A Beginner’s Guide to How to Sell Canva Templates & Earn Extra Money

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could earn a few thousand dollars each month doing something enjoyable and relaxing? Indeed, for the past year, that is exactly what I have been doing. My monthly income from selling Canva templates is over $1,000. Pretty cool, right?

It took more effort in the beginning, like it does for any new business: designing templates, determining what sells, pricing my products correctly, and learning how to make templates that look good! You see, I have no background in graphic design!

Yet even then, I hardly ever dedicated more than 30 hours a month (yep, that’s a month!) to this business. No, not even in those early months! And now that I work on my business even less, I still make about $1,000 per month selling Canva templates as a side hustle.

That’s right! I started this Canva template business in early 2021. The first several months were slow as I had no idea what I was doing. But by the end of 2022, I knew I had something solid! All throughout 2022 until now-at the time of writing this post-my average monthly revenue from selling Canva templates has been over $1K.

What else could possibly be more incredible than that?

So, in this blog post, I want to explain to you how I got started, what I’ve learned over the past few years, and how you can do the same thing and start earning $1,000 a month or more selling Canva templates on the side.

How I Began to Sell Canva Templates

I have no prior experience in graphic design, as I previously stated. So when I discovered Canva, I decided to teach myself how to make designs by watching YouTube videos. After a few weeks, I was able to understand the platform and get started.

Soon enough, I was designing all kinds of stuff left and right, including lead magnets, social media graphics, Pinterest pins, blog graphics, and things I didn’t even need.

Selling Canva templates was never included in any comprehensive business plan. I was content if I occasionally sold a few templates. But as soon as I discovered how popular Canva templates were, I started adding more and more products and experimenting with various sales techniques, and my revenue started to grow.

Let’s go into the details now that the background has been covered.

What is Canva

Canva is a free online graphic design tool for EVERYONE! In other words, you don’t need any experience in graphic design to use Canva and produce stunning results.

Why is Canva so popular?

The truth of the matter is that more and more people are launching their own businesses, working as independent contractors, or at the very least beginning some type of side hustle. This implies that they must establish a brand, expand their customer base, and build an email or social media following. All of that calls for different kinds of documents and graphics.

Nevertheless, many of these people lack the skills and time necessary to create the graphics themselves. What do they then do? They either use Canva or hire designers, which can be very pricey. Why use Canva? Because:

1. Everyone can use Canva. It’s simple! The learning curve is much smaller than that of Photoshop or Illustrator. Also, there are a ton of resources (including Canva’s internal tutorials and YouTube videos) available for customers to quickly learn how to utilize the tool.
2. Use of Canva is free. Even though includes many more features, not everyone needs them. But, the Pro version is still considered cheap.
3. Canva can produce professional-grade graphics and documents at a reasonable price.
4. Canva features a large free and paid stock photo library, as well as a ton of pre-made elements and high-quality typefaces that you can use on your projects. Nevertheless, these are not on par with third-party Canva templates that we — template sellers — make.
5. It is simple to access since it is a web-based application.
6. It makes designing more accessible than ever thanks to its PC and mobile apps!

Who Purchases Canva Templates

When I say that I sell Canva templates, people frequently react in a variety of ways. Some individuals exhibit genuine curiosity, while others exhibit skepticism.

I frequently respond to the following questions from skeptics:

Why would anyone spend money on Canva templates? Wouldn’t people prefer to create their own when Canva is already so simple to use?

The problem is this. Not everyone enjoys or even wants to design something from scratch. Some of us find enjoyment in designing. I’ve mentioned it before, but I like using Canva even when I don’t need it. It almost has a contemplative quality! It helps me relieve stress and calms my nerves.

But not everyone’s situation is the same. Those who don’t like designing things would rather spend a little money to buy a template instead. In this approach, they can quickly create a distinctive product by simply customizing a pre-designed template.

Some people are just not talented designers. Others, though, simply do not have the time. These people also have the choice of hiring a designer, although this is frequently out of their price range. Even though the Canva platform itself is very user-friendly, these are the individuals that purchase Canva templates.

But doesn’t Canva already have a MASSIVE library of templates? Why bother making a purchase from somewhere else?

However, these native templates and those you buy from third-party sellers differ significantly from one another. You see, the templates you see on Canva are unique templates.

Let’s say you’re looking for some Instagram templates for your business, and you’d want a collection with a consistent style. That’s not one of the templates available in Canva’s library, is it? Contrarily, Canva template sellers do not offer one-off templates on their own platforms or on other online stores like Etsy or Gumroad. They sell packages.

If someone buys a package of Instagram Canva templates, they’re very much set for a long time because there may be 10 or 20 or more templates included that are comparable in style and appearance. It strengthens their brand and gives their feed more coherence.

Isn’t the market already saturated with all the individuals selling Canva templates now?

It’s not a bad thing to have some healthy competition. At least not in this instance. Because there is such a high demand for Canva templates, many people are selling them. This is actually fantastic news, I think! Finding customers won’t require too much effort on your part. On the other side, given the pace at which Canva is expanding, there are far more people wishing to buy Canva templates than there are people offering Canva templates. Hence, the tendency toward increasing demand continues.

Who Should Sell Canva Templates

You can start selling Canva templates as long as you satisfy the following two requirements, I believe.

• You’re a big fan of Canva!

• Either you have good design skills or you are prepared to work hard to improve your design skills

If you recall, I previously stated that I am not a graphic designer. Accounting is my area of expertise. But, I have always loved good design and have yearned to be able to create it. The process of working to hone my style was one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Canva Templates You Can Create and Sell

Canva is a free online graphic design tool, as I’ve previously stated. It’s sort of like graphic design for amateurs. So, it follows that you cannot anticipate sophisticated design capabilities like those you might be accustomed to in Photoshop or Illustrator.

Yet, Canva comes in handy when you need to design straightforward yet effective things for your business. Examples include:

• Graphics, banners, and thumbnails for social media (Instagram posts and stories, Facebook posts and banners, YouTube thumbnails and banners, Pinterest pin graphics, etc.)

• Blog images (featured images, hero section backgrounds, social media graphics, etc.)

• greeting cards

• workbooks

• eBooks

• presentations

• media kits

• infographics

• resumes

• brochures, posters, and flyers

• and countless other documents-related products. You can create an array of graphics/templates with Canva and sell them depending on your audience’s demands and what you prefer making yourself.

Just make sure your products are original and your own creations, from conception to completion. DO NOT alter a Canva template or another person’s template to make it look unique and then resell it as your own.

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Canva Template Business?

That is by far one of the most affordable businesses out there! The cost is truly very low!

Here are some of the potential costs to consider when starting a Canva template business:

• Canva Pro Subscription: Canva offers a free version, but to access all the features you’ll need a Pro subscription. This costs $12.99/month (or $119.99/year) per user.

• Software and Design Tools: You may need to invest in software and design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, or Figma, depending on the types of templates you plan to create. These can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars.

• Website Hosting and Design: You’ll need to set up a website to sell your templates. You can use a website builder like namecheap which can cost anywhere from $4.48 per month, or hire a web designer to create a custom website for a reasonable amount.

• Marketing and Advertising: To attract customers, you’ll need to invest in marketing and advertising, which can include social media ads, Google AdWords, content marketing, and influencer partnerships. Costs can vary widely depending on the strategies you choose and your target audience.

• Template Creation: Creating high-quality templates can be time-consuming and may require hiring a team of designers or freelancers. Costs will depend on the complexity of the templates and the hourly rates of the designers.

How Much Can You Get Selling Canva Templates?

Answering this question is never easy. How much money you can make in any kind of business depends on a number of factors.

Are you first offering the appropriate products to the right customers? Understanding your audience is important.

Furthermore, do you even understand how product promotions operate? Are you even marketing your products enough?

Furthermore, are you correctly pricing your products?

Most importantly, how good is the quality of your designs?

So, the amount of money you may generate from selling Canva templates ultimately depends on:

• your level of expertise in creating good designs

• how many products you have in your store(s) and how frequently you add new products

• how well you market your products

• the categories of templates you offer, and

• how you set the pricing.

Where Can You Sell Canva Templates

There are several platforms where you can sell Canva templates:

1. Creative Market: This is a popular marketplace for selling digital products, including Canva templates. You can create a shop on Creative Market and list your templates for sale.
2. Etsy: Etsy is another popular platform for selling digital products, including Canva templates. You can create a shop on Etsy and list your templates for sale.
3. Canva Marketplace: Canva has its own marketplace where you can sell your templates directly to Canva users. To get started, you’ll need to apply to become a Canva Creator and submit your designs for review.
4. Template.net: This platform specializes in selling templates for a wide range of software, including Canva. You can list your templates for sale on Template.net and earn a commission on each sale.
5. Gumroad: Gumroad is a platform that allows creators to sell digital products, including Canva templates, directly to their audience. You can create a storefront on Gumroad and list your templates for sale.
6. Creative Fabrica: This platform is dedicated to selling digital design assets, including Canva templates. You can list your templates for sale on Creative Fabrica and earn a commission on each sale.
7. Envato Elements: Envato Elements is a subscription-based platform that offers a wide range of digital assets, including Canva templates. You can submit your templates for inclusion in the Envato Elements library and earn a commission on each download.

Remember to read and follow the terms and conditions of each platform to ensure that you’re selling your Canva templates in compliance with their rules.

Conclusion

In conclusion, selling Canva templates is an excellent way to make money on the side with a relatively low investment of time and money. With the increasing demand for digital assets and the popularity of Canva, this market is growing rapidly, creating opportunities for beginners to enter and thrive in the industry.

By following the steps outlined in this beginner’s guide, you can create and sell high-quality Canva templates that meet the needs of your target audience, build your brand, and generate a steady stream of income. Remember, success in this business requires dedication, hard work, and continuous learning to stay ahead of the competition. With perseverance and creativity, you can turn your Canva skills into a profitable side hustle or even a full-time business.

Disclaimer: This article is originally being published by me here on this platform.