upload your own music if you have a purchased track or sound file that you want to use.

Once you’ve uploaded the music, you can change the volume and add fade-in and fade-out effects right in Canva’s editor.

The Lowdown on Downloading

Hack #9: Quickly and Simply Download Your Social Media Posts

When it comes to sharing your creations online, Canva makes it easy to export your designs directly from the platform. Just click the “Share” button at the top of the page and select how you want to share it. You can then copy the link or download your design as a PDF, JPEG, PNG, etc.

Image Size Guide for Social Media Posts

Social media platforms are constantly changing their size and dimensions for images, which means that creating posts with consistent sizing can be tricky. To make sure your social media posts look great on any platform, here is a handy image size guide:

Facebook Landscape Post: 940 x 788 pixels

Twitter: 1600 x 900 pixels

Instagram: 1080 x 1080 pixels

Pinterest: 1000 x 1500 pixels

LinkedIn: 1200 x 1200 pixels

YouTube Thumbnail: 1280 x 720 pixels

No matter which platform you’re using, make sure to keep your images optimized for the best quality.

Canva makes it easy to resize and crop images so that they fit within the recommended dimensions of each platform, and it will automatically give you their suggested format for your download.

Canva’s Pro feature even allows you to copy and resize your design using the “resize” tab near the top left corner of the screen.

Sharing and Scheduling

Hack #10: Quickly and Simply Share Your Social Media Posts

Last but not least, automating social media posts is one of the best ways to save time on posting content for your business. There are plenty of platforms out there that offer scheduling capabilities, so you can set up all your posts ahead of time and never worry about rushing through them again.

Canva has recently launched its own scheduling feature for Pro users, which lets you quickly and easily post your designs to your social media accounts. You can even schedule posts for specific days and times so that your content is tailored to the right audience at the right time.

With this new feature, you don’t have to worry about manually posting your content every day. Just schedule it and let Canva do the rest!

Canva’s free plan allows you to share to multiple social media channels, but you cannot schedule them in advance.

By following these simple hacks, you can now use Canva to make beautiful social media posts with ease!

Think of your designs as stories that help build relationships with your customers; use images and animations to really bring them to life. And finally, use the scheduling feature to save time and make sure your posts are shared on a regular basis.

Good luck, and happy designing!

And if you need any more help, contact our social media experts at IFTS, and we will get the job done for you! Give us a call today at 412-715-6266, and we’ll get you started on creating visuals that will take your business to the next level.