If you are looking for a way to get your presentation to engage the crowd, look to video. Not only are videos easy to publish nowadays thanks to plugins like LiveSlides that embed video to PowerPoint, but they’ll also bring you results. Adding one or two videos into your PowerPoint presentation will help break up the monotony of the slides in a way that is effective in keeping your audience focused and engaged in your overall content.
Here are a few ways that video makes all the difference.
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Communicate More Using Less
In most cases, presentations take longer than they should because presenters are busy cramming too much information into a few slides. For example, if you want to show growth, which seems more interesting? Using a single static image, or a graph in motion? The latter will have a greater impact on your viewer whereas the former will undoubtedly cause some eyeballs to cast around the room in a wave of boredom. Our society is already incredibly reliant on technology, and it’s only getting worse. As we become more reliant on technology, our minds are slowly deteriorating. Thus, it’s imperative that you follow suit and embrace video in your presentations for a clearer, smoother means of outlining complex plot lines and demonstrations to your audience.
Create the Atmosphere and Add Some Drama
You do not only have to use a moving image of a chart or clip to liven up your presentation; you can get the same effects using a motion background. Adding text to a moving background instantly creates an interesting effect compared to standalone text. However, choose a background that won’t distracting nor overpower other elements. Many graphics and textures have copy space built in them, making it much easier for you to insert bullet points in a compelling graphic.
Tell a Story and Provoke Audience Emotions
You have seen stale or boring presentations that are heavily dependent on text and full of dry statistics. You can improve your viewer’s experience using a high-quality video with sound that will rope in your audience. Humans are wired to respond and connect better with visual accompaniments. In addition, adding a video to your presentation, like a short clip that explains your company’s approach or vision, can splice up the monotony while adding relevant background information. In the end, everybody benefits.
Increasing Purchase Intent
This is more targeted to the business-oriented folks. According to surveys, customers are more likely to respond favorably to video advertisement than to banner or print ads. Videos are what the businesses are using to get people to use their products or services. The ads are placed before viral videos and popular TV shows. So likewise, when you present to one of your potential customers, it’s a wise choice to invest in using video to persuade and create brand awareness compared to using large fixed pictures or posters.
Stand Out
Variety is the name of the game, and the spice of life. In order to capture peoples’ attention for a long time, you should anticipate areas likely to cause disengagement ahead of time. When you reach these complicated or dense sections, insert a video to reinforce your message or communicate a point in a novel manner by ensuring that the clip you use is memorable and distinct. Viewers are more likely to remember information when they have a memory to relate it to. Feelings and concepts are paramount compared to stats and words.
How do You Get the Most Out of Your Presentation?
The goal of using video in presentations is to engage your audience. You may want to entertain them a little, communicate important information and show a few charts before prompting people with a call to action. However, add these elements to turn your crowd-pleasing presentation to a communication session that people will sit up and notice.
- Identify a pain point: A good communicator knows how to focus on the pain point of a crowd, not just present facts and figures. As a presenter, you are the critical bridge between the audience and your product.
- Be conversational: Drop the jargon and formal attitude. Make your talk more accessible by creating a space that seeks to include everyone in the audience.
- Tell a story: To sync better with your audience, tell a story that accompanies your videos using real-life context that everyone will relate to and understand.
- Rehearse: It is your job to stay on topic and on time, and the only way to do this is by sticking to your talking points and practicing your delivery.
- Arrive early: Once you have rehearsed your presentation, have your script and stories memorized, and know exactly what you want to say. Ensure you get to the presentation early and do not chance any slides. Examine the room and see where the slideshow projection begins and ends.
The Take Away
Using video in your PowerPoint presentation is not only effective, it’s a no-brainer. Video helps raise the energy level in an otherwise quiet room and breaks up dry sections of your talk. As a presenter, you also get a chance to catch your breath, sip some water and recollect your thoughts. Use video in your next PowerPoint presentation, then come back here to let us know how it went.
