Podcast 73: How to Create an Amazing Slide Presentation

content marketing ethical marketing marketing podcast Jul 08, 2021

Presentations are a fantastic tool we can use in our marketing as well to help our clients. Whether you’re creating a workshop, making videos or sharing slides, they’re a versatile option and well worth considering.

I’m currently working on a workshop and love playing with anything visual, it’s my happy place. Back in the pre-mac days, I trained as a graphic design which really helps me to create good presentations. There are a few simple rules you can follow to get the best out of your presentations.

Technology allows us to do more than ever before but with that comes the responsibility to use it well. Creating a bad presentation will kill your carefully planned workshop or online course. Your participants will zone out and your message will be missed or forgotten.

In the past, I created all my presentations in PowerPoint but following my recent re-brand, I have been inspired to use Canva. I find it faster and far less frustrating than using PowerPoint which tries to be too intelligent for its own good. I also have my brand colours, fonts, logos and templates saved in Canva for easy access.

The other great thing about Canva, once the presentation is ready, you can download it as a PowerPoint if you need it. You can also present straight from Canva and your mouse is highlighted with a coloured circle which works brilliantly if you’re presenting online or recording your screen.

How to avoid death by PowerPoint is a great TEDx video by David JP Phillips. He explains the neuroscience behind making great presentations. David created the talk to demonstrate exactly why you should understand how to put a presentation together before creating one.

I've included some of his suggestions below as well as a few of my own to help you create amazing slide presentations.

Keep it simple

Use this as your mantra when creating your presentation from the content to the way you set it up. Using lots of different effects and transitions will take attention away from the content you are sharing. A presentation is a tool to support your message, not a download of everything you know in one place.

Less is always more when it comes to the amount of text, or the graphics and charts you produce. You want to show the key points without overwhelming people with complicated information they have to think about to understand.

Images

Chose great images which create an impact and relate to the point you’re making. This can be either literally or metaphorically - they will add a new dimension to your presentation.

If you have your own photos use them because they will be unique. If not, there are some great royalty-free images available. I've used Pixabay in the past but Canva has some lovely images, especially with the paid version. I always use the paid images as they're less commonly used online.

Branding

Make sure your slides work with your branding and keep your choice of fonts, colours and images consistent with it. The more it reflects your brand, the more recognisable it will be to anyone viewing it.

One message per slide

Keep to one idea or message per slide. This will help the viewer to focus on what they are supposed to be learning. Too many messages will make your slides confusing and it will be easy for your audience to get side-tracked.

Size and contrast

Make the most important points on the slide the biggest to draw attention to them.

Use dark backgrounds as they are easier on the eye, and white text as a contrast to indicate where you want the viewer to focus. You can use masking capabilities within the software to dim the points you have already made to make the new point stand out brightly.

The video I suggested earlier has some great examples of this in action.

Six elements

This is the number of elements you can see as a human without having to make your brain work too hard. If you use more, it will be overwhelming for your audience, and they will switch off. It’s better to have more slides with less on each than having a few and cramming them full of information.

Call to action

Always end your presentation by telling people what to do next. You must have a reason for putting it together and know what action you want someone to take having viewed it.

If you're struggling with finding clients and building a thriving holistic business, book a discovery call and find out how I can help you.