Step by Step Guide to Creating an Instagram Post from Scratch Using Canva

Hey there, as a travel agent, you know that in today's digital age, having a strong social media presence is more than a bonus—it's essential! 

You need visuals to showcase exotic destinations, unforgettable experiences, and your unique brand personality - and Instagram is your golden ticket. But where do you start? How do you create that perfect Instagram post that not only catches the eye but also drives engagement and, ultimately, bookings?

Welcome to my step-by-step guide on crafting Instagram posts that will make your followers stop scrolling and start dreaming about their next adventure. Whether you're a social media newbie or looking to sharpen your skills, this guide is designed to take you from a blank screen to a captivating post that truly resonates with your audience. And all this is super easy and super quick using the free design tool, Canva!

By the end of this guide, you'll have all the confidence and know-how to turn your Instagram feed into a vibrant, engaging showcase of what makes your travel services the best in the biz. And it will only take you around fifteen minutes to create your post! Ready to get started? Let's dive in!

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Canva: The Perfect Tool for the Travel Agent who ‘Grams!

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep on saying it: Canva is an incredibly easy tool to use, when you know how. I encourage all travel professionals to get on board with either the free (or subscription) version to make your online marketing easier - particularly if you’re relying on the visually-driven Instagram as your preferred social platform.

Why is Canva so good again? Let me explain to those of you who don’t know why this is my tool of choice for creating my travel agent templates.

User friendly: The Canva drag-and-drop editor helps you create professional-looking designs without prior design or software experience to start creating stunning visuals. The editor is designed to be user-friendly and far easier to master than many counterparts.

Templates galore: Canva offers a vast collection of customizable templates for various design needs, not only social media posts but also presentations, flyers, and more. This saves you time and provides inspiration for your projects.

Versatile designs: Canva provides a wide range of design elements such as fonts, images, icons, and illustrations. These elements can be easily incorporated into your designs, allowing for high levels of customization and creativity.

Accessible and affordable: You can access Canva from any device with internet access, making it convenient to work on designs anywhere, anytime. The App has the same features and is very similar to the desktop version, meaning if you can use one - you can use the other. And… it’s available as a free version with incredible features included! 

Getting Started with Canva

So, you’re ready to start creating your first Instagram post using Canva? Here we go!

Step 1: Dream a little dream with me…

The first thing you need is an idea. How does your Instagram post look in your mind? What are the colors or themes? Do you want to feature a town, a beach, a pool or a cruise ship? (Or even something entirely different - it’s your idea, after all!). It’s good to have an idea before you get started to help you speed up the process. Remember, Canva is packed out with all kinds of design elements and visuals to create your posts - the sky’s the limit with Canva!

Step 2: What’s your message about?

Next, think about what you’re wanting to tell your audience. Is it a travel tip you’re sharing, an itinerary or a holiday sale? Or is it an inspirational post designed to tempt people towards a certain destination? Be absolutely clear on what your post is about and the outcome you want to achieve.

Step 3: Visuals versus vocab

Depending on what you’re wanting to promote, this will dictate whether your post needs to be more about pictures than words. For example, if you’re explaining something in detail to your audience - such as a travel itinerary - you’re clearly going to need more text. On the other hand, a destination promotion piece will be image-heavy with much shorter text. 

Step 4: Time to get creative!

Now, you’re ready to create your post. And for this, you need to watch my ten minute video where I’ll walk you through the process of creating an Instagram post quickly and simply!

Watch my video and create your post!

And that’s a wrap! I told you it was easy, right?!

Now you have your incredible Insta post ready, go forth and share it with the world! I can’t wait to see what you’ve created!

If you do have any questions or find you’re still struggling with your social media posts - be it through a lack of knowing what to post about or how to use the Canva tool effectively - drop me an email or join my Facebook group and send me a message!