Whether it is for work or school, you have probably been assigned a PowerPoint presentation at some point and groaned at the prospect. The fact is that nobody really likes sitting through PowerPoint presentations. They are all essentially the same and reading blocks of text cause people to disengage quickly. It is not easy to catch people’s interest or communicate ideas when you have lost your audience.
The best way to grab attention is to keep the audience awake and make your presentations unique by adding video to them. However, you do not need to be a technical genius to do so. We will help you capture the attention of your audience in a jiffy.
While adding video to your presentations is the perfect way to catch the attention of your audience, there are a few things that you should think of and know to make sure the quality is top notch. In this article, we have compiled a few things that will help you prepare the perfect presentation. Here are a few tips for using video in your next presentation:
1. YouTube Slides
It is possible to make and upload a video you made yourself into PowerPoint, but it is difficult and can take a lot of time. A much better solution is to embed a video straight from YouTube into your PowerPoint presentations. This might also seem like a technical impossibility that would take far too long but it is simpler than you think. Software like LiveSlides makes it easy to embed YouTube video in PowerPoint.
Putting the video straight into your presentation will look much more professional than switching between tabs or fumbling around trying to find the video before finally getting it to play. You can either use a video that has already been uploaded onto YouTube by another user or film your own video and upload it to YouTube. Uploading your own YouTube video is a fairly easy process so long as you do not use copyrighted music. Forbes suggests using the ten-minute rule to space out your videos as people often lose interest with anything longer. If you think about it, 10 minutes is probably the length of time it takes before your mind starts drifting while sitting through speeches or sermons, unless the speaker is exceptionally talented of course.
2. Be Creative With The Videos You Choose
This does not mean you should choose any video that has something remotely related to your topic. This will just weaken your presentation. But it does not mean you have to stick to your company’s ad campaigns or talking heads client testimonials either. There is plenty of room for creativity in the videos you choose or film yourself. For example, is there a movie clip that could back up your argument in an amusing way? Could the lyrics to a famous song help you? Or perhaps you and your colleagues could film an over-dramatized re-enactment to make everybody in the room laugh. You can do this with a regular video camera and basic editing software, or even on your phone if you are in a tight spot. Think carefully and do some research, without going overboard on watching videos, and you’ll find the perfect clips for your presentation.
3. Leave Plenty Of Time For Setup And Testing
Even if LiveSlides does make the embedding process easier and more reliable, you will still need to set aside a little time to make sure your presentation is perfect and working properly. If you decide to shoot a video yourself, budget some time to transfer the video to your computer, edit it, and upload it to YouTube. As any amateur filmmaker or film student will tell you, something unexpected always occurs at this stage.
When your video and presentation are done, test your presentation on whatever equipment you’ll be using the day of. If you’re using something more than your laptop and a projector, know that unexpected technical issues could occur. And the last thing you want is embarrassment covering up all your hard work.
4. Start And End With A Video
It is normal to feel nervous when you step up to begin your presentation, which could lead you to fumble your words. Business Insider says that it takes anywhere from 15 seconds to a minute for people to make their first impression of you so you need to start off strong. Beginning your presentation with a funny or thought-provoking video will make people sit up and pay attention to the rest of what you have to say.
Inc. says that a strong, memorable ending is just as important. Their suggestion is using a compelling personal story. This will win back any listeners who might have started to doze off and impress your clients, boss or other evaluators.
Using videos in your presentation will make you stand out from the rest, as most people still have not figured out how to fully utilize them or have not taken the time to learn how. Follow this guide and save yourself a lot of time and hassle. Presentations will never be a bore again.
How To Add Video To Your Presentations
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