How To: Use Canva & LinkedIn

Recently I have started volunteering with a new non-profit in Wichita called Work 4 A Living. They are currently located inside City Life Church downtown and they work to "empower people with the job skills and entrepreneurial skills to support themselves and their families." I came in a couple times to take headshots for the class and I thought it was really awesome that the program thought to offer that. I have written before about the importance of social media and your personal brand - and my #1 tip is to have a good photo of yourself in place!

Last month I came in to teach a workshop on two powerful tools: Canva and Linkedin. Today I am sharing those tips and tricks with you!

First, what is Canva? Canva is an easy to use graphic design website with both free and paid features - which makes it a great tool for both personal and professional use. I have used it for everything from logos to birthday party invites.

Some of my favorite features of Canva include:

• Cloud based (meaning you can access it anywhere you can get online)

• Mobile App

• Brand Kit (set your preferred color palettes, fonts, and upload your logo)

• Teams

• Saved Designs

• Shared Designs

After you create a free account with Canva, click "create a design." From there you can choose a template, which is a pre-made design you can simply customize. My top templates are: Instagram post, Facebook cover, logo, and flyer. You can also build your design from the ground up by using the elements, text, and background tabs.

When it's time to download here are your options:

• PNG  - best for sharing your graphic digitally

• JPG - best for sharing your graphic on social media

• PDF Standard - best for sharing your professional documents digitally

• PDF Print - best for professional documents you plan to print and share

When designing in Canva my #1 tip is to make sure your finished product is easy to read. It is very easy to go overboard with patterns or effects, so be honest with yourself on whether or not your design is actually effective or not.Next,

What is LinkedIn? LinkedIn is a social media platform primarily used for professional networking & job postings. LinkedIn is the only social media platform that is male driven and is the #1 network for B2B connections.

A LinkedIn profile features your:

• Work Experience

• Education

• Volunteer Experience

• Skills and Endorsements

• Recommendations

• Accomplishments

• Interests

Creating a LinkedIn profile is super easy - just go to the website and follow the prompts. Once you are up and running don't forget to:

• Keep your profile updated

• Engage with your connections

• Keep it professional (Seriously... LinkedIn is not the place for your political posts, spam, forwards, contests, etc. Avoid non-professional content on this platform at all costs).

Bonus - I have compiled all this information into a presentation, available for download here.

What are your favorite creative and/or professional online tools? Tell me in the comments!

XO - Olivia