Create Eye-Catching Facebook Ads with Canva

Think you need to hire a skilled graphic designer to create attention-grabbing Facebook ads? Think again. Just add Canva to your in-house team. It’s not a person, it’s a program.

Are you still on the fence about Facebook ads? This social media platform currently has one of the largest existing pools of active users. It also lets you create relatively inexpensive customer messages that are optimized and targeted. So whether you manage a business or promote a brand, it’s pretty tough to ignore.

Canva features colorful templates along with drag-and-drop functionality. Prefer to upload your own photos and images? No problem. This powerful design resource helps you create documents, presentations, and more. Better yet, Canva’s Facebook Ad Maker lets you post engaging ads in only a few minutes. Try it yourself — just follow these basic steps:

1. Visit canva.com.
2. Create a FREE Canva account to start planning and experimenting.
3. In the box titled “What would you like to design?” type “Facebook Ad.”
4. Pick a professional-looking, pre-sized template from the Canva library.
5. Browse over a million eye-catching stock images, or upload your own.
6. Place and edit your selected images.
7. Add and edit your text, then add some colorful filters.
8. Save your work, and start sharing!

When first signing up with Canva, you have the option to use your Google or Facebook account (though we strongly encourage you NOT to do this). Use your e-mail address, and get started. There’s also a paid version called Canva Pro, but the free version typically works great for most users.  Non-profits can apply for the Canva Pro account FREE.

Facebook Ad Imagery

Remember, your Facebook ad definitely needs to include more visuals than text. In fact, 80% of your ad should be comprised of imagery or photos. That’s where Canva’s media library really shines. You can browse multiple categories, or do a quick keyword search. You’ll find many free options, and others available for a nominal fee. If you’d rather upload your own images, they’ll stay in a folder so you can use them repeatedly.

Include a Call-to-Action

You only get a handful of words in a Facebook ad, so really make them count. Tell users exactly what you’d like them to do — focus on a strong call-to-action. You can place Canva’s drag-and-drop text-holders almost anywhere in your design. You can also choose from dozens of typefaces. For professional-looking results, combine your text with some topic-relevant imagery. If you’d like to add a button, just click “Elements.” Then choose your favorite shape, adjust the size, drop in text, and add some color. Voila!

Collaborate Quickly

Let’s say you’d like some other team members to collaborate on your design. In that case, just click the “share” button in Canva. Then click the edit box, and you can send them a generated link allowing access from different types of devices.

Those are the basics! So set up your free Canva account today, and start creating. We have two educational videos on our YouTube channel to support you along the way:

YouTube video Facebook Ads with Virginia Weiskopf and David Marks

YouTube video Canva Demo with Virginia Weiskopf and David Marks

For even more expert social media tips and strategies, touch base with us to set up a FREE Digital Marketing Assessment. Also remember to watch our latest YouTube educational video and take advantage of our FREE Friday skills training.