Unlock the Secret to Making Jaw-Dropping Powerpoint Presentations that Will Leave Your Audience Begging for More!

As a presenter, you may not be the only one who has had the experience of sitting through a mind-numbing bored meeting or presentation. Making presentations is not an easy job, and making an outstanding one is even harder. But with a few tips and tricks, you can unlock the secret to making jaw-dropping Powerpoint presentations that will leave your audience begging for more.

  1. Keep It Simple The first rule of making a great Powerpoint presentation is to keep it simple. Simplicity is key when creating an effective presentation. Avoid using too many colors, images, or unnecessary graphics. A well-planned presentation should not have more than ten slides. Keeping it short and sweet will ensure that you hold the audience’s attention throughout the presentation.

  2. Grab Attention with the First Slide The first slide is critical, as it sets the tone of your presentation. Your audience will remember your first slide more than any other. Use compelling images, relevant statistics, or a thought-provoking quote to grab your audience’s attention.

  3. Use Effective Content Your slides’ content plays a critical role in keeping your audience engaged throughout the presentation. Present information in a way that is easy to understand, and make sure it is relevant to your audience. Avoid trying to present too much information and instead focus on the vital points. Provide appropriate opinions, current events or anecdotes for example relevant stories that your audience can relate to.

  4. Use Images and Videos Visuals such as images and videos can significantly enhance your presentation. They help break up the monotony of your slides and create interest in the presentation. Use graph charts to create a visual representation of complex data, and use videos and images related to the topic at hand. They make the topic more memorable and resonate with viewers.

  5. Keep it Interactive Audience engagement is critical when making a presentation. You can keep your audience engaged by asking questions or allowing them to ask you questions. Interaction helps the audience understand the content better and establishes a bond between the presenter and audience.

  6. Finish Strong Finally, a strong conclusion is a must-have in any presentation. Summarise your key points, reiterate your main ideas, and round off with a call to action.

In conclusion, making jaw-dropping Powerpoint presentations takes time, effort, and attention, but that should not deter you from making impactful presentations. Keep it simple, have a powerful opening and a strong finish, use effective content, make it interactive, and use effective visuals. Incorporating these tips will help you create engaging and memorable presentations that will be remembered long after they are over. Unlock the secret to making a successful Powerpoint presentation, and leave your audience begging for more!

This article details how to put together a PowerPoint presentation using PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2019, 2016, and 2013.

What to Know

  • Select File > New > Blank Presentation or choose preset theme.Next, select Home tab > New Slide. Or right-click Slide Sorter bar > select New Slide.Select Insert tab > Text Box > select spot in slide for text box > enter text. Select Insert > add images.

Create a PowerPoint Presentation

Here are the steps to create a basic PowerPoint presentation.

  • Open PowerPoint. The program may open a blank presentation. If so, select File > New to see the options for creating a new slideshow.
  • If you’d like to take a tour of the most popular PowerPoint features, go to File > New, then choose the Welcome to PowerPoint template.
  • Select either a Blank Presentation or choose one of the Microsoft-supplied design themes to create your presentation. When you choose a blank presentation, PowerPoint creates a one-slide presentation that starts with a title slide. You can then select the text boxes on the Title Slide to add your text.
  • Themes include matching color palettes and fonts to help you create a document with a cohesive look.
  • Add more slides to your presentation. Go to the Home tab and select New Slide. Or, right-click the Slide Sorter bar in the left pane and select New Slide.
  • Change the slide layout, if desired. Go to the Home tab and select Layout. Then, choose options for content layout in your slides, which you can resize or delete as needed.
  • Repeat these steps until you have enough slides to finish your presentation.

Add Text and Images to a PowerPoint Presentation

Now that you’ve created the framework of your presentation, you can use some basic operations to make it more interesting.

Open PowerPoint. The program may open a blank presentation. If so, select File > New to see the options for creating a new slideshow.

If you’d like to take a tour of the most popular PowerPoint features, go to File > New, then choose the Welcome to PowerPoint template.

Select either a Blank Presentation or choose one of the Microsoft-supplied design themes to create your presentation. When you choose a blank presentation, PowerPoint creates a one-slide presentation that starts with a title slide. You can then select the text boxes on the Title Slide to add your text.

Themes include matching color palettes and fonts to help you create a document with a cohesive look.

Add more slides to your presentation. Go to the Home tab and select New Slide. Or, right-click the Slide Sorter bar in the left pane and select New Slide.

Change the slide layout, if desired. Go to the Home tab and select Layout. Then, choose options for content layout in your slides, which you can resize or delete as needed.

Repeat these steps until you have enough slides to finish your presentation.

  • If you selected a pre-determined layout for a slide that includes text or image elements, click any element. Selecting a text box opens it for editing. You can then type or paste your content into the text box. General content boxes have icons to click to insert objects, including tables, charts, SmartArt, pictures, and video.
  • Add a text box to a slide. Go to the Insert tab and choose Text Box. Click any place in the slide to place the box. When you begin typing, the Home tab opens with text formatting options such as font, size, bold, italics, color, and alignment. The text editing buttons are only available when a text box is selected.
  • To resize a text box, drag (click and hold with a mouse) one of the adjustment handles on the outside of the text box until the text box is the desired size.
  • Add an image. Go to the Insert tab and find the options in the Images group. Choose from these options:
  • Picture opens a file browser. Navigate to the photo on your computer you wish to use.Online Picture opens a search window. Search Bing for an image online or use OneDrive to access your photos.Screenshot captures part of your screen and adds it to your presentation.Photo Album accesses a group of photos on your computer.
  • Adding other objects is also done through the Insert tab. You can drag and create shapes, SmartArt, and charts.

Save and Share a PowerPoint Presentation

Don’t leave your new presentation without saving it. Also, you may want to share it with someone or put it where you can access it easily.

If you selected a pre-determined layout for a slide that includes text or image elements, click any element. Selecting a text box opens it for editing. You can then type or paste your content into the text box. General content boxes have icons to click to insert objects, including tables, charts, SmartArt, pictures, and video.

Add a text box to a slide. Go to the Insert tab and choose Text Box. Click any place in the slide to place the box. When you begin typing, the Home tab opens with text formatting options such as font, size, bold, italics, color, and alignment. The text editing buttons are only available when a text box is selected.

To resize a text box, drag (click and hold with a mouse) one of the adjustment handles on the outside of the text box until the text box is the desired size.

Add an image. Go to the Insert tab and find the options in the Images group. Choose from these options:

  • Picture opens a file browser. Navigate to the photo on your computer you wish to use.Online Picture opens a search window. Search Bing for an image online or use OneDrive to access your photos.Screenshot captures part of your screen and adds it to your presentation.Photo Album accesses a group of photos on your computer.

Adding other objects is also done through the Insert tab. You can drag and create shapes, SmartArt, and charts.

  • Save your presentation by selecting File > Save As.
  • You can also select Save as Adobe PDF to convert the presentation to a PDF file.
  • If you use OneDrive, save your presentation to OneDrive for easy access and sharing.
  • Select File > Share to see options to share your presentation quickly. Depending on your other software, PowerPoint allows you to share through OneDrive, email, and other options.

Save your presentation by selecting File > Save As.

You can also select Save as Adobe PDF to convert the presentation to a PDF file.

If you use OneDrive, save your presentation to OneDrive for easy access and sharing.

Select File > Share to see options to share your presentation quickly. Depending on your other software, PowerPoint allows you to share through OneDrive, email, and other options.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day