We've noticed a gap in our marketing content: while we strive to provide comprehensive marketing insights, we haven't delved much into the practical "how-to" aspect of implementing these strategies. Specifically, we haven't tackled the use of design and branding software to elevate your pharmacy's content.
You might find yourself hesitating, thinking, "I'm not familiar with graphic design software; can't I just post a photo and call it a day?" While showcasing your staff and store through photos is excellent for engaging your audience (and we HIGHLY encourage this), what about when you need to share information with eye-catching visuals? Whether it's announcing new opening hours, celebrating holidays, or simply posting bold text for emphasis, what's your strategy then?
Enter our guide: we're about to demystify one of the simplest yet most effective design tools out there—Canva.
What is Canva?
Canva is a user-friendly graphic design program crafted to streamline digital design and creation. It boasts an array of tools including image editing, design templates, and a library of free-to-use graphics.
Designed with everyday users in mind, Canva aims to empower individuals who may not have a background in design to create compelling content effortlessly.
Why is Canva useful to community pharmacists?
Before we delve into the specifics, let's clarify: our aim isn't to push a product, but rather to shed light on why tools like Canva can be invaluable for community pharmacies.
A fundamental principle for any business's media presence is consistency and cohesiveness across platforms. This consistency—reflected in elements like your logo, brand colours, design, and fonts—builds recognition and trust with your audience. Think of iconic brands like Coca-Cola: their consistent use of red and a distinctive font instantly identify them.
Without these elements, it is significantly harder to identify them both in-store, and online.
When customers see a logo or colour scheme consistently across different platforms, they begin to associate these elements with that business. This will then in turn increase their brand awareness and customer loyalty.
So, why would this concept be any different for a pharmacy? Just like Coca-Cola, your pharmacy has its own unique branding, from your logo to your store colours, which should be consistently applied across all content. For your customers to associate your media presence with your pharmacy, you need to implement these elements into all the content you produce and put out. By maintaining this consistency, you reinforce the brand awareness and customer loyalty we have spoken about.
The Benefits of Canva
Let's have a look at some of the benefits Canva includes in its service:
Templates - the use of Canva templates takes all the design work out of your content, you can easily pick a template they have on the program, change a few colours and words to fit your pharmacy brand and suddenly you have a stunning post with all of the information you wanted to talk about on it! You can see an example of this below:
On the left is a free template Canva has available to use to display your opening hours. We have then used this to create a version of it on the right but in our fake pharmacy branding. This took a total of 5 minutes and makes a huge impact on how customers are going to recognise your pharmacy!
Scheduling - they have inbuilt scheduling programs to organise when your social media posts go out. So instead of spending time on a busy day trying to get a post out, you can schedule weeks’ worth of posts in a few hours on a day you have less on.
Brand Consistency - let alone the time saving you get from scheduling, you also save time on your designs through features such as brand kits. This allows you to set up your pharmacy colours and fonts to be easily accessed on any of your designs, to keep content cohesive and clearly yours. Making that template design you saw before even quicker and easier to make!
Affordability - with one subscription you can gain access through various devices so all of those in your business have access to the same content and designs. There are different payment plans and options available, including a free service that gives you access to most of its services!
User-Friendliness - with a user-friendly interface that is clear to follow and easy to set up, it makes creating designs specific to your pharmacy the easiest it can be.
We have said it before, and we will say it again. Marketing is a crucial tool for your pharmacy. It is integrated into our everyday lives and plays an important role in creating patient loyalty and recognition of your pharmacy.
While we have our marketing online course available to teach you the fundamentals of a marketing strategy specifically tailored for your pharmacy, we wanted to give you more insight into a program that we, at Peak, use daily to improve our marketing and to save us time.
In summary, while we emphasise the importance of marketing for your pharmacy, it's equally vital to understand how to leverage tools like Canva effectively. By integrating Canva into your marketing toolkit, you can enhance brand awareness and customer loyalty through consistent, cohesive content.