How to Earn Passive Income Selling Canva Templates in Nigeria
Canva templates are a great digital product to sell. Lots of people want them, and they can make you money even when you are not working (this is called passive income). Once you make the templates, they can sell automatically, making you money while you sleep! This guide will show you the easy steps you can follow to earn money from selling Canva templates in Nigeria.
Step 1: Find Your Niche and Design Your Template
Before you start designing, you need to know what people are searching for.
Find Your Niche (What People Need). Look at what people in your community or on social media are asking for. Think about popular needs for:
- Business Owners
Templates for Instagram/TikTok posts, flyers, business cards, and logos.
- Creators/Influencers
YouTube thumbnail templates, Instagram Story templates, and media kits.
- For Students & Workers
Resume/CV templates, presentation slides, and report covers.
- For Everyone
Invitations (for birthdays, weddings), and digital planners (for budgets, weddings).
Use Canva, it’s simple. You don’t need expensive software. You can use the free account to design, but you will need Canva Pro to make the special link that you sell. It’s cheap and worth the cost.
- Keep Your Designs Easy
Don’t make them confusing for the customer to change. Use only a few colors (4-5) and a few fonts (2-3) so they look clean and professional.
Only use FREE elements in Canva. If you use “Pro” elements, your customers will have to pay Canva to use your template, and that will make them unhappy.
Step 2: Create Your Deliverable File (What the Customer Gets)
When someone buys a template, they are buying a link to access it. You must put this link into a file for them to download.
Start a new Canva project (a simple size like A4 is fine). Design a simple “Read Me” page. Include these things on the page:
- A message thanking them.
- Clear text that says, “Access your template here.”
- Highlight the word “here” and put your special template link inside it.
- Simple instructions on how to click the link and edit the template in Canva.
- Your email address for customer help.
Save this page as a PDF.
Important: Make sure the “Flatten PDF” box is unchecked so the link still works when clicked. This PDF is the file you will upload to your online shop.
Step 3: Create Attractive Mockups (Your Listing Photos)
You need great pictures to advertise your template. These pictures are called mockups. Open a new square Canva project (like 2000×2000 pixels).
- Showcase Your Work
Put images of your templates into one picture. You can use “Grids” and “Frames” in the Elements tab to put your designs inside pictures of phones, laptops, or tablets to make them look real.
- Make Many Pictures
Create a few different mockups. Add text that tells the customer the benefits (e.g., “200+ Instagram Posts,” “Easy to Change,” “Perfect for Any Business”).
- Check Other Sellers
Look at popular templates on sites like Etsy to see what kind of sales pictures attract buyers.
Step 4: Sell Everywhere (Your Sales Channels)
It’s time to put your product up for sale!
- Use Nigerian Platforms
Set up a shop on Selar.co or use the Paystack Storefront. These platforms are great for selling locally in Nigeria.
- Use International Platforms
You can also sell on Gumroad, which is popular for digital products.
- List Your Product
Use the attractive mockups as your listing photos, and upload the Read Me PDF as the file your customer buys.
- Use Keywords
Put important words in your title and description so people can find your product (e.g., “Nigerian Wedding Invitation Template,” “African Business Social Media Kit”).
Step 5: Show Proof and Promote Heavily
You can’t just wait for people to find it—you have to tell them about it!
- Show Proof
Always post pictures or short videos showing how your templates look and how easy they are to edit. Promote on Social Media. Share your templates a lot on:
- WhatsApp Status & Groups
- Instagram Reels & Stories
- TikTok Videos
Always showcase your beautiful mockups, show a quick video of someone editing a template, and don’t forget to share the link to your shop. By following these steps, you can start a profitable business selling digital products right from Nigeria!
