Quick Answer

From my experience of creating and selling Canva templates for around two years, the templates that sell the most are usually the ones that require real effort to create.

What I mean by that is full branding kits, large social media bundles, and complete template packages. Simple 10-15 page templates are easy to find for free inside Canva. However, the templates customers are often willing to pay more for are almost like a business in a box.

A small business owner usually doesn't need just one Instagram post template. They may need Instagram templates, Pinterest templates, an Etsy shop kit, a TPT kit, email marketing templates, and more, all designed in the same style and made for their specific business or niche.

For example, you might find individual templates inside Canva, but you're probably not going to find a complete, cohesive bundle created specifically for a particular type of customer. Putting individual templates together, making everything look consistent, and adapting them to your business can take a lot of time, especially if you're not a graphic designer or you struggle with design.

That's why you see so many Etsy shop kits in my shop. They do sell because people need complete packages: banners, receipt banners, logos, listing templates, thank-you cards, and other matching elements. The same applies to email marketing templates created for the same niche or theme, Instagram bundles that can include 100, 200, or even more templates, Pinterest templates, and other large, cohesive packages.

We're also moving further into an AI era where basic content is becoming easier and easier to create. In my opinion, your best opportunity is to invest time into creating complete solutions for a very specific person or niche.

Instead of creating just another generic Instagram template, think about the complete set of templates that a specific customer actually needs. Combine that with a trending style or niche, and stay up to date with what is currently happening in design.

You can check out my graphic design trends page to see trends you can potentially use in your own template designs.

If you don't want to design everything yourself, you can also check out my shop. I offer commercial-use templates designed as complete solutions for specific buyers and niches. They take time to create, solve specific problems, incorporate current trends, and are much more detailed and tailored than a simple, generic template.