It may seem that there is nothing else left you can include in your Google Slides that will impress your audience. They’ve seen it all. Nonetheless, sometimes it’s all about the techniques and the strategic way you use them that can leave your audience in awe or at least make them remember your presentation for a long time.

Understandably, you might lack time to create an outstanding presentation when you are under the pressure of tight deadlines. There might be situations when it’s better to hire a professional and buy a PowerPoint presentation instead of spending too much time and effort yourself. Then, you will have more time to prepare for the meeting and go through the key points once again. If you are still looking for effective ways of creating a Google Slides masterpiece on your own, here are some recommendations.

Interactive Elements

Why not use such interactive elements like quizzes and polls to engage your audience and gather feedback? Also, it is a great way to increase the impact of your presentation because people value the projects they’ve contributed to more than those that do not require their involvement. On top of that, you can use animations and transitions to add visual interest and guide the flow.

Design and Layout

No matter how tempting it can be to use different themes for your slides, try to maintain a cohesive look throughout your presentation. Otherwise, your audience might have a hard time focusing on the content of your slides. To make it easy for them to follow your train of thought, choose fonts that do not require extra effort to read and match your theme.

Use split-screen layouts whenever you need to compare and contrast concepts and show different perspectives or options. It is also a great way of presenting multiple pieces of information simultaneously.

The next step is to ensure that the text is readable against background colors. You can also consider using custom icons and graphics to reinforce your brand identity. Such an approach will help you create visually interesting and memorable slides.

Content

People love stories, so try to structure your presentation around a compelling narrative. You can use thought-provoking questions that keep the audience interested in what you have to say. It is also crucial to keep slides concise and focused on key points. There is also one golden rule for creating slides: if you can transform plain text into images, charts, and graphs (infographics) to enhance understanding, always do it.

Case Studies

It is always easier to remember the information when you illustrate and support it with real-world examples. You do so not to sound vague. Also, it is an especially effective tool when you need to help the audience understand how to apply theoretical knowledge in practice. Alternatively, if you are talking about some current results of your business, for example, you can use case studies to highlight the impact of the improvements you’ve used.

Countdown Timers

Keep your presentation on track using timers. Also, it will help you keep the audience engaged in the process. You might have experienced boredom and irritation when you visit a website with products, and there seems to be an endless number of pages to scroll through. That is why you can often see the total number of products or pages, which gives you an idea of how much time you need to see all of them. The same strategy applies to Google Slides when you create a massive presentation. Help the audience keep their concentration levels high by using such timers.

QR Codes

Most probably, you will share your slides with others. To save space and provide additional information or content, you can use QR codes. They can also lead your audience to interactive elements that enable their participation.

Advanced Features

If you have enough time to create unique slide layouts to fit your needs, do so. Even though the existing layouts have many benefits and are easy to use, they can’t compare to a tailored design that meets the requirements of a specific topic. Learn about add-ons you can use to expand the functionality of your slides. Even if you know exactly what you are going to say while showing every slide, write notes to guide your presentation just in case.

What Else You Can Do to Impress the Audience

Even though overusing text, images, or animations can create cluttered and distracting slides, it does not mean that you should avoid using these instruments. Just ensure there is a healthy balance between text and visual elements. Here are even more tips on how to make your slides visually attractive and easy to understand:

  • Timelines. Showcase the progression of events, sales, etc. This approach is perfect for presenting results and ongoing processes and always works better than text alone.
  • Mind maps. Organize ideas visually, but try not to overdo it if you don’t want your slides to look like the yarn boards detectives use in movies.
  • Collages. Create a visual story using images and text to help the audience see the whole picture.
  • GIFs. Add animated elements for humor or emphasis. Making your slides too serious is not the best way to keep your audience engaged.
  • 3D models. Use 3D objects to enhance understanding, especially when you need to explain some abstract concepts.
  • Video clips. Embed videos to illustrate points or add multimedia elements. However, use them carefully because you don’t want to turn your slides into a TV series.
  • Audio clips. Add sound effects or music to create the desirable atmosphere and enhance your storytelling. Just make sure the audio recordings you use are relevant and provide the audience with the necessary context.
  • Interactive maps. If relevant, show geographic distributions or trends using interactive maps. Again, it is a great way to let your audience explore and interact with the map after you send them your presentation.

Now that you are aware of all the necessary instruments, you can create a presentation that will win over the hearts of every audience member. Nonetheless, there are a couple more things you need to keep in mind while working on your slides:

  • Always think about your audience. Failing to consider their needs, interests, and knowledge level can make your slides irrelevant and ineffective.
  • Consider possible technical difficulties. You never know what can go wrong during the presentation. Issues with software, hardware, or internet connectivity can disrupt it and frustrate your audience. Therefore, ensure you know what to do in such cases or have someone you can turn to for assistance.

Avoid information overload. Packing your slides with too much information can overwhelm your audience. Show your presentation to someone who can give you constructive feedback and make changes if necessary.

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