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Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

  • Understand platform demographics and strategies
  • Create a consistent visual identity
  • Build a practical content calendar
  • Use AI design tools (Canva Magic Studio) for asset creation
  • Develop platform-specific content strategies

1. Platform Demographics & Strategy

Know Your Platforms

Platform Primary Audience Content Style Best For
Facebook 25-55, broad Mixed, community Brand awareness, groups
Instagram 18-35, visual Photos, Stories, Reels Lifestyle, products
TikTok 16-30, entertainment Short video, trends Viral reach, Gen Z
LinkedIn 25-55, professional B2B, thought leadership Professional services
YouTube 18-50, all types Long-form video Education, tutorials
X (Twitter) 25-45, news-focused Real-time, conversation News, customer service

Nepal-Specific Insights

Most Popular in Nepal (2024-2025):

  1. Facebook - Still dominant, especially for businesses
  2. TikTok - Fastest growing, younger audience
  3. Instagram - Urban, younger demographic
  4. YouTube - Strong for video content
  5. LinkedIn - Growing for B2B and professionals

Platform Selection Framework

Choose based on:

  1. Where is your target audience?
  2. What content can you consistently create?
  3. What resources do you have?

Rule of thumb: Master 2-3 platforms before expanding

2. Visual Identity Basics

The Brand Style Guide Elements

VISUAL IDENTITY CHECKLIST
┌────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🎨 COLOR PALETTE                  │
│  Primary, secondary, accent colors │
├────────────────────────────────────┤
│  🔤 TYPOGRAPHY                     │
│  Headline font, body font          │
├────────────────────────────────────┤
│  📷 PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE              │
│  Filters, framing, subjects        │
├────────────────────────────────────┤
│  📐 GRAPHIC ELEMENTS               │
│  Icons, patterns, shapes           │
├────────────────────────────────────┤
│  🗣️ TONE OF VOICE                  │
│  Formal/casual, personality        │
└────────────────────────────────────┘

Creating a Color Palette

Color Psychology: | Color | Association | Best For | |——-|————-|———-| | Blue | Trust, professionalism | Finance, tech, healthcare | | Green | Growth, nature, health | Eco-friendly, wellness | | Red | Energy, urgency, passion | Food, entertainment, sales | | Yellow | Optimism, warmth | Creative, youth brands | | Purple | Luxury, creativity | Premium, creative services | | Orange | Friendly, energetic | Retail, food, startups |

Tools for Color Selection:

Typography Guidelines

Best Practices:

  • Use maximum 2-3 fonts
  • Pair a serif with sans-serif
  • Ensure readability on mobile
  • Maintain consistency across platforms

Free Font Resources:

3. Content Calendar Creation

Why Use a Content Calendar?

  • Consistency: Never miss a posting day
  • Planning: Prepare content in advance
  • Balance: Mix content types strategically
  • Efficiency: Batch creation saves time
  • Tracking: Review what works

Content Pillars Approach

Choose 3-5 content pillars:

Pillar Description Content Example
Educational Teach your audience Tips, how-tos, tutorials
Inspirational Motivate and inspire Quotes, success stories
Entertaining Engage and delight Memes, behind-the-scenes
Promotional Sell products/services Offers, product features
Community Build relationships User content, Q&As

The 80/20 Rule for Social Media

  • 80% Value: Educate, entertain, inspire
  • 20% Promotion: Sell, promote, ask

Content Calendar Template

WEEKLY CONTENT CALENDAR

MONDAY: Educational (Tip of the Week)
TUESDAY: Behind-the-scenes (Story)
WEDNESDAY: User-generated content / Testimonial
THURSDAY: Educational (Industry News)
FRIDAY: Fun / Entertainment
SATURDAY: Promotional (Soft sell)
SUNDAY: Community engagement (Q&A, Poll)

4. AI-Powered Design with Canva

Canva Magic Studio Features

Feature What It Does Use Case
Magic Design Generate designs from prompts Quick social posts
Magic Write AI copywriting Captions, descriptions
Magic Edit Edit photos with AI Remove backgrounds
Magic Resize Resize for all platforms One design → all sizes
Magic Media Generate images Custom visuals

Design Best Practices by Platform

Platform Image Size Tips
Facebook Post 1200 x 630 px Bold text, clear message
Instagram Post 1080 x 1080 px High-quality photos
Instagram Story 1080 x 1920 px Full-screen, engaging
LinkedIn Post 1200 x 627 px Professional, clean
TikTok 1080 x 1920 px Video with text overlays

🤖 AI Integration: Design Prompts

Canva Magic Design Prompt:

Create a social media post for [business type]
Announcing [topic/offer]
Style: [modern/minimal/bold/playful]
Colors: [your brand colors]
Include: [specific elements]

Caption Generation Prompt:

Write 5 Instagram caption variations for a post about [topic].
Target audience: [description]
Tone: [professional/casual/inspiring]
Include:
- Hook in first line
- Value or story
- Call-to-action
- 3-5 relevant hashtags

5. Hashtag Strategy

Hashtag Categories

Type Reach Competition Example
Broad High High #marketing
Niche Medium Medium #digitalmarketingnepal
Branded Low None #yourbrandname
Location Medium Medium #kathmandustartup

Hashtag Best Practices by Platform

Platform Recommended Best Practice
Instagram 5-15 Mix of sizes, in caption or comment
TikTok 3-5 Trending + niche
LinkedIn 3-5 Professional, relevant
Twitter/X 1-2 Only highly relevant
Facebook 0-2 Optional, minimal impact

🤖 AI Integration: Hashtag Research

Prompt Template:

Generate 30 hashtags for a [business type] in Nepal.
Organize by:
1. Broad/popular (5)
2. Niche/specific (10)
3. Location-based (5)
4. Industry-specific (5)
5. Trending/seasonal (5)

For each, estimate reach potential (high/medium/low).

6. Scheduling & Automation

Free/Low-Cost Scheduling Tools

Tool Free Tier Best For
Meta Business Suite Unlimited Facebook + Instagram
Buffer 3 channels Multi-platform
Later 1 profile/platform Instagram visual planning
Hootsuite 2 accounts Analytics focus

Optimal Posting Times (General)

Platform Best Times (Nepal) Best Days
Facebook 8-9 AM, 1-2 PM, 7-9 PM Wed-Fri
Instagram 11 AM-1 PM, 7-9 PM Tue, Wed
LinkedIn 8-9 AM, 12 PM, 5-6 PM Tue-Thu
TikTok 7-9 PM Daily consistency

Note: Test and analyze YOUR audience for best times

Hands-on Activity: “The Calendar”

Duration: 45 minutes

Objective: Create a 7-day content schedule and design 3 visual assets

Part 1: Visual Identity Setup (10 min)

  1. Open Canva and create a Brand Kit
  2. Set your 3 primary colors
  3. Choose 2 fonts (heading + body)
  4. Upload your logo (or create a simple one)

Part 2: Content Calendar (15 min)

  1. Choose your 3 content pillars
  2. Map out 7 days of content
  3. Write brief descriptions for each post
  4. Assign hashtag categories

Part 3: Asset Creation (20 min)

  1. Create 3 different social media graphics
  2. Use Canva Magic tools for efficiency
  3. Apply your brand kit to all designs
  4. Resize for at least 2 platforms each

Template: Content Calendar

7-DAY CONTENT CALENDAR

BRAND: _______________
PLATFORMS: _______________
WEEK OF: _______________

| Day | Pillar | Post Type | Caption Idea | Hashtags | Status |
|-----|--------|-----------|--------------|----------|--------|
| Mon | Educational | Carousel | | | |
| Tue | BTS | Story | | | |
| Wed | Community | Poll/Q&A | | | |
| Thu | Educational | Video | | | |
| Fri | Entertaining | Reel | | | |
| Sat | Promotional | Image | | | |
| Sun | Inspirational | Quote | | | |

Deliverables

  • Brand Kit in Canva (colors, fonts, logo)
  • 7-day content calendar completed
  • 3 social media graphics designed
  • Hashtag list organized by category (30+)

Key Takeaways

  1. Platform fit matters: Go where your audience is
  2. Consistency builds brands: Visual identity + posting schedule
  3. Content pillars structure content: Balance value and promotion
  4. AI accelerates creation: Canva Magic Studio is powerful
  5. Plan ahead: Calendars prevent last-minute scrambling

Additional Resources

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