Creating Social Media Templates for Consistency

Consistency wins on social media. When your posts look and feel the same, people recognise you faster and trust you more. Templates make this easy. You set your look once. Then you reuse it across every post. This saves time, keeps quality high, and helps your brand stay clear in a busy feed.

This guide shows you how to build a full template system that suits property marketing. You will learn what to template, how to build it in Canva, how to name your files, and how to use your templates each week. You will also get a checklist and a one hour sprint plan to get it done today.

What is a Social Media Template

A social media template is a predesigned layout you reuse for similar posts. You swap in new photos, new addresses, and new text. The style stays the same. The process becomes faster. Your brand stays consistent.

Templates can be static images, short videos, Stories, Reels covers, and carousels. You can build them once and then duplicate for every listing.

Why Templates Matter in Property Marketing

• Faster turnaround. You can post new listings and updates on the same day.

• Clear brand. Colours, fonts, and layouts match. People know it is you.

• Less stress. No blank page. You start from a proven layout.

• Better results. A consistent look improves trust and engagement.

• Easier teamwork. Anyone in your team can follow the same style.

The Core Brand Kit You Need Before You Start

Gather these items first. Place them in one folder.

• Logo files in PNG and SVG

• Brand colours with hex codes

• Two fonts only. One for headings. One for body text

• Photo style guide. Bright, natural light. Straight lines. No filters

• Icon set for beds, baths, cars

• Legal footer text. Agency licence number and any required disclaimers

• Contact block. Name, title, phone, email, website, office address

Tip. Keep margins generous so text never hugs the edges. This keeps your look premium and easy to read.

The Template Sizes That Cover Most Needs

• Square post. 1080 by 1080

• Portrait post. 1080 by 1350

• Story and Reel canvas. 1080 by 1920

• LinkedIn image. 1200 by 1200

• YouTube thumbnail. 1280 by 720

Design once at the largest size you need. Then use Canva Resize to make other sizes. Check every resize for text wrap and logo placement.

The Must Have Template Set for Real Estate

Create one template for each of these post types. You can add more later.

• Just Listed

• Coming Soon

• Open Home Invite

• Auction Invite

• Price Guide Update if your office policy allows

• Under Offer

• Just Sold

• Off Market enquiry callout if your office allows

• Rental Listing

• Rental Leased

• Rental Market Update

• Suburb Market Update

• Testimonial

• Case Study before and after or strategy and result

• Buyer Tip

• Seller Tip

• Property Management Tip

• Team Intro

• Behind the Scenes

• Local Business Spotlight

• Community Event

• Charity or school support

For each template, include fields for address, property highlights, date and time, call to action, and contact block.

Step By Step. Building Templates in Canva

1. Create a new Brand Kit in Canva. Upload logos. Set colours and fonts.

2. Start with one base layout. Use a simple grid. Header for headline. Big photo area. Footer for contact and legal text.

3. Drop in your logo. Place it in the same spot on every template.

4. Add a headline style. Use short words. Example. Just Listed. Open Home. Sold.

5. Add a subheadline style. Example. 4 bed family home near park.

6. Add a text block style. Keep to three bullet points for features.

7. Create a contact block component. Name, phone, email, website. Turn it into a Canva element you can copy and paste.

8. Add icons for beds, baths, cars. Group the icons with the numbers.

9. Save this as your Master Base.

10. Duplicate the Master Base for each post type. Change the headline and colours if needed. Keep spacing and font sizes the same.

11. Create a photo mask that fits one hero image. Add a version with two and three images for carousels.

12. Create Story versions of each template. Stack elements vertically. Keep the logo and contact details readable.

13. Create Reel or short video versions. Use five to eight second motion. Simple movement only. Text fade in. Photo slide.

14. Use Canva Styles to lock in colours and fonts. Avoid manual overrides.

15. Test export a few posts. Check readability on a phone.

Copy Blocks You Can Reuse Across Templates

Prepare short text blocks you can paste into any template.

• Feature bullets. Three short points. Example. North facing. Walk to school. Large deck.

• Call to action. Book an inspection. Request the brochure. Call for a price guide.

• Open home line. Saturday 10.30 to 11.00. Wednesday 5.15 to 5.45.

• Auction line. On site. Saturday 12 October at 10.30.

• Compliance line. All information is provided in good faith. Buyers should make their own enquiries.

Store these in a single document and pin it inside Canva for quick access.

Visual Rules For Consistency

• One or two fonts only

• Two main colours and one accent

• Big clear headlines

• Plenty of white space

• No text over busy parts of photos

• Always align text to a grid

• Keep icons the same style and size

• Photos bright and straight. Remove colour casts

• Faces and key features never covered by text

File Naming and Folder Structure

Create a simple structure so anyone can find the right file fast.

• Social Templates

  • Master Base

  • Listing Templates

  • Rental Templates

  • Brand and Team Templates

  • Stories and Reels

  • Exports Ready To Post

Use clear names.

• JL Square 1080 Paddington 12 Smith St

• OH Story 1080×1920 Sat 10.30

• JS Square 1080 12 Smith St Sold

Include date or week number when useful.

A Simple Weekly Posting Rhythm Using Templates

• Monday. Suburb Market Update

• Tuesday. Buyer Tip or Seller Tip

• Wednesday. Open Home Invite

• Thursday. Local Business Spotlight

• Friday. Just Listed or Coming Soon

• Saturday. Story updates from open homes

• Sunday. Just Sold or Case Study

Adjust to your stock levels. If you have more listings, swap in more listing posts. Keep education and community in the mix to build trust.

Team Workflow So Everyone Uses Templates Correctly

• One person owns the Master Base

• Only duplicate the Master Base for new templates

• Use a checklist before export

• Store exports in the Ready To Post folder

• Add a short caption file with each export so scheduling is easy

• Review the first five posts each week as a team for quality and tone

Quality Control Checklist Before You Post

• Logo is clear and not stretched

• Colours match the brand kit

• Fonts are correct and sizes are consistent

• Address and suburb are correct

• Date and time are correct

• Spelling and grammar checked

• Contact details correct

• Legal line included if required

• Faces and key features visible

• Safe margins kept on all sides

• Exported at 1080 for posts or 1920 height for Stories

• File name is clear

Accessibility and Compliance Tips

• Use high contrast between text and background

• Minimum body text size that is readable on a phone

• Add alt text or descriptive captions where possible

• Get written consent for client photos and testimonials

• Use only images you have rights to use

• Keep private details out of images and captions

• Follow your office policy for price guides and days on market statements

• Include your office licence details where required

Prompt Library You Can Paste Into Your Workflow

Use these prompts to generate short copy that fits your templates. Replace the parts in brackets.

• Headline prompt. Write a five word headline for a property at [address] with [beds] beds [baths] baths [cars] car spaces. Tone clear and premium.

• Feature bullets prompt. Create three short bullet points for [address]. Focus on lifestyle benefits and location. Five words each.

• Open home prompt. Write one sentence inviting people to an open home at [address] on [day and time]. Add a clear call to action.

• Sold caption prompt. Write a two sentence sold update for [address]. Include a benefit driven line for other owners who are thinking of selling.

• Market update prompt. Write a three sentence suburb update for [suburb] covering sales volume, median price tone only, and buyer interest trend.

Save your favourite outputs inside a Canva notes page for fast reuse.

Example Layout Recipes You Can Copy

Just Listed square

• Top. Short headline

• Middle. Large hero photo with a three image carousel option

• Bottom left. Bed bath car icons

• Bottom right. Agent name and mobile

• Footer. Logo and website

Open Home story

• Top. Logo

• Centre. Property photo

• Overlay. Time and day in a large box

• Bottom. Address and call to action

Just Sold square

• Top left. Sold label

• Middle. Photo of the facade or hero room

• Right side. Result line. Strong but simple

• Footer. Contact block and website

One Hour Sprint Plan To Build Your System Today

• Minutes 0 to 10. Collect logos, colours, fonts, icons, legal text, contact block

• Minutes 10 to 25. Build the Master Base in Canva square format

• Minutes 25 to 35. Duplicate for Just Listed, Open Home, Just Sold

• Minutes 35 to 45. Create Story versions of the same three

• Minutes 45 to 55. Create one Reel cover and one Market Update square

• Minutes 55 to 60. Export one example of each. Test on your phone

Done is better than perfect. You can add more templates later.

How To Keep Templates Fresh Without Losing Consistency

• Rotate background colours within your brand palette

• Swap between one, two, and three image layouts

• Use seasonal images for Stories and Reels covers

• Update icon style once a year across all files

• Review headline words each quarter to keep them sharp

• Refresh lifestyle photos of local parks and cafes every season

When To Add New Templates

• You change your brand colours or fonts

• Your office adds a new service such as vendor paid styling

• Platform features change and a new size works better

• You start a new content series such as Weekly Auction Wrap

Add carefully. Keep the Master Base as the single source of truth.

Templates turn social media into a simple, repeatable system. You will post faster. Your brand will be stronger. Your content will look premium every time. Start with a small set. Lock your brand kit. Follow the checklist. Build a weekly rhythm. Over time you will have a full library that lets you focus on service and results rather than design.

Your next step. Build your Master Base today. Create Just Listed, Open Home, and Just Sold. Export and post your first set this week. Then add one new template each week until your library is complete.

Author Ken Hobson
ken@agentslibrary.com.au