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Omg YASSS. Ok seriously font overload is a real thing. It's almost as bad as color, am I right?!?! This is the exact strategy I use for getting my titles and headlines to JUMP off the page, grab the reader, and literally pull them into my content. It increases clicks, conversions, and sales which of course means more money! If you want to learn how designing with font can increase your income-- read this article!

My Strategy For Getting Headlines to Jump Off the Page + Get More Clicks

April 20, 2018 by Simplifying DIY Design 2 Comments

Last updated on January 19th, 2023

Let’s talk about the sea of sameness.

Where everyone’s pins look the same.

And everyone has the same strategy. Everyones lead magnets blend together.

You wonder why even bother saying it because hasn’t it already been said a million times.

Title of article: My Strategy for Getting Titles to Jump Off The Page

How do you stand out? How do you set yourself apart?

How do you make sure your pins and your lead magnets jump off the page, grab your reader, and literally pull them into your brilliant content.

Let’s start with the truth.

Why are we even swimming in that sea of sameness to begin with?

Well, we’re all taking the same courses that teach the same thing (it worked for others so of course we sign up!)

We’re using the same templates, we’re using the same stock photos, we’re using the same fonts.

And before you ask, I’m not trying to sell you on investing in a ton of stuff that’s going to make your designs stand out.

But I am going to give you quick little system for designing with font– so bare with me.

Sign up for Font Bundles

Font Bundles is my absolute FAVORITE place to get fonts. When people think of having a premium font to use as their brand font, they get nervous they need to drop a ton of money on a fancy font.

Not with Font Bundles. They have tons of free fonts, one dollar deals, daily deals, and massive bundles for wayyy cheap. Any kind of font, any kind of style, they have it. And most importantly, whatever your brand personality is, I guarantee you will find the perfect fit on Font Bundles.

You can sign up for free at Font Bundles by clicking here.

Start a Font Library

I have a folder on my desktop with free fonts. I check out font bundles each week to see what their free fonts and font deals are, and keep the files in that folder. I also give Creative Market a try as sometimes they have good deals (or free fonts) as well.

I set up a font cheatsheet (which you can get in our

resource library

BTW!). While these fonts are strictly the ones that come on Canva, I often use it to pair premium fonts as well. I simply match the premium script fonts as best I can with the Canva scripts and see which font would look best with it.

However, when you are completely lost it’s best to follow this simple rule: always use just ONE script per design and pair it with a san serif font.

The idea behind the font library is to give you more options for different projects. Most of the time I stick to my brand fonts. However, sometimes when creating a printable or social media image (especially inspirational quotes) I like to branch out to fonts that are complementary to my brand so that ALL my images don’t look identical.

Using a site like Font Bundles is an excellent way to get a large selection of fonts for a very low cost, or even free.

Decide on a Brand Font

Generally, I suggest picking two fonts that look freaking awesome together. You may not be a cursive type person and that’s totally fine, but there are other cool premium fonts out there that are worth considering.

We’re going back to the sea of sameness here. Everyone is using the fonts that come with Canva and Picmonkey. So since everyone is using them, everyone’s pins are looking the same.

But when you add in a font that isn’t typically used, you are taking your design to that next level and you are branding yourself with a cohesive look that is uniquely you.

This is not to say that no one will ever use that font. But bloggers tend to stick so much to “free” that using a premium font will definitely set you apart.

Take a look at some of your favorite bloggers. Chances are they have some kind of font they use all the time. When you see it on Pinterest you just KNOW it’s them without even locating a logo. Some of my favorite examples are The Busy Budgeter, Jo My Gosh, and Brilliant Business Moms.

Again this doesn’t have to cost ANYTHING. Especially if you can grab a free font that you love. I think personally, I spent around $20 for my brand script and the other font, Poppins, I downloaded from Google Fonts. However, if you are using Canva to create your designs, you will need to upgrade to Canva for Work for the ability to upload your own fonts.

Get Creative With Your Techniques

It doesn’t end with the font. Using a creative technique to make your font stand out even further is an awesome way to ensure that your design jumps off the page. Personally, I like to create textured font (which you can do for free in Canva!).

Side note, I put together a video tutorial on super easy font techniques that you can do for free in Canva which you can watch by clicking here.

Confession, I actually love playing with fonts.

But I know that font overload is totally real and even worse that color overload at times!

I use this system to constantly create eye-catching graphics that jump off the screen. Not only for myself but for my clients. My goal is always click through. If people aren’t clicking, people aren’t buying.

If you can stand out in the sea of sameness. If you can get your graphics to grab your reader and pull them into your brilliant content, then you’ll be surprised at how easy the rest of it falls into place. The traffic, the sales, the conversions.

Let’s start with the first step:

Check out Font Bundles and download our free font cheatsheet. 👍

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE FONT PAIRINGS CHEATSHEET HERE ⬇⬇

This cheatsheet is available in our FREE Design Library! Just fill out the form to get access!

Sign up for our email list and you'll get instant access to this cheat sheet, PLUS you will also get access to all of our free canva templates and design tutorials as well!

Filed Under: Design Tutorials, Social Media

List building can be so intimidating. Email marketing is something that took me a long time to master. This guide goes over exactly how to brainstorm great opt-ins, how to design them, how to hook it up to your email service provider, how to promote, and other tips and tricks. PLUS a video tutorial + FREE lead magnet templates! #listbuilding #emailmarketing #optin #leadmagnets

The Ultimate Guide To List Building + Templates and Tutorials!

April 13, 2018 by Simplifying DIY Design Leave a Comment

Last updated on May 31st, 2023

Do you remember your first subscriber?

I do. Not their name, but I definitely remember calling my husband at work to tell him that someone actually subscribed to my blog.

Even though they were a random person on twitter that only subscribed because they wanted me to subscribe to their blog.

Even though I had no idea what I was doing, no opt-in, and had no clue what an avatar even was. I had no strategy and I definitely had no idea that ALL of those things goes into building a list.

Computer desk top with title of image: The Ultimate Guide: Everything You Need To Know About List Building + Video Tutorial + 10 Free Opt-in Templates

I knew it was important to have an email list. But I didn’t know what to do and how to build it.

I eventually learned a lot about list building. I learned about opt-ins and welcome sequences and strategy.

But I can’t help but remember feeling how frustrating it was to fight for my first 10. Let alone my first 100 or even 1000 subscribers.

I read so many articles of people getting 500 subscribers in their first month and I just wanted to scream! What were they doing that I wasn’t? What was I doing wrong?

So when I was getting ready to launch Simplifying DIY Design at the end of October, I knew my very first goal was to get 1000 subscribers.

I didn’t care that I had no traffic. I didn’t care that I didn’t have a waitlist– I was determined.

I implemented the strategy I learned from List Love (you can read all about how I grow my list by 1000+ subscribers each month right here) and I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t fighting for 10 or 100 anymore. Just in the month of January, I got 456 amazing new subscribers!

I had learned a lot about list building prior to List Love, and thought I’d heard it all before (you know that feeling?) but this strategy was completely different than anything I had learned about before. Turns out I was actually making it a lot harder than it had to be.

It was kind of like a facepalm moment as I was going through the course. This course implements a very specific strategy that involves multiple lead magnets… it was a game changer.

Grab 10 already designed for you Lead Magnet Canva Templates.. because wouldn’t it be nice to be able to create beautiful, irresistable lead magnets in half the time?

Click here!

Anyway, I wanted to share some tips about list building: hoping it helps some of you!

I also wanted to share this Design Lab replay where I discuss how to come up with lead magnets, how to design them in Canva, how to hook them up to your email service provider and how to promote it right here ⬇

(check out even more tips below the video!)

ALL ABOUT LIST BUILDING: Techniques and design tips + tutorials!

Posted by Simplifying DIY Design on Friday, April 13, 2018

Resources discussed in the video:

  • List Love
  • Convertkit
  • Thrive
Design library access
  • Opt-in Template Pack (10 Canva lead magnet templates)

    *NOTE: List Love is now available all the time– at the time of this video it was limited enrollment. Click here to check it out!

    Another few things that are important to successful list building:

    1. Know your avatar

    You must, must know your avatar. On a creepy level. And you’ve probably heard this before but it’s SO true. This was the #1 mistake that I made when first starting out. I was trying to be all inclusive and talk to everyone. I know first hand how detrimental that is to list building.

    But don’t worry- you can totally have more than one lead magnet (in fact, I highly recommend it)

    Recommended resource: Date Your List— seriously, it was a game changer!

    2. Stalk your avatar

    To offer your avatar something they really need, you must pay attention to what they are saying. Join Facebook groups where your avatar is likely to be hanging out and go a little under-cover.

    Pay attention to the questions they ask and read the frustrated vents they share. Keep a list of their problems handy (I use google sheets) even if you don’t know how to solve them yet. See how those problems relate to your blog and your top posts.

    I’m no stranger to thinking an idea is a winner and then putting it out there just to get crickets. They are telling you what they want– you just have to listen.

    3. Pay attention to your wording

    While you are in the Facebook groups- learning all about your avatar, pay attention to the wording they use (especially when they are frustrated) this will help you write your sales copy in their language so they KNOW your lead magnet is meant for them and exactly what they need.

    4. Don’t underestimate a specific lead magnet

    Getting specific is how your avatar is going to be attracted to your lead magnet. For example, “The ultimate budget guide” vs. “The ultimate budget guide for moms”.

    People who are not moms are likely to sign up for the first, but not the second. But if your blog is a mom-blog and most of your affiliates and products are geared towards moms– why do you want non-moms on your list?

    The list gets more expensive the bigger it gets- so you want to make sure that each person that’s on it is a quality lead.

    5. Design, design, design

    While I believe that content is more important than design in the long run, I do think that design plays a part in getting your lead magnet noticed. It also plays a part in usability. People can’t get value from your freebie if it’s so disorganized or messy that they can’t use it.

    Another reason that conquering design is important is that I feel that it paralyzes people. They have an idea but they don’t know how to create it so they just don’t. You can’t see if it resonates with your people if you never even get it out to them.

    Side note: need help with design? Check out my Lead Magnet Design + Set up Workshop!

    6. Try and try again

    Not all your ideas will be winners. And that’s ok. I promise you that even those people with the “how I got 500 subscribers in my first month” blog posts have also experienced failure before.

    They are also most likely not brand new to blogging or online business- they have a network of people that they are able to drive to their offer.

    Give a new lead magnet a few weeks to see if it gains traction. And definitely promote, promote, promote!

    The last thing is: strategy.

    Strategy is so important when it comes to list building. There are so many pieces to list building: the design, the content, the promotion, the Facebook ads, the tripwire, the welcome sequence, etc etc etc.

    I’m a creative person. Strategy isn’t my strong suit and I’ve invested in a TON of list building resources. List Love is by far the best email growth course I’ve taken. It was so nice to have the strategy laid out for me. I just had to implement it!

    There are a lot of moving pieces to building your list.

    Which is why it can be so overwhelming when you are just trying to conquer the email list hurdle of blogging. Start with an idea, use a template to get it designed (trust me, it will save you a TON of time) and get it out there.

    In case you missed it, the video above goes over the techy stuff of hooking it up to your email service provider.

    Next step? Download our free opt-in template pack! ⬇

    Get access to 10 free opt-in templates to grow your list with irresistible lead magnets + printables that will help you go from blog to business

    These templates are located in our FREE design library, sign up for our email list above and I'll send you the link + password. You'll also get instant access to all of our other templates, tutorials, and design tools! 

    Pin it to your favorite board! ⬇️

    List building can be frustrating, especially when you are trying to get to your first 1000 subscribers! Here is the ultimate guide to creating lead magnets that grow your list, figuring out what kind of content upgrades to create, and promoting them to get more subscribers fast! #listbuilding #emailmarketing #onlinemarketing #growemaillist #leadmagnets

    Filed Under: Design Tutorials, Growth Strategy, List Building

    Textured font can bring your design (especially social media images) to the next level and really get it to jump off the screen, helping you stand out among the sea of bloggers and online noise- here's how you can create textured font for free using canva and preview, includes a video tutorial! Start creating graphics that get more traffic and more conversions so you can make more money! #graphicdesign #canva #canvatricks #font #typrography #fontdesign

    Textured Font Tutorial | How to Design Font With Textures for FREE

    April 10, 2018 by Simplifying DIY Design Leave a Comment

    Last updated on May 16th, 2023

    In this post, we’re going to go over the exact step-by-step design process we use to bring our designs to life by adding textured font in Canva for free! Textured font is the best way to stand out and get your designs noticed, increasing traffic, email sign-ups, and your blog’s income!

    You can only get so creative with your designs until you find yourself off-brand and unrecognizable to your audience.

    As a blogger, you’re always looking for ways to get your content to stand out in the sea of sameness.

    Or worse, looks more like every other blogger in your niche with each passing day.

    What you need is a way to make your words jump off the page. Something that instantly grabs your reader’s attention to where you are all they see.

    Yet, is simple to create and won’t bust through your blog’s budget (if you have one at all).

    If you’re looking for free Canva templates and business resources, check out our FREE design library now! Just click the button below to get instant access!

    CLICK HERE TO GET ACCESS!

    Adding textured font to your designs is one of the easiest ways to stand out among the rest.

    And when you stand out, you get noticed.

    If you’re ready to boost your blog’s traffic, increase email signups and ultimately make more money with your blog, you need to incorporate textured font in your designs.

    Please note that this tutorial uses Canva and Preview (Mac-specific software). We’re sorry for any inconvenience!

    REMEMBER THIS POST LATER! SAVE IT TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD! ⬇

    Creating textured font in canva is such an awesome hack for making your social media graphics jump off the page! Creating stunning pins is a big way to increase blog traffic and get more pageviews so when your pin can stand out against the rest, you have the advantage! #socialmedigraphics #socialmediadesigns #socialmediaimages #bloggraphics #canvagraphics #canvatutorials #designtutorials

    WHAT IS TEXTURED FONT?

    If you’ve spent any kind of time on Pinterest lately, we’re willing to bet you’ve seen a few pins with textured font.

    And we’re willing to bet it was either glitter or metallic. That’s because these two are the most popular font textures on the market.

    Why?

    They’re both incredibly eye-catching!

    Just look at the difference between these two Pinterest pins. Which one would grab your attention first?

    Create textured font using Canva and Preview to make your graphics pop, boost your traffic, and increase conversions to make money blogging!

    Now, glitter and metallic aren’t the only options we have to create textured font.

    We’ve seen paper, paint, marble, grit, plastic, fabric, watercolors, brush strokes, even marker!

    Anything that gives your design dimension can be considered a texture.

    This makes textured font the perfect solution to create jump-off-the-page designs in any niche!

    FIND A TEXTURED FONT THAT MATCHES YOUR BRAND

    Even though you may want to go with the brightest, boldest texture you can find, you need to make sure it matches your brand.

    This is key to establishing recognizability and trust with your readers.

    Related Post: How to Easily Achieve Brand Consistency with Your Blog

    If your brand is more modern and edgy, plastic or marker textures will pair better than, let’s say, marble.

    As for light and airy brands, watercolors are a great match because they’re naturally soft and muted.

    There are a ton of different options to choose from on Creative Market and even right inside Canva!

    Create textured font using Canva and Preview to make your graphics pop, boost your traffic, and increase conversions to make money blogging!

    You can search for a specific texture (like grainy or marble) or browse Canva’s entire collection by going to Background from the left menu bar –> Textures.

    Create textured font using Canva and Preview to make your graphics pop, boost your traffic, and increase conversions to make money blogging!

    This is a great option if you don’t have the money to purchase a textures bundle on Creative Market just yet.

    However, Creative Market offers texture bundles in their weekly Free Goods every now and then (along with a ton of great design resources)!

    CREATE TEXTURED FONT USING CANVA AND PREVIEW

    First, you’re going to create a new design, so we have a place to add our text. We like to go with the Facebook Ad, which is 1200px by 628px.

    This gives you plenty of working space to play around with different style fonts and see what looks the best.

    Related Post: 5 Font Design Tips Every Blogger Needs to Know

    Side note: There’s also a really cool (and FREE) font generator to help you choose the best font combinations if pairing really isn’t your thing.

    Add a textbox to your blank page and type whatever you’d like to texturize.

    Make your textbox fairly large, and be sure to keep the background white. Oh, and don’t forget to center it!

    Create textured font using Canva and Preview to make your graphics pop, boost your traffic, and increase conversions to make money blogging!

    When you’re done, download your design as a PNG.

    Next, you’ll need to open up your download in Preview. (Remember, this tutorial is only for Mac users!)

    USE THE MAGIC TOOL INSIDE OF PREVIEW

    First, select ‘Show Markup Toolbar’, which is to the left of the Search box.

    From here, click ‘Instant Alpha’ or what everyone else calls the ‘Magic Select Tool.’ It looks like a magician’s wand, doesn’t it?

    Create textured font using Canva and Preview to make your graphics pop, boost your traffic, and increase conversions to make money blogging!

    This next part can be quite tedious depending on how long your text is and if any of your letters connect, like in the example above.

    You want to click on the first letter of your word and drag until the entire letter turns red. Then, hit Delete.

    Don’t forget to remove the color from the i’s or exclamation points!

    Create textured font using Canva and Preview to make your graphics pop, boost your traffic, and increase conversions to make money blogging!

    There may be some color lingering, so I recommend trying that same color-removal process again.

    Once you have all of the black removed from your text, hit Save.

    We’re now going to upload that design back into Canva so we can create our textured font!

    As a side note, if you don’t have a Mac computer, you can use pixlr.com to do this as well.

    ADD TEXTURE TO CANVA DESIGN

    If you haven’t uploaded your texture to Canva yet, now is the time to do it.

    Add your desired texture to your blank page and adjust as needed.

    Sometimes, we prefer a certain area of a texture more, so we’ll manipulate the design, so it shows through our text.

    Once you have your texture right where you want it, upload and add the text you just edited in Preview.

    Create textured font using Canva and Preview to make your graphics pop, boost your traffic, and increase conversions to make money blogging!

    You can also drag the text around to find the perfect spot. This text will be totally custom to you, so have fun and get creative!

    When you’re done, download your design as a PNG once more.

    BACK TO PREVIEW FOR THE FINAL EDIT

    Once we have our second design opened in Preview, you’re actually going to be doing the opposite.

    Instead, you’ll be removing the background of your design instead of the actual text.

    Click anywhere on the white background and drag until it’s completely highlighted.

    Create textured font using Canva and Preview to make your graphics pop, boost your traffic, and increase conversions to make money blogging!

    Ensure you don’t accidentally highlight any textured font you just created. (We say that because it’s happened to us a few times!)

    Once that’s all said and done, crop your image to remove the extra texture around your design. Then, hit Save one last time.

    ADD TEXTURED FONT TO A PINTEREST PIN USING CANVA

    We tend to add textured font to our Pinterest pins the most because we’re finding it harder and harder to stand out.

    Pinterest is, unfortunately, becoming oversaturated and we found textured font to be the easiest way to overcome this.

    Related Post: Anatomy of the Perfect Pinterest Pin Design for 2022

    You can also use your textured font on YouTube thumbnails, social media graphics, and more!

    Our textured font now acts like any other image we’ve uploaded to Canva.

    We can rotate it, change the size, or move it anywhere on our page design.

    Side note: If you’re looking for an easier way to design pins, you can find new pins every single month in our DiyDesign Creators Vault!

    It’s such a simple and easy way to make your designs pop. And, get noticed!

    Not to mention it gives the I’m-a-graphic-designer impression when in reality it was the I-spent-5-minutes-using-Canva kind of day.

    THINGS TO REMEMBER

    Because you’re using textured font to grab your reader’s attention, try to use it sparingly. What we mean is one to two words at most.

    It can easily make your designs noisy and difficult to read if used too much. There are some things in design where less and more, and textured font is definitely one of those things!

    Another thing to note is the style of font you use. If it has extra details, you’ll end up spending quite a great deal of time removing the color in Preview instead of going with a simpler font.

    Lastly, don’t be afraid to try a few different variations (as long as it matches your brand) or just manipulating the image to create a different look.

    This can be done by rotating the textured image or simply by changing the size.

    Now, get out there and start creating eye-catching designs using DIY textured font!

    WATCH THE VIDEO!

    As always, showing is easier than explaining, so please watch the video below. Resources discussed in the video will be linked beneath it and make sure to join our Facebook group!

    RESOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE VIDEO:

    • Canva
    • Creative Market
    • Free design library
    • DiyDesign Creators Vault

    If you’re looking for free Canva templates and business resources, check out our FREE design library now! Just click the button below to get instant access!

    CLICK HERE TO GET ACCESS!

    TRY CANVA PRO FREE FOR 30 DAYS

    Start your FREE Canva Pro trial today and unlock ALL of their incredible time-saving features that’ll cut your design time down to just minutes.

    To be honest? It’s the best $12.99/mo OR $119/yr we spend on our business because that time we save with every single design is put back into making MORE money in our business!

    WANT TO REMEMBER THIS LATER? SAVE IT TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD! ⬇

    Filed Under: Design Tutorials

    Honest Truth About Blogging | What You Need to Know Before You Start a Blog

    March 16, 2018 by Simplifying DIY Design 25 Comments

    Last updated on April 17th, 2023

    It’s so frustrating when you read articles claiming overnight success with their blogs just to get clicks to their website. Here’s the raw, honest truth about what you need to know before you start a blog and how we REALLY went from zero to a five-figure launch in just six months.

    As bloggers, we often use search engines like Pinterest, YouTube, and Google.

    We’re always adding content to Pinterest and Tailwind to boost our blog posts’ traffic. We reference YouTube and Google regularly for popular keywords to spark new content ideas.

    We even search for things to learn more about, so we’re constantly providing up-to-date information for our own readers!

    But there’s one thing we simply don’t do. In fact, we NEVER did, even when we were starting this Simplifying DIY Design journey.

    Don’t forget our FREE Product Creators Quickstart Kit! You’ll get a checklist, cheatsheet, and Canva design template to help you nail your launch!

    GET THE FREE QUICKSTART KIT NOW!

    We don’t spend any time reading posts about “How I Get 50k Pageviews After 3 Months with No Experience!”

    We don’t read “How to Start a Blog in Under 5 Minutes.” And we definitely skip right over “How I Got 1k Subscribers My First Month Blogging!”

    REMEMBER THIS POST LATER! PIN IT TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD! ⬇

    Starting a blog isn't as easy as some articles claim to be. Here's the real, honest truth about what you need to know before you start a blog.

    If there’s one thing that makes our blood boil, it’s when people make online business seem fast, easy, and free.

    Business isn’t supposed to be quick and easy. Unfortunately, people write these blog posts because it gets others to click. This is also known as clickbait.

    What’s ‘clickbait,’ you ask?

    According to Merriam-Webster, clickbait refers to “something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink, especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest”

    We can’t tell you how many times our readers have expressed frustration about how blogging was much harder than they thought. And we totally agree!

    Most who aren’t familiar with the stark reality of blogging think they can write nonsense about THEIR life, and the masses would come.

    All they have to do is slap up a few ads, and poof! They replaced their full-time income in a few months.

    To be fair, we don’t blame them because that’s what those posts led them to believe.

    Here’s the honest truth about what it’s really like to start a blog.

    Setting up your blog shouldn’t take five minutes. It should take five minutes to install WordPress, maybe… but the rest of it?

    The theme, the logo, the pillar content; That all takes time.

    It matters what your site looks like. It matters what your logo looks like. The quality of your content matters. The overall foundation of your blog matters!

    If you’ve launched your blog but still have minimal growth, always revert back to your foundation.

    What’s your brand personality like? Is your content packed with the value your audience wants to learn more about?

    Are your titles easy to read, or are you writing sentences in a fancy script that can’t be read on a giant computer screen, let alone a mobile device?

    Related Post: Rock Your Fonts with These 5 Typography Tips

    Are you using all the “free” stuff because you don’t want to invest in your business?

    You have to spend money in order to make money. Even something as simple as a stock photo membership (we chose DepositPhotos) can make a world of difference.

    #1: Know your audience FIRST

    Instead of focusing our blog on a topic that’s centered around $$$, we combined our love for design with a common problem in the blogging world. In other words, we chose passion over profit.

    We created our blog FOR our avatar.

    Because we did the research right from the get-go, we already knew our avatar and had a crystal clear focus on what they needed.

    A common mistake with starting a blog is choosing something you like FIRST and then trying to figure out your avatar and who you’re speaking to.

    We spent literal months getting to know our audience FIRST through Facebook group research and surveys. Lots of surveys!

    Related Post: The Easy Way to Create and Sell Printable Products

    That’s actually how we mapped out our first product, which generated $10k in sales in just one week!

    #2: Focus on content OVER products

    You didn’t get 1k email subscribers in your first month?

    Well, that blog post you read probably forgot to mention that they already had an established network (like a Facebook group) to which they could drive their offer.

    They weren’t starting from scratch. And they probably didn’t mention that they were knowledgeable about Facebook ads or had a decent ad budget.

    Oh, and we’re sure they conveniently forgot to get into the nitty-gritty details of a fantastic lead magnet that people want.

    Related Post: Hot Content Upgrade Ideas To Grow Your Blog

    After we knew exactly who we were writing to, we jumped head first into our content.

    We started with 10-15 pillar posts (aka cornerstone or very in-depth blog posts) centered around our main topic – blog design. Then, we created a resource library to hold all of our lead magnets as our primary opt-in method.

    Next, we made sure our lead magnets were heavily promoted in our pillar posts AND that it was super easy to sign-up thanks to our eye-catching forms.

    #3: Shout from the rooftops

    Because we were determined to make our blog successful, we pulled out all the stops, including stepping out of our comfort zone.

    For some, just the thought of telling other people about their blog makes their stomachs turn. What will people think? What if they think it’s silly, right?

    You should be so unbelievably proud of this and want to shout from the rooftops!

    We told everyone about our blog. Family, our favorite Facebook groups, and even other blogging friends we’ve met while researching our avatar.

    We never “hid” our blog with a coming soon page because we wanted Google to have to find us and our keyword-rich content. Google can sometimes be a bit slow, even through your requested indexing!

    #4: Add a well-thought-out tripwire

    Soon after we ‘officially’ launched Simplifying DIY Design, we were ready for our first product!

    It wasn’t long until we quickly realized our lead magnets were converting well with the traffic we had, so we made a tripwire product.

    Related Post: Tripwire Product Ideas for Your Blog

    Tripwires are a product you can offer to new subscribers after they sign-up for your opt-in.

    Because our lead magnets were very specific (just like our pillar posts), we knew what tripwire products to start with – product templates!

    We created a planner and workbook template using Canva and bundled them together for just $7.

    If you want to learn everything there is to know about creating, designing, and setting up a profitable tripwire product, check out our Tripwire Deep Dive Workshop for just $27!

    #5: Utilizing ads for faster growth

    Once our tripwire was complete, we started with Facebook ads (we recommend Pinterest now, though) and promoting in Facebook groups that offered promotional content on specific threads. Always make sure to reference group rules first!

    Because our tripwire was bringing in about 2-3x what we spent on ads, we were already making money while we worked on growing our email list.

    Now, before anyone jumps to any conclusions, we started with a VERY small ad budget ($2 a day) because we didn’t have a ton to start with.

    We went into this fully prepared to invest for faster growth, so we did set aside a little each month leading up to this point.

    #6: Email list, email list, email list

    While location means everything to a realtor, an email list is a gold mine for a blogger.

    You own your email list. No matter what happens to your email service provider, the list you export every month is YOURS.

    Can you say the same about Instagram or Facebook? You’re at the whim of the algorithms, which, as we all know, is a complete mystery and changes with the wind.

    Not to mention the dreaded #Instagramdown that conveniently happens right when we want to go live…

    Within the first six months of starting our blog, we spent 100% of our time growing our list by writing newsletters that focused solely on value (even when it was just a handful of people).

    We wanted to provide them with useful information while getting to know them (and vice versa) at the same time. Every morning we’d wake up to replies with a simple “this is so good, thank you!” to “My pins weren’t converting until I found your blog!”

    It’s things like that that give us the motivation to push forward, even on our worst days.

    #7: Time for product surveys

    Once we hit about 800 subscribers, we sent out a survey (using SurveyMonkey) to see what products they’d be interested in.

    Surveys work because people love to be heard. They love to tell their story and share their opinions, whether good or bad.

    Don’t believe us? Go into a business-related Facebook group and ask, “what’s your favorite planner?” You’ll be turning off notifications within 15 minutes – guaranteed.

    We even added a survey to our welcome sequence, so we always had a full content bank. This is huge when you’re struggling to come up with something new to write!

    #8: Listen, create, launch

    A couple of weeks after our original product survey went out, we knew exactly what our audience wanted.

    Every blogger needs this COMPLETE Blogger Template Toolkit! With 450+ Canva AND PicMonkey templates, you'll create everything your blog needs without learning design!

    They wanted a product that took the stress of design completely off the table.

    While it wasn’t an easy feat, we created our Complete Blogger Template Toolkit with, at the time of our first launch, had 250+ Canva templates that covered every facet of a blog.

    We have since grown that product to incorporate 450+ design templates available for both Canva AND PicMonkey users because we never stopped surveying our audience!

    We spent another few weeks designing the product, writing the copy, and creating a sales page.

    Because our readers already knew that we were in the works on a product they specifically asked for, we didn’t spend a ton of time on our sales page.

    In fact, we were selling it before the product was even done because we had built so much hype around it.

    The sales page came after when the testimonials started pouring in. What better way to write copy than using the exact words and phrases from the people who bought it from you? With their permission, of course.

    After our incredibly successful first-ever launch, we knew we had to put this product into an evergreen sales funnel.

    So, we turned to our email service provider ConvertKit and got to work.

    #9: Automated email funnel

    ConvertKit has been our choice of ESPs from the very beginning. It’s simple enough for even the most non-techy blogger all the way up to fully customized, automated email funnels with segmented offers.

    We wrote a handful of promotional emails within a ‘sequence’ and then added them to specific ‘automations’ within ConvertKit. (Try ConvertKit free for 30 days here!)

    This now converts our product into an evergreen launch which means it’s on constant promotion to subscribers who hit a certain point of our sales funnel.

    To put it simply, it means less work for us!

    Simplifying DIY Design wasn’t our first blog. It wasn’t our second or third.

    We weren’t new to the blogging world, which meant we had a competitive edge. We knew what didn’t work so we could cut out a lot of the trial and error most bloggers have with their first blog.

    Because of this, we can help YOU create a clear line of focus and get results a lot quicker!

    Blogging is anything but easy. We laid out our exact game plan to help you and also show that it was not an overnight success.

    The first six months had a lot of (very) long nights, dinner-less evenings, missed get-togethers, LOTS of tears, and many finger cramps.

    Why do those EASY ‘start a blog’ posts bother us so much?

    It bothers us because it’s discouraging. It’s discouraging to those that work so hard and don’t understand why they aren’t seeing those same results.

    It’s discouraging to have the resources and money to get that success, but you never knew you needed to do those things because people weren’t honest about what it takes in the first place!

    It’s discouraging to read posts about quick success and think, “Yeah, I DO all that, so what the heck?!”

    What happens when people get discouraged? They give up. They succumb to defeat, and they never see success.

    We want nothing more than for you to be successful, which is why we’re sharing the real, honest truth about what it’s like REALLY like to start a blog.

    • You need to invest time, money, energy
    • You need to believe in yourself and have the confidence to put yourself out there
    • You need to sacrifice – any moment you have to yourself, you blog
    • You write, create, learn, and don’t stop

    And if not, that doesn’t mean you won’t be successful eventually, but it’ll take longer, and you need to be okay with that.

    You can’t look at others’ success and wonder, “why not me?” But we know you, you’re not like that. You do the work. You have what it takes.

    We’re not saying to burn yourself out or that you need a lot of money to succeed.

    Instead, you need to trust the process. Don’t give up. Stop comparing yourself to others. There’s always another side to their story!

    RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS POST:

    • FREE Product Creators Quickstart Kit
    • Hot Content Upgrade Ideas To Grow Your Blog
    • Tripwire Deep Dive Workshop
    • SurveyMonkey
    • Repurposing Blog Contenet for List Building
    • Free 30-Day Trial of ConvertKit

    Don’t forget our FREE Product Creators Quickstart Kit! You’ll get a checklist, cheatsheet, and Canva design template to help you nail your launch!

    GET THE FREE QUICKSTART KIT NOW!

    TRY CANVA PRO FREE FOR 30 DAYS

    Start your FREE Canva Pro trial today and unlock ALL of their incredible time-saving features that cut your design time to just minutes.

    To be honest? It’s the best $12.99/mo OR $119/yr we spend on our business because that time we save with every design is put back into making MORE money in our business!

    WANT TO SAVE THIS FOR LATER? PIN IT TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!⬇

    Filed Under: Growth Strategy

    List Building Tips | 5 Ways to Repurpose Blog Content to Grow Your List

    February 8, 2018 by Simplifying DIY Design 2 Comments

    Last updated on June 5th, 2023

    Save yourself loads of time by growing your list using content you already have. Here’s how you can repurpose blog content to create value-packed lead magnets that your audience will love!

    Have you ever fallen in love with something you once hated? For the sake of transparency, that’s how we felt about growing an email list when we first started blogging.

    We had no idea what an email list really was, what to write about, or how to get people to actually sign up, let alone make any money with it!

    After a little research, we did what most beginner bloggers do; we created a random lead magnet that we *thought* people would like but didn’t really relate to any of our blog’s content.

    Ready to nail your product launch? Get our FREE Product Creators QuickStart Kit with a checklist, cheatsheet, and Canva design template so you can create a digital product for your blog!

    GET THE FREE QUICKSTART KIT NOW!

    Then, we started doing the classic follow-for-follow. You know, I comment on your blog post if you comment on mine type of thing.

    We were SO excited about our first few subscribers, even though they were totally random people that were NOT at all our avatar and would eventually unsubscribe. Should’ve seen that coming…

    Without a strategy, none of the things we were doing to build our email list was working.

    We were fighting for every subscriber and knew there had to be a better way… we just didn’t know what that was.

    REMEMBER THIS POST LATER! PIN IT TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!⬇

    These list building tips will help you skyrocket your email list using content you already have! Learn to repurpose blog content that'll grow your email list fast!

    Three blog attempts later, we were determined to get this blogging thing right.

    So when we launched Simplifying DIY Design in the fall of 2017, we made a pact to focus on our email list from day one.

    We signed up for an email course created by a blogger friend who was getting about 150 sign-ups a day.

    We poured over every lesson, learning as much as we could. By the end, we filled an entire notebook with a step-by-step strategy for OUR avatar that we were itching to implement.

    And that’s when our luck started to turn!

    Three months after launching, we had 456 amazing new subscribers. By month seven, we grew our email list by OVER 1000 subscribers in just ONE MONTH.

    The perfect lead magnet doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, we made it a lot harder than it had to be. The strategy we learned was completely different from what we had ever known.

    It was a facepalm moment while we were going through the course, to be honest…

    Designing doesn’t have to be hard, either! We’ve got TONS of templates in our free design library to help you out.

    Here are some super easy ways you can repurpose blog content to make that perfect opt-in.

    • Know your avatar
    • List out your top 10 blog posts
    • List out all your related content
    • List out your top queries (keywords) using Google Console
    • Get access to the templates in our library

    If you don’t have a lot of history to work off of, that’s okay too!

    As we said, we focused on growing our email list right from the get-go, so the only data we knew was our avatar and boy, did we KNOW her!

    Because our blog posts were written for our avatar, we knew exactly what they struggled with, which made creating lead magnets that much easier.

    We were able to repurpose blog content into emails, workbooks, and even a design challenge that brought in 31 new subscribers in 10 days from just one blog post!

    CREATE A CHALLENGE

    Looking at your related content and/or your top 10 blog posts, consider…

    What is your avatar most excited about? What are they trying to learn more about? What can you teach them?

    Then, create a challenge (usually 5-7 days) based on that topic. You can deliver the daily challenge via email (most popular) or set it up as an online course through something like Teachable.

    You can even start a Facebook group or some sort of connection point dedicated to that challenge.

    Another fantastic option is to design a companion workbook that helps your readers through the challenge.

    Related Post: Design a Workbook in Canva the Easy Way

    This can also be excellent pre-launch content if it’s related to a paid offer that you can promote at the end.

    People joining the challenge will already be interested in that topic. And by the end, if they complete all the assignments, they’ll be excited to buy from you!

    WHAT WE DID

    It’s no secret our avatar wants to learn more about design, whether it’s how to make their own designs to grow their blog or by using design templates.

    So, we took that knowledge and created a free 3-day design challenge that we hosted on Teachable.

    These list building tips will help you skyrocket your email list using content you already have! Learn to repurpose blog content that'll grow your email list fast!

    Then, we decided to repurpose blog content to create a 48-page companion workbook as an upsell (or tripwire product) that we offered immediately after they signed up for our free challenge.

    They were also tagged and added to an email sequence using ConvertKit, where we automated:

    • Re-offering the workbook a couple of days later
    • Asking for feedback via Google Forms survey
    • An evergreen flash sale for a related higher-priced product

    This was such a simple yet incredibly effective way to boost sales with minimal effort on our part. In fact, we were selling more workbooks on the re-offer than as a tripwire!

    Regarding the higher-priced product, we were getting emails almost daily saying it was the exact thing they were looking for.

    Once they purchased, they were removed from that email sequence (so they’re not getting promotional emails for a product they just bought) to then enter another sequence that was jam-packed with value (and freebies!) to build even more trust.

    DESIGN A WORKSHEET

    The easiest place to start with creating a worksheet is figuring out your most popular blog post. From there, brainstorm ways to make that post more actionable.

    We recommend making actionable worksheets for at least your top 10 blog posts.

    You can always have more than one lead magnet in each post, just like we do in this one!

    Related Post: How Worksheets Can Grow Your Email List

    Worksheets work so well because the reader most likely found your article by searching for a solution to their problem.

    Worksheets provide a great step-by-step solution. If they take action using your worksheet, they’ll find value. And what happens when a reader finds value?

    They build trust with you, which helps make selling that much easier. We cannot stress it enough – value, value, value!

    Grab our FREE Canva lead magnet template pack to get started!

    WHAT WE DID

    Without a doubt, our most popular blog posts (according to Google Console) are learning more about Canva – design shortcuts and tricks, how to resize images, set up your Brand Kit, etc.

    With worksheets in mind, we could easily repurpose blog content to create a Canva Shortcuts Cheatsheet as our lead magnet.

    We took all the Canva shortcuts we mentioned in our blog post (plus a ton more!) and added them to a PDF for easy access. That way, our readers can have the PDF close by instead of forgetting about the blog post, which could save them time!

    WRITE AN EBOOK

    This is the fastest and easiest way to repurpose blog content because it’s essentially a direct copy and paste.

    Looking at your related content, is there a way to piece it together to form a valuable eBook or workbook?

    Related Post: How to Create an Editable PDF for Your Readers

    You may have to add a little more content to beef it up and make it flow, but you can easily repurpose what you’ve already written into a PDF.

    These list building tips will help you skyrocket your email list using content you already have! Learn to repurpose blog content that'll grow your email list fast!

    You can create your eBook in Word if you’re short on time. But we recommend using Canva to give it that professionally-designed look that’ll really impress your readers!

    Plus, you can use our Canva eBook template to speed up the process even more.

    While Canva is 100% free to use, they also have a Pro plan that is the best design investment we’ve made in our business. You can get a free 30-day trial of Canva Pro here!

    WHAT WE DID

    That’s how we were able to create a 48-page workbook so fast!

    We took bits and pieces from our blog posts to create the first draft. From there, we could edit the flow and see what needed more detail or explanation.

    Then, we added images, notes, and design elements to really make it pop. And yes, we used Canva to create it all!

    PUT TOGETHER AN E-COURSE

    Creating an eCourse is very similar to a challenge in how you would repurpose blog content. Instead of delivering the repurposed content via email, you can set it up using a course platform like Teachable.

    We went with Teachable for both our challenge and free eCourse because we didn’t want to take a chance on any failed deliveries/accidental spams due to the level of content we were providing.

    We were delivering linked video lessons (set to private on YouTube) and Canva templates. Unfortunately, the more links an email has, the more opportunities it gets marked as spam.

    Also, we got a few replies saying our emails were too long, and they found it overwhelming. But when put into a course, a mindset shifts to where the level of detail is expected.

    These list building tips will help you skyrocket your email list using content you already have! Learn to repurpose blog content that'll grow your email list fast!

    If you want to add that extra value to your free course, try making a worksheet or mini-workbook to supplement your content.

    You can add it as a resource in Teachable to download or deliver it automatically through your email service provider like ConvertKit.

    You can also put together a side deck (just a fancy blogger word for PowerPoint) and record your screen in QuickTime, Loom, or even Canva using their Presentation tool.

    Set your emails to be delivered each day using ConvertKit’s automation tool, or again, add your content to a course platform like Teachable.

    CREATE A RESOURCE LIBRARY

    If you have a few lead magnets, you need to consider a resource library to house them all.

    You can add other things, too, like your paid offers and even affiliate products!

    There are two ways to repurpose blog content for a resource library that will entirely depend on the goals of your blog.

    You can either link to your library but have your subscriber opt-in individually or have it password-protected and offer instant access to each freebie.

    If your lead magnets vary in topics, for example, marriage and parenting, we recommend individual opt-ins on your resource library. That way, you can appropriately tag your subscribers and only email them content they’re interested in.

    These list building tips will help you skyrocket your email list using content you already have! Learn to repurpose blog content that'll grow your email list fast!

    SIDE NOTE: Link to the accompanying blog post so they know exactly how to use your freebie AND boost your blog’s traffic simultaneously!

    But if your categories are centered around one main topic, for example, crochet, we recommend the latter – offering instant access to each freebie on a password-protected page.

    However, you still could offer individual opt-ins instead if you wanted to tag based on, let’s say, the level of experience.

    If you decide down the road you want to create a beginner, intermediate, or advanced crochet course; you already know who to market to.

    WHAT WE DID

    Once we had a handful of lead magnets, we created our resource library using Elementor.

    It’s a free WordPress plugin that’s SO simple to use, and by the end of the day, we were ready to hit publish. We recently updated it to include video tutorials, paid offers, and our favorite affiliate products.

    We initially created a password-protected page because, at that point, we already had individual landing pages for each of our lead magnets.

    That’s how we knew what our audience was most interested in, which helped us create our very first paid product that generated OVER $10k in seven days!

    Related Post: What You Need to Know Before You Start a Blog

    If we had to do it all over again, we’d still go the same route. It’s what worked for us, and we never found the process overwhelming.

    Plus, we created SO many Pinterest pins to promote specific lead magnets, leading to their own unique landing page versus just one resource library landing page.

    While overwhelm is a real thing for bloggers, it’s also a VERY real thing for consumers. Too much of something is definitely overwhelming, just like having too little can be underwhelming. You have to find the sweet spot!

    REPURPOSE BLOG CONTENT FOR FASTER LIST GROWTH

    A lot of these list growth ideas can be designed in Canva! We have templates for most of them in our free design library here.

    Your email list will make all the difference. Build it from day ONE. Nurture it from the very beginning. You do NOT need to wait ’til you have a ton of people on your list to start emailing.

    We know it might seem like extra work. Honestly, we would write our emails first and our blog posts second – sometimes repurposing pieces of our newsletter for our blog post!

    Even if you have two subscribers, they don’t know they’re the only ones on your list. For all they know, you have thousands of fantastic email subscribers!

    Related Post: Profitable Tripwire Product Ideas for Your Blog

    And if you promoted a $27 product to those two people, and they both bought it because you put in the time and effort right from the get-go to make them feel heard and cared for? Well, that’s $54 you didn’t have before.

    Building your email list should be a top priority, no matter what. But it doesn’t have to be hard! Start with repurposing your content and go from there. Progress is progress, no matter the speed or size!

    RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS POST:

    • Design a Workbook in Canva the Easy Way
    • FREE Canva lead magnet template pack
    • FREE 30-day trial of ConvertKit
    • FREE Canva eBook template
    • FREE 30-day trial of Canva Pro
    • Teachable

    Don’t forget to grab our FREE Product Creators QuickStart Kit! Use the checklist, cheatsheet, and Canva design template to create a digital product for your blog!

    GET THE FREE QUICKSTART KIT NOW!

    TRY CANVA PRO FREE FOR 30 DAYS

    Start your FREE Canva Pro trial today and unlock ALL of their incredible time-saving features that cut your design time to just minutes.

    To be honest? It’s the best $12.99/mo OR $119/yr we spend on our business because that time we save with every design is put back into making MORE money in our business!

    WANT TO SAVE THIS FOR LATER? PIN IT TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!⬇

    Easily grow your email list with these 5 ways to repurpose blog content. You've already done the work-- reuse what you've already done for list building awesomeness! Grow your list and your income with these 5 email marketing tips for repurposing blog content! #repurposeblogcontent #emailmarketing #emailmarketingtips #listbuilding

    Filed Under: Growth Strategy, List Building

    Your brand is so much more than just a color or font. Your brand is your entire business personality, it's what set you apart form the rest- it's YOU. And you brand needs to speak to you so much that you will want to print it on a blanket and wrap yourself up in it. It's your attitude, the way you talk, the vision behind your business. Here's how to create a brand AND a free brand board template!

    How to Create a Brand Personality That Just Screams YOU: Brand Board Template

    January 25, 2018 by Simplifying DIY Design Leave a Comment

    Last updated on May 25th, 2018

    I think back to my very first attempt at blogging. I did a LOT of things wrong; it almost makes me want to laugh.

    One of the biggest mistakes I made? Not having a brand.

    But honestly, I’m not the only one. I see it all the time.

    Bloggers don’t take the time to brand themselves.

    Why would you need to brand your blog? Aren’t “brands” big companies like Nike or Target?

    A brand is a style; it’s a theme for your business. It’s your businesses attitude. Most importantly, it’s YOU (if you were converted into colors and fonts).

    But what branding can do for you is where most people fall flat. Branding your blog can:

    • Save you a ton of time
    • Help with publicity
    • Increase your traffic and conversions
    • Make you more money

    Here’s the thing, if all your pins have a consistent look then people will know exactly where that pin came from before even seeing the logo (think of that big red bullseye… We all know it’s Target without seeing the word Target, right?)

    Title image that reads How to create a brand personality that screams you, plus free brand board template

    If your pins have a consistent look and you use the same templates each time you make a pin for your blog post, then you will end up saving a ton of time.

    Same goes for anything you design. If you already know what colors, fonts, and style to design your project with- then you have already cut out half of the design process!

    And no, your readers won’t get bored. In fact, the opposite will happen.

    People will start recognizing your designs on social media and start clicking through more. They will become familiar and familiar is good!

    You will appear professional and as a result, will see an increase in your numbers and get more opportunities, like sponsored campaigns. 

    But here’s what a brand is NOT: a brand is not just a color. A brand is not just a font. It’s not a pattern or a shape or a website. Your brand is YOU. It’s a personality.

    You need your brand to be everything you are, it needs to speak to you so much that you will want to get it printed on a blanket and wrap yourself in it.

    Branding your blog is a lot more than picking out some colors, it’s setting yourself apart from the rest. What do you have that others don’t? What makes you different? What are you saying that others are not? Identify that thing FIRST.

    Then, once you’ve figured out what makes you uniquely you, come up with your brand board. Get it on paper (digitally) and put it into your business plan.

    Here’s how to make a brand board:

    Before you start

    Get access to our free design library and download the editable Brand Board template. This is a free template I made to help you set up your brand board in Canva. You can click right here to get access or fill out the form at the bottom of this post.

    Your logo

    Start with your logo. If you don’t have the funds to pay someone to make a logo for you, you can try your luck on Fiverr or make it yourself in Canva. Please note that you can not use any of the design elements that Canva has available to make your logo, you can only use fonts.

    You can, however, purchase a logo design pack on Creative Market (look with ones that have PNG files if you don’t have Adobe illustrator) and use Canva to compile them into your design. Or simply create a text-only logo.

    You can also search Creative Market for fonts to use in your branding. They have some really awesome bundles available which can help you save money.

    Once you are happy with your logo, save it with a transparent background and add it to your brand board.

    Alternate logo and watermarks

    Once you have your logo,  it’s ideal to create alternate ones. When you get your logo professionally designed, the designer will likely give you your logo in 2-3 different ways. You’ll get your full logo and then perhaps a circle or “smaller” version. Think of your logo as your full name and the alternate logo is your initials. 

    I also like to create an all-black and an all-white version of my logo so that it’s easier to use as a watermark on my social media images.

    Inspiration & Style

    This is one of the most important sections of your brand board! This is where you are going to choose about 3 different images (ideally stock photos) that truly describe your brand.

    These images need to be your entire essence! Your style, your attitude, everything that makes you, YOU (and your brand) all rolled into an image.

    They need to be so YOU that anyone who looks at them can tell exactly what the personality is for your business.

    Once you have your three images chosen, upload them into Canva and drag and drop them into the frames provided on the template.

    Brand Fonts

    I usually suggest having at least one premium font that is specific to your brand. This is essentially so that your brand stands out. Everyone is going to use the free fonts provided on Canva and Google. Your premium font won’t be.

    I’m not saying you’ll NEVER see it anywhere unless you hire someone to design a custom font (you definitely don’t need to take it that far) but it will definitely be used a lot less than a free one. Here are 5 tips on how to use your typography in your design! 

    If you are looking for a way to save on fonts, check out Creative Market and Font Bundles. Sometimes they even have premium fonts for free (usually each week is a different font).

    If you get serious font overload, check out our Font Combination cheatsheet in our design library. These are all fonts that come with Canva. If you have a premium font, you can use the cheatsheet as a guide and compare your font to similar looking fonts (If that makes any sense at all)!

    Brand Patterns

    This step is optional. Unlike the style images, these patterns would be used in the things that you create. So, you would see these patterns incorporated into your website, social media images, products, etc. The pattern doesn’t have to be overwhelming or take over the entire design, just a little hint of it would do just fine.

    This works really well if you want to make sure your brand is really recognizable. Using the patterns over and over would get you that familiarity with your audience and anyone that has seen your website and brand.

    Choose no more than two different patterns. You can purchase patterns on Creative Market, Etsy, Stock sites, etc. or you can hire someone (like on upwork) to design a pattern custom to your business.

    Add your patterns to your brand board and you’re done!

    Your brand is a personality, not a color

    I can’t say it enough. A brand is so much more than a color palette or website design. Yes, you want your style to be consistent. Yes, colors and fonts are the exterior of a brand – it’s what people see.

    But your brand itself is the personality of your business that you want to convey to others. It’s how you talk to people, it’s how you express yourself, it’s your attitude. Even your audience will recognize your branded graphics and pins, instantly! Check out Simplifying DIY Design’s Pinterest board for inspiration! 

    So set up your brand board right now! Make sure everything you do from this point out is branded and consistent and I guarantee you will see business growth.

    The difference it has made for me since I have really stuck to a branded style is amazing. 

    GET YOUR FREE BRAND BOARD TEMPLATE NOW!

    Computer Screen showing preview of our brand board template

    Just fill out the form below and get access to our design library. You will not only be able to use our brand board template but you will also have access to our other done-for-you templates, step-by-step design tutorials, and other tools like cheatsheets, planners, trello boards, and more.

    This template is available in our FREE Design Library! Fill out the form below to get access!

    When you sign up to our email list you'll get instant access to this canva template, PLUS you'll get access to all of our tutorials and tools in our design library as well!

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