Content marketing can be a confusing mess of internet mumbo jumbo at times. One of the best ways to figure out what works is to look at other companies and businesses experiencing success. What marketing strategies are they using? How can you tailor them to meet your business's needs and goals? Canva is one company to watch. They have achieved so much success that they shocked the world with a recent $40 billion valuation. 

What is Canva?

If you’re still unfamiliar with Canva, here’s the skinny on this design giant. Canva is an online graphic design software that takes the guesswork and frustration out of design for everyone. It’s intuitive and makes designing graphics, presentations, worksheets, slides, and social posts simple. The best part is that a lot of what is available on Canva is free, and the pro account is reasonably priced.  

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Now that you know what Canva is, it's time to look at the strategies that have made them so successful in less than ten years.

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Don’t bite off more than you can chew in the beginning. 

Canva wasn’t always the one-stop solution for everything graphic design. Originally this site was dedicated to yearbook design and was called Fusion Yearbooks. This beginning helped the team test strategies and determine how a larger online graphic design platform would work.

This niche allowed the company to work out the kinks and build as they saw success. Rather than trying to figure it all out and launching with an extensive product straight out of the gate, having a smaller offering allows you to build and avoids overwhelm.

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Free options are fantastic!

Canva’s early success was due to a variety of things. They received funding from Silicon Valley, had tested out their concept with Fusion Yearbooks, and their timing was perfect with the explosion of social media. They noticed a market need and were primed to fill it. The real clincher to their success: the price point. Unlike expensive solutions to design, such as photoshop and years of schooling, Canva offered quality design services in a collaborative environment for free (or at a very affordable rate). 

To mimic this tactic, consider having a free trial, a money-back guarantee, or a free option with limited tools. Free trials or free options help customers commit and are a great way to get a customer into the funnel. 

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Conversion-focused user design.

The Canva website and platform are expertly designed. Their one-touch purchase and sign-up options are great examples of user-centered design. Canva recognized that customers just leave if it’s too challenging to check out. 

How does your website perform? Is the checkout or sign-up process long and confusing? The trick to good web design is deciding what is essential and reducing other distractions. The fewer clicks, the better. 

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Research your keywords and decide how to use them.

Canva’s keyword research and use focus on one thing: what their customers want. Narrowing keywords down helps stay on brand and focus on what matters in all content and platforms. This kind of keyword research can help inform what type of blog copy to write and what keywords to focus on for search engines. 

Canva’s product is an affordable, intuitive, and simple design tool for everyone. It doesn’t make sense for them to try and rank for keywords such as photo editing or video creation. They may offer these services, but their ideal customer is looking for “easy design software.”

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Create an innovative and reliable social media marketing plan. 

It makes sense that Canva has stunning social media pages. However, they do more than just create bright and enticing images. Canva does a great job of conveying a message visually and creating a space for people to collaborate and engage, which is ultimately what social media is all about. 

How do you incorporate collaboration into your social media strategy? Do you run photo contests, respond to comments, and share customer content? These are some of the easiest ways to start building a space of engagement and communication on your social profiles. 

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Ready to market your business like Canva?

One thing you’ll notice about all of Canva’s digital marketing strategies is that they are clear and focused. They started with a simple offering to learn, created an easy-to-use website and platform, offered a free option and a clear hierarchy of paid products, streamlined their keywords, and focused all of their content creation, including their social media, on being on-brand. Sounds easy, right? Not so much.

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Sometimes simplifying and streamlining your digital marketing can be the hardest thing. Our team is here to help. If you need reliable content and keyword research, we can help. If you need a stunning website that converts, we can help. If you need potent ads that track down your dream customers, we can help. Give us a call today. 

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