Creating an amazing PowerPoint presentation is a type of skill that you can totally benefit from. Not only does it help your slides look more appealing, but it can also keep your audience hooked.
Even if you’re someone who already uses PowerPoint, a refresher of some of the tips will help you create an attractive and professional slideshow.
So without further ado, here are seven tips to breathe more life into your presentations.
Embed Videos and Animations Where Needed
Use the Presenter View to Your Advantage
Use a Professional Template
Even the most fascinating topic can become mundane when presented on the default Microsoft presentation template.
To hook your audience from the start, try using an original template from a trustworthy site. A lot of people have the misconception that you have to be proficient in PowerPoint to be able to create an appealing presentation.
However, that simply isn’t the case. By using a pre-made template, you can simply add your text and charts to mold the template to your needs. But, using a template doesn’t mean that you have to stick to the theme. You can always add more slides and use the editing tools to improve the design.
Keep Your Audience in Mind
When designing a presentation, you must keep your audience in mind. A room full of Spanish students might laugh at a funny one-liner, but it’s going to look extremely unprofessional in front of your boss.
Use humor sparingly, if you have to. Knowing your audience is going to win half of the game.
Don’t Overwhelm Your Audience
When making slides, it’s crucial to ensure that your audience doesn’t feel overwhelmed by walls of text on a single slide.
Generally, it is recommended to use the 5-5-5 rule. This says that:
- There shouldn’t be more than five words per every line of text.
- Don’t add five lines of text per slide.
- There shouldn’t be more than five slides with a lot of text in one row.
Embed Videos and Animations Where Needed
Gone are the days when you had to download and import a huge video file into PowerPoint. Now, you can just click on Insert, and then select Online Video. This will open a dialog box where you can paste the embed code.
However, make sure you have a fast internet connection for streaming to ensure the video loads properly.
I often find myself embedding videos to help teach some of my Spanish students. So, to make sure I don’t have any buffering problems, I use the internet by Xfinity, which also provides customer support for their Spanish customers. For more information, feel free to call numero de Xfinity.
To make your presentations feel more vibrant, you can also add transitions and animations. However, use them sparingly so you don’t start boring your audience.
Choose a Readable Font
To make sure the text is readable for your audience, use a font that’s designed to be readable, even at smaller sizes.
Some of the fonts I recommend include Arial, Helvetica, Georgia, Palatino, Tahoma, and Verdana which have great readability. Try to avoid using decorative fonts that can hinder the readability of text and ensure that the font strikes a clear balance between clarity and style.
When choosing the font, consider the type of screen and the screen size. For smaller screens, try using a larger font, and for larger screens, you can go for a smaller font size.
It’s also important to properly format the text. Headers should always have a larger font size with a slightly different color. Generally speaking, use around 20 pt. for headers and 18 pt. for the body text.
Present the Data Visually
Presenting your data not only looks good, it also keeps your audience hooked. Try to use visual formats in your presentation as much as you can.
For example, if you have any stats in your presentation, try presenting them using a pie chart or a bar graph instead of words and numbers.
You can easily add a chart to your presentation by clicking on Insert from the main tab and then on Chart in the Illustrations section. In the new window, you can select the Chart Type and adjust its parameters.
Let’s be honest. Tables can be tricky to read if they’re crammed with numbers. This can make the slide chaotic and crowded. To make it easy on the eyes, make sure to add only the necessary information. Try to remove any unnecessary formatting like outlines, borders, and colors.
Use the Presenter View to Your Advantage
Presenter View in Microsoft PowerPoint is a great feature that allows you to see the current slide, the next slide as well as any notes you have.
To use it, open the presentation and click on the Slide Show button in the top ribbon. There, click to check the Use Presenter View option in the Monitors tab.
You’re all set! Simply use the Alt + F5 keyboard shortcut to start the presentation in Presenter View.
Make sure to paste any notes or reminders in the notes section instead of directly adding them to the slides. This will help make your slides less text-heavy and improve the overall layout of the presentation.
Wrapping Up
With a great design, you can do a lot more with PowerPoint than creating a bland presentation for your audience. So, do you have other tips you use to make your presentations more captivating? I would love to read some of your tips in the comments below.