Email Marketing with Canva: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ever found yourself staring at a blank page, wondering which colors and visuals to include in your email campaign? Whether you’re an email marketing newbie or a veteran, you need a good starting point to save time resizing images or second-guessing every design choice.

Doing email marketing with Canva takes that headache out of the process. Marketers of different experience levels can easily create head-turning visuals or entire email templates at little to no cost. 

In this blog, we’ll break down Canva email creation and share best practices to make your designs reader-friendly. What comes next? Sending that email to your audience, ensuring it reaches inboxes looking just as expected. 

For this, you’ll need an email platform with a Canva integration to avoid the manual uploads that turn into a time sink. We’ll show you how to move your email designs from Canva to your marketing software in just a few clicks.

Why use Canva for email design?

Canva is known for its ease of use, allowing beginners to start crafting email blocks and professional-looking campaigns without watching three tutorials first. But that’s not the only reason to use it.

Here are a few more benefits:

• Design element variety: You get a drag-and-drop editor and hundreds of free Canva email templates for different industries, plus tons of visual elements. Think images, videos, and illustrations that enrich your campaigns in a unique way. 
• Affordability: You can craft your first design even on a shoestring budget. A free account lets you access most of the platform’s features. However, premium email designs and customization tools are only available in paid plans. 
• Integrations with email platforms: Creating visually appealing emails won’t serve you if you can’t personalize for specific audiences, test them properly, and send them with a reliable service. Canva has this covered by offering integrations with popular email marketing solutions like Constant Contact, HubSpot, and Mailchimp.
• AI functionality: Canva’s AI 2.0 is a valuable tool for marketers who need help designing or writing emails. You can describe your idea or ask for inspiration, and this built-in AI solution will help bring it to life. Keep in mind, though, that the free version only allows for 25 free queries.
• Collaboration tools: With Canva, you can easily collaborate in real time, even if you’re part of a large team. Working together is straightforward because you can leave or receive feedback and assign tasks while creating email layouts.

How to create a Canva design from scratch

When using Canva for email design, you have two options: customize a pre-made email template or create individual assets, like images, headers, and footers, to build your emails. 

While Canva lets you design an entire email, we recommend creating separate blocks, such as headers and graphics, and then bringing them together in your email platform’s editor. This offers more flexibility and makes it easier to personalize campaigns and add advanced items like RSVP or feedback blocks.

In this section, though, we’ll cover both tactics to match different workflows.

1. Crafting visual elements in Canva 

If you have a custom element you want to use, such as an email signature, you can upload and edit it using Canva’s photo editor. When creating a new design, you can choose from these email assets:

Alternatively, Canva offers a large library of ready-made design elements. Here, we chose to create an email header. Just like we did, you’ll probably want to customize it to your taste and branding:

Here’s what you can tweak:

• Adjust background and image colors
• Change fonts and text
• Delete or replace objects within the image
• Add your logo and website links
• Apply or remove filters
• Turn the image into a video

When you’re done, you can download the image in the format of your choice, such as PNG, JPG, or PDF. For email, JPG and PNG are the safest options since they’re compatible with most email clients, such as Gmail and Outlook. 

Animated GIFs are also supported by most email service providers, but you should preview them in your email marketing platform to ensure they’re displayed correctly. If needed, you can adjust the image size, but, unfortunately, this Canva feature is reserved for paid plans.

The next stop is your email marketing platform. If you have a Constant Contact account, for example, you can easily insert your Canva images into an existing email template. Once inside the email builder, you click the Images tab and then the “Add from Canva” option. 

You’ll instantly see all your Canva designs. Simply pick the one you want to use as an image block, choose the format, tap on “Import,” and it’s right there in your Library. 

2. Creating an entire email newsletter template

Canva comes with an intuitive drag-and-drop email editor and a selection of more than 300 pre-made email templates to choose from and tailor to your needs. You’ll find designs for almost every industry, including ecommerce, SaaS, healthcare, and travel. 

So, if you choose to use Canva from start to finish, select a pre-designed template and customize it using their editor. Let’s see some examples:

• Insert columns to create a structured and readable layout
• Tailor elements like headers, footers, images, and call-to-action (CTA) buttons
• Change colors and fonts to match your branding or adjust their size for readability
• Write and refine text with the built-in AI tool
• Leave comments for your team to discuss changes

If you’re on Canva Pro or a higher tier, you’ll be able to save assets in a unique Brand Kit that includes your logo, colors, fonts, or visuals to reuse across campaigns. 

Before exporting your design, Canva lets you preview how your email looks on desktop and mobile. You can also send a test email to yourself to check how it looks. Once you’re happy with the result, download the design as an HTML file and upload it to your email marketing platform. 

Now, if it doesn’t integrate with Canva, you’ll have to go through some additional steps, such as downloading the content as HTML and manually importing it into your email tool. 

But with an email solution offering a Canva integration, like Constant Contact does, you’ll just need to click “Share” inside Canva’s editor, then find Constant Contact, and hit “Publish now.” The first time you’ll use the integration, you must connect your account, which takes less than one minute. After that, you can send the email right away or schedule it for a different time.

If you’re comfortable working with HTML, Constant Contact and similar email solutions let you edit the exported code before sending. It’s a handy way to make last-minute changes without starting from scratch. 

How to turn Canva designs into ready-to-send email campaigns 

An email marketing platform lets you do things that Canva doesn’t, so you can fine-tune your email before sending. Picture Canva as your storefront’s display and your email tool as the expert salesperson closing the deal. 

With your design ready, it’s time to prepare your email for better results. Here are a few steps to follow:

1. Optimize your email subject line

Your email subject line carries the most weight when it comes to opens. Keep it clear and descriptive, using specific outcomes and simple language that highlight the value inside. That way, subscribers will know what to expect.

Aim for fewer than 40 characters as brief subject lines are easier to read and don’t get cut off on mobile devices. Also, don’t trick recipients into opening by using misleading offers or urgency in every subject line. 

Personalization tells recipients the message is just for them. So, if your email platform lets you, add details like their name, company, or other custom fields to make your subject lines more relevant.

2. Add your sender info and reply-to address

A consistent sender name and email address make it easier to build trust with subscribers while also helping inbox providers recognize you as a legitimate sender.

The most common option is using your brand’s name in your email address, such as news@brand.com or info@company.com. To add a personal touch, opt for your own name or an employee’s to let people know there’s a real person sending the campaign. Either way, avoid sending from generic or untrustworthy email addresses. 

Finally, include a reply-to address pointing to an inbox someone on your team actually checks. Otherwise, if subscribers have a question, they’ll be talking to the void. Besides that, using a no-reply email address is a common spam tactic, and you don’t want ESPs or subscribers getting the wrong idea.

3. Choose an email list or audience segment 

Sometimes, sending the same email to your entire list makes sense, like for a flash sale or a webinar announcement. In these cases, you don’t need to tailor your message to different segments.

But this isn’t true if the sale is limited to certain locations and you send the email to recipients living 100km away. Without proper targeting, your messages may feel irrelevant to subscribers, leading them to overlook your campaigns.

Email marketing is more effective when you recommend tailored offers to specific audience groups. By grouping subscribers based on criteria like demographics or where they are in the buying journey, you can send more relevant campaigns, such as:

• A first-time discount for new subscribers 
• An invitation to an exclusive event for VIP customers
• A roundup of new products or services for disengaged subscribers

4. Send a test email 

When doing email marketing with Canva, the platform lets you send a test email to the address linked to your account, but that’s about it. So, what happens if you need to test how your campaign displays in different email clients?

Most email solutions allow you to test your email before sending it to your audience. In Constant Contact, for example, you can send a test email to up to five inboxes from different email providers, such as Gmail or Yahoo Mail. That way, you double-check that everything looks and works as intended across email clients, helping ensure a smooth subscriber experience.

5. Schedule and send

You’ve created a beautiful email and can’t wait to share it with your audience to see what happens. But sending it right away isn’t always the right call. To maximize engagement, finding the right timing is key. 

The best time to send an email depends on your contacts’ routines and location, among other factors. While industry benchmarks serve as a starting point, every business should test different sending times and monitor performance to determine what works best for them.

Let’s say your email is ready to go on Friday evening, but you’re targeting small business owners who are winding down from a busy week. If that’s so, perhaps Monday morning is a better time to catch them as they’re settling into the workweek.

Some email tools even allow you to resend a campaign to subscribers who didn’t open it the first time. In fact, a Constant Contact study of 37,000 successful customers found that 80% of them use the resend-to-non-openers option, which can help boost open rates.

However, it’s best to wait a few days before that, as sending the same email too soon might prompt some recipients to mark it as spam.

6. Monitor email performance

Tracking metrics like opens, clicks, and conversions helps you measure campaign performance and refine your email marketing strategy accordingly. 

Every metric tells a different story. For example, a higher click-through rate shows your email  content matches subscribers’ needs and interests, while a high bounce rate could indicate issues with your email list quality.

Monitoring your email reports regularly also lets you make better decisions when it comes to email creation. Heatmaps, for instance, display the email sections that recipients engaged with the most, giving you a clearer idea of what they like to see. 

If the results are what you were hoping for, it doesn’t mean you should stop monitoring them. Keeping an eye on your metrics helps you catch changes early and adjust your processes before engagement starts to drop.

Best practices for email marketing with Canva

Canva and your email platform do a lot of the heavy lifting for your campaign design, but following email marketing best practices is what truly drives results.

Here’s your checklist:

• Add your brand elements for consistent design. Including assets like your logo and branded images gives your campaigns an authentic look and feel. Also, a unified design style helps you maintain consistency, so subscribers can recognize your brand across campaigns and channels. 
• Mind the mobile experience. With 64% of consumers opening emails on their tablets and smartphones, you should adopt a mobile-first approach in email creation. Check the mobile preview on Canva and your email platform to see how your campaign looks on smaller devices. Responsive designs also ensure your emails adapt to different screen sizes.
• Place a clear and visible CTA. When sending a campaign, you usually want subscribers to do something. Your call-to-action (CTA) should quickly and clearly let them know what that is. Make your CTA button reflect the action, avoiding generic phrases like “Click here.” Stick to one primary CTA or a few complementary ones to avoid reader frustration.
• Use email-safe typography. Typography also affects how your campaigns render across devices and email clients. Canva offers a list of email-safe fonts that are supported by most email clients and improve readability. For the same reason, it’s better to use font sizes of at least 14-16 px for body copy.
• Consider text-to-image ratio. A balanced email design plays an important role in whether your campaigns reach the inbox. Besides triggering spam filters, image-heavy layouts slow down loading times, especially for mobile users. Aim for a ratio of 60% text to 40% images so your message doesn’t rely on visuals alone.
• Create accessible email designs. Your audience likely includes visually impaired people who deserve the same stellar subscriber experience as everyone else. To ensure accessibility, use alt text for images, short paragraphs, easy-to-tap CTAs, and enough color contrast between the text and the background.
• Include a clear unsubscribe link. Your unsubscribe option should be easy to find to remain compliant. Otherwise, it can create distrust among recipients who want to opt out. Using poor color contrast or unclear wording to discourage unsubscribes is an email marketing mistake that may lead to spam complaints. Plus, when people who aren’t interested in your content leave, they indirectly support your list hygiene efforts.

Put your Canva designs in front of your subscribers

Email marketing with Canva is free and easy to get started, but that simplicity shouldn’t come at the expense of your time. 

Without an integration, you’ll spend time downloading designs from Canva, uploading them to your email marketing platform, and doing it all over again every time you make a change.

By connecting Canva with Constant Contact, your designs stay in sync, meaning you can update visuals and turn them into email marketing campaigns without the extra back and forth. On top of that, you get the email features that Canva doesn’t offer, such as reporting and deliverability tools.

If you’re ready to transform your Canva layouts into plug-and-play emails, you can sign up for a free trial and save time without compromising your designs.

FAQs

Let’s look at some frequently asked questions about Canva email marketing:

1. Should you create an entire email in Canva and then send it using your email marketing platform?

Canva offers the option to design an entire email inside the platform and move it to your email solution. However, we recommend building separate content blocks in Canva like headers, footers, and images and then composing your email inside your email marketing platform’s editor. Using a single full-page image for your emails may not render properly on small devices or be flagged as spam. 

2. Why shouldn’t you send Canva-designed emails using Gmail?

While Gmail is great for everyday communication and you can use it to send Canva-designed templates, it’s best to avoid it. Doing so means missing out on features like audience segmentation, performance tracking, and A/B testing. What’s more, Gmail isn’t designed for marketing emails, so you may run into image display issues or sending limits.

3. Can Canva replace an email marketing platform?

No, Canva is a graphic design tool, not an email marketing solution. You need the latter to manage and segment contacts, send personalized recommendations, access reporting insights, and more. Combining the two bridges the gap between eye-catching designs and converting email campaigns.