Twitter can be a great way to spread the word about your business and the services you provide. You could make new contacts and find customers, as well as keep your followers up to date on business updates. But if you're not careful, you could end up doing more harm than good. Let's look at somemarketing tips to keep you on top of Twitter.
Read MoreTips for Using Media in Your PowerPoint Presentation
All presentations should tell a story. Storytelling with PowerPoint requires different elements than writing prose or scripting a video. The text in your presentation isn important, but has to be clear and concise. If you want to write an essay, choose another medium.
Who says PowerPoint has to be boring? By paying special attention to the interplay of all the media PowerPoint makes available to you -- graphics, images, type, sound, and motion -- you can weave together a powerful, compelling story.
Text
Use text sparingly. The ideas is to capture key points in your message, and not to deliver every detail. Always use short bulleted paragraphs. People digest information much better when it’s presented in small chunks. If you feel you need to have long paragraphs on your slides, step back and reevaluate what you’re trying to day. There is always a way to convey the essentials without turning your slide into a page of text.
Images
Photography has become a popular way to add visual interest to slides. The two watchwords to keep in mind here are: big and hight-quality. Never “borrow” images from other places on the web unless you have explicit permission to use the. Images are copyrighted, and using them without permission could leave you open to legal action. So where should you get your images from? If you’re a good photographer, consider using your own. If photography isn’t your cup of tea -- of if you’re pressed for time -- don’t worry. There are plenty of high-quality, legal images available to you.
Royalty-free images are an easy to find, and affordable option. Check out istockphoto.com, shutterstock.com, and pond5.com to get an idea of the range of images available, and what they cost.
Another alternative is photo stock offered under the creative commons license. Depending on which creative commons license the photographer has applied, you can generally use these images for free, as long as you give attribution and provide a link to the original photo. You can find these on Flickr.com and other photo sites, but a great way to search for them and get the right attribution and links all in one place is photopin.com
Typography
A good way to add a little style and visual interest to your next PowerPoint presentation is to try a different font. Choosing the right font can change the entire feel of a presentation. Some fonts bring a friendly, casual look to your slides. Others convey a more business-like quality. Choosing the right font is an art in itself, but do yourself a favor and experiment a little with your next deck.
There are plenty of high-quality, professional fonts available from traditional type foundries like Adobe Type, Linotype, and Monotype.
There are plenty of lower cost, and free fonts available too. Sites like FontShop.com, Fonts.com, Google Fonts are good places to get started.
You should know that if you’re not going to be presenting from your own computer, the font you choose may not be available and PowerPoint will substitute an available font. This will change the entire look of your slides.
Animation & Transitions
Putting your presentation in motion can be very effective, but too much can be more of a distraction than an attention grabber. PowerPoint provides a wide range of slide transitions, and animation effects for elements within a slide. However, you shouldn’t let the fact that there are dozens to choose from lead you to think you should use them all. Stick to one or two subtle transitions, and use them for the whole deck. And animate slide objects only when the animation adds to the clarity of the points being made.
Movement for movement’s sake is not the path to effective message delivery. I like to think that animation is to PowerPoint as spices are to cooking. Choosing the right ones, and applying them in judiciously gives better results than a ham-fisted approach.
Sound
PowerPoint is truly a multi-media tool, but most people overlook the use of sound. Except for special applications -- like self-running canned presentations for something like a museum display -- you should probably use sound sparingly. Avoid the temptation to use zany, cartoony sound effects to a business presentation. But if you’re careful, you can use sound effects to bring attention to a sound byte, play background music, or use sounds to illicit a laugh from your audience.
5 PowerPoint Presentation Tips to Wow Your Audience
When most people find out they have to sit through a PowerPoint presentation, they want to head for the nearest escape hatch. The reason for this is that so many presentations are simply too boring for words. By the time the event over, most of the attendees look like they'll need a defibrillator to recover. Use these PowerPoint presentation tips to keep from boring your participants to pieces.
Make eye contact. If you simply read from your slides, you'll send your audience on a one way trip to la-la land. Keep your head raised, scan the room and maintain eye contact with the participants. Don't focus on any one person, staring is intimidating and can make people uncomfortable. Also, don't turn your back to the audience for more than a few seconds at a time. If you need to read from your slides, do it quickly and turn back to face your participants.
Use visual effects. PowerPoint slides filled with endless rows of text can get bland. Use pictures and animations wherever possible. This helps liven up the slides and leaves your audience anxious to see what's next.
Liven it up. Insert a little personality into your presentation. Use humor, anecdotes and various speaking styles to hold the interest of the room. Also, as you speak, interact with the audience by asking them questions.
Keep text simple. Don't try to cram everything you want to say on your slides. A big block of text will overwhelm your readers and make it difficult for them to follow along. Instead, put only your key points on the slides and expand on those thoughts. Use index cards to keep track of the expanded points you want to cover.
Practice and then practice some more. Stand in front of the mirror and practice your presentation. Experiment with body language, facial expressions and voice tones. You may feel silly, but by watching yourself, you will have an opportunity to learn your material and work out any kinks before you get in front of an audience. When you know your material, not even nervousness can throw you off your game.
There is nothing more gratifying than seeing the inspiration on your audience's faces after you've nailed your presentation. These PowerPoint presentation tips will help you deliver an presentation that's impactful, effective and memorable.
Share your experience. Do you have some tips that would help your fellow presenters? Please share them with us in the comments.
6 Tips for Your Next Business Presentation
PowerPoint presentations are often criticized for being boring time wasters. They often are. But despite their shortcomings, PowerPoint presentations are still the mainstay of business meetings everywhere. The good news is that with a little work, just about anyone can become a better PowerPoint presenter.
Here are 6 tips you can use the next time you’re tapped to make a presentation:
1. BE CLEAR AND CONCISE
Remember the cardinal rule of communications - be clear and concise. You have limited time to persuade your audience so it is important for you to to communicate your key messages efficiently. Presenting excess information will only bore and confuse your audience.
2. JUST BE YOURSELF
Strive to be as natural as possible while presenting. Relax. Use humor to capture the listeners' interest. Tell stories to build personal connections, and interact with your audience to keep their attention.
3. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Consider the listener in preparing the presentation. For example, if your audience is intimately familiar with the topic at hand, don’t waste their time reviewing the fundamentals. Instead, spend more time making your key points, and engaging with the audience.
4. DESIGN SLIDES CAREFULLY
Avoid the common mistake of using PowerPoint slides as if they were pages in a text document. Slides are best used to sum up essential points and help listeners remember them. Your slides should be simple, straightforward, and easy to read. Use visuals to emphasize key points and convey ideas or emotions. But leave cheesy clipart where it belongs – in the slightly embarrassing archives of PowerPoint presentation history. Instead, use good photographs, and well-designed infographics to lend impact to your presentation.
5. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
To be convincing, you need to be confident. Practicing your presentation is essential if you want to deliver a powerful presentation. You can practice alone in a room, or in front of a mirror. Better still, get someone you know to play the part of your audience and give you feedback. Ask them to simulate the conditions of the real presentation as much as possible. For example, have them interrupt you with questions, push back on your claims, and otherwise act as a real audience might.
6. SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP
If you’ve got a critical presentation coming up and find the prospect daunting, consider getting some help.