Digital Planner Resources and Tools: Removing the Confusion
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Feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the options when it comes to creating digital planners? Well, I'm here to help with all of that confusion. If you're on the hunt for the best resources and tools to elevate your digital planner game, look no further.
Here I will share my top picks to help you design, organize, and market your digital planners like a pro. From the user-friendly Canva to the treasure trove of Creative Fabrica and even the AI-powered ChatGPT, I've got the digital planner resources and tools for you!
Design Tools for Digital Planners
Canva
Canva is a user-friendly design platform that offers a wide range of templates, design elements, and fonts to help you create stunning digital planners with ease. Its drag-and-drop functionality makes it accessible for both beginners and experienced designers alike. Check out our blog post about using Canva for Digital Planner Design for a detailed breakdown of its pros and cons.
When I first started creating digital planners and courses to teach others how to do it, I started in Canva. Why? Because I already had CanvaPro, and I already knew how to use the platform. Most digital product creators have Canva or a similar option, so why not start there?
I incurred no additional costs to convert my printable planners to digital, and the ease of use from Canva never wavered. There are downsides, as far as being unable to create more than 300 pages (hello, that hurts a daily planner…), but there are workarounds. So – if you already have Canva, like me – go ahead and try it out first!
Here is a Garden Planner that we created in Canva. Super simple but easy on the eyes, and 100% functional on a digital note-taking app!
Adobe Creative Suite
The Adobe Creative Suite, including Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator, offers advanced design tools for creating professional and fully customizable digital planners. While these tools come with a steeper learning curve, they provide unparalleled control over every aspect of your design.
I have not used Adobe InDesign, but I know other digital product creators who love it! Some of them have said that if you are only looking to create digital planners, the Adobe Creative Suite might be overkill for that application. If I get requests to try it out and create courses specific to Adobe in our Facebook group – then I will get those started!
Affinity Designer & Publisher
Affinity Designer and Publisher are robust alternatives to Adobe's suite of tools, offering many of the same advanced design capabilities at a more affordable price point. Adobe has a monthly fee, while Affinity is a one-time purchase. These tools allow for comprehensive customization and are suitable for creating interactive digital planners with hyperlinks and tabs.
One of my fellow VIPs (not sure what that means, check this link to my coaches program) has an awesome course available for Affinity. You can check it out here!
Digital Planner Resource Libraries
Creative Fabrica
Creative Fabrica is a digital marketplace that offers a wealth of design resources for digital planner creators, including fonts, graphics, and templates. With both free and premium options, it's a fantastic source for unique and high-quality assets to enhance your digital planner designs.
The best part is that you automatically have a commercial license for what you download from Creative Fabrica. So many digital product creators only think to use Creative Fabrica for fonts and clip art. This is not the case. There are a plethora of planner pages to download and repurpose.
Etsy
Etsy is not only a marketplace for selling digital planners but also a valuable resource for finding design assets, such as clipart, digital stickers, and templates. Many talented designers offer their creations on the platform, providing a diverse selection of resources to choose from.
You can open up your own shop and start creating your audience using their huge reach (you can grab 40 free listings by using my link). Other selling platforms are out there – but honestly, Etsy is the largest and your best chance to gain some eyeballs.
AI-Powered Digital Planner Assistant
ChatGPT by OpenAI
As a digital product creator, you can leverage the power of ChatGPT, an AI language model, to help you brainstorm ideas, create engaging content for your digital planners, and even write your blog posts or social media captions. With its ability to generate human-like text, ChatGPT can provide invaluable assistance throughout your creative process and help you craft unique and engaging digital planners.
I love using Chatty when I hit writers block and to come up with ideas for pages to add to a planner. Simply put in your prompt (the type of planner you want to create), and ask ChatGPT to provide relevant and unique pages to include. The possibilities are endless. Need help getting started with Chat GPT? Check out the Women of AI! They will help with all of your AI questions!
Midjourney
Midjourney is an AI-powered tool that can create unique images in a matter of minutes! By using the right prompts, you can literally create any image that you could possibly want. And – they just launched a new version and the results people are getting are insanely realistic!
Organization and Productivity Tools
Project Management Tools
Keeping your projects organized is crucial for a successful digital planner business. However, there are so many project management tools available that it's really up to your personal preference. You can check out Trello or Notion for starters. However, if you don't like the layout – remember that you can create your own digital project management system by creating a digital planner version.
Google Drive or Dropbox
Storing your digital planner files and resources in a cloud-based platform like Google Drive or Dropbox allows you to access your work from anywhere and easily share it with clients or collaborators.
Since interactive PDF files can be very large, I recommend storing them on Google Drive first. You can then select the three dots for that PDF, click “Share,” change the accessibility to “Anyone With the Link,” and copy the link for that document. Paste the copied link into a Google Doc, add some thank you's and instructions or upsells as needed, then download as a PDF. That newly downloaded PDF will be what you upload to Etsy for your customer to download.
Marketing Tools for Digital Planner Creators
Social Media Platforms
Utilize social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to showcase your digital planners, connect with potential customers, and grow your online presence.
If you are stuck on what type of digital planner to create – ask your audience! They are who you are trying to serve anyways. Why not make them exactly what they want?
Email Marketing Services
Email marketing services like Mailerlite or FloDesk can help you build and nurture your email list, allowing you to keep your audience informed about new digital planner releases, promotions, and valuable content. You'll want to have a way to capture your audience's emails, whether that is using a blog with an opt-in form or a social media group by using membership questions when a new member joins.
Your email list is your number one tool. Once someone offers to give you their email address, you know you're doing it all right!
The Takeaway
With the right digital planner resources and tools, you can streamline your digital planner creation process and set yourself up for success. Experiment with different platforms and resources to find the perfect combination that aligns with your creative vision and workflow preferences. Remember that investing in your craft and staying up-to-date with the latest tools and trends is essential for staying ahead of the competition and delivering top-quality digital planners to your audience.
Whether you choose the user-friendly Canva, tap into the design resource goldmine of Creative Fabrica, or enlist the AI-powered help of ChatGPT, these resources and tools can elevate your digital planner game to new heights. So, fellow digital planner creators, embrace the world of possibilities at your fingertips and continue to create beautiful, functional, and memorable digital planners that delight your customers and make your business thrive.
As you explore the ever-evolving landscape of digital planner resources and tools, don't hesitate to share your discoveries with us in our Facebook group. After all, we're all on this journey together, and supporting one another is key to success. Happy creating!
