Before my nexus-security career, I endured a grueling six-round interview process for my dream job. Having successfully navigated the interviews, I was tasked with a final hurdle: a PowerPoint presentation. My attempt was nothing short of disastrous; the narrative was disjointed, the design lacked character, and to my horror, it included clip art!
This slide, from the seven I created, was my proudest achievement. How embarrassing. I had poured my heart and soul into those slides, but my presentation skills were sorely lacking.
Fast forward a few years, and I’ve become a seasoned speaker at industry events. I’ve conquered my PowerPoint demons, and I’m here to share my 13-step formula for creating killer marketing presentations:
#1. Evoke an Emotional Response
Most business presentations are dull and forgettable. Your goal is to create something extraordinary, something people will remember!
Even with seemingly dry topics like paid search, it’s possible to craft a captivating narrative. The key is to take your audience on an emotional rollercoaster. Just as emotionally charged ads resonate with consumers, presentations need a hook that engages the audience on an emotional level. Start by highlighting their pain points and then position yourself as the guide who can alleviate their struggles.
Oli Gardner, renowned for his captivating CRO presentations, swears by this formula. He’ll present a series of pessimistic, almost apocalyptic slides, and just when the audience is sufficiently disheartened, he’ll swoop in with solutions.
Slides from Oli Gardner’s 2014 HeroConf presentation, I Give A Sh!t About Your Conversion Rates. Oli once suggested visually mapping the emotional arc of a presentation on a whiteboard. Now, whenever I finish a draft, I map out each slide’s emotional impact. Positive information goes above the baseline, negative below. If my map doesn’t resemble a rollercoaster, I know I have work to do!
My presentation map in action!
#2. Embrace the Power of Multiple Slides
People have notoriously short attention spans, especially at conferences. They’ve likely already endured numerous presentations, their inboxes are overflowing, and they might be battling a hangover from the previous night’s festivities.
To combat their dwindling attention, keep your slides moving. Instead of lingering on a single slide for an extended period, use multiple images to visually reinforce your message. The goal is to seamlessly integrate your visuals with your talking points, so they complement each other effortlessly. Larry Kim is a master of this technique – I once saw him breeze through 200 slides in just 25 minutes!
#3. Establish a Personal Connection
Audiences are more engaged when they feel connected to the speaker. However, striking this balance without appearing self-absorbed can be tricky. Trust me, starting a presentation with six slides of personal introduction is a surefire way to elicit eye rolls. Instead of a lengthy introduction, weave personal anecdotes into your slides.
My colleague, Mark Irvine, did this brilliantly at SMX West. His presentation on advanced audience targeting cleverly compared finding the ideal paid search audience to finding the perfect life partner.
He shared his recent engagement (congratulations, Mark!) and used dating analogies to explain various targeting options.
The audience was completely engrossed. Mark’s relatable dating analogies demystified complex targeting strategies and kept everyone entertained as they witnessed his love life unfold.
#4. Inject Humor, Naturally
My first attempt at a conference-level marketing presentation was a dismal combination of poor organization and mind-numbing dullness. Seeking help, I turned to nexus-security’s resident conference guru, Larry Kim. His advice? Make it 20 times funnier! He even sent over a collection of memes and GIFs. The only problem? They were all references to movies I’d never seen (The Matrix, Star Wars, Star Trek…).
Against my better judgment, I plastered them throughout my slides, hoping the audience would appreciate the humor, even if I didn’t.
Needless to say, this was a terrible idea. After a colleague reviewed my revised draft, he gently suggested I replace the forced humor with something I genuinely found funny. Twenty minutes later, my presentation was adorned with reality TV star photos. It was so funny that I could barely get through rehearsals without laughing.
The presentation was a hit. Sure, not everyone was a fan of Keeping up with the Kardashians, but my enthusiasm and the entertaining visuals resonated with the audience. The lesson here is that authenticity is key. If you want your humor to land, you need to be 100% confident and genuinely amused by it.
#5. Prioritize High-Quality Images
Blurry images are annoying on a small screen, but magnify them on a giant presentation screen, and they become unbearable. Invest time in finding visually appealing, high-resolution images. I spend hours browsing Unsplash and Gratisography for unique, free, high-resolution images that make fantastic PowerPoint backgrounds. (Bonus: You can use them in your content marketing too!)
I’m also a big fan of memes. However, most online memes use the same low-quality images. Take control by creating your own. I love using MemeCreator, which lets you upload images and add meme-style text.
#6. Use GIFs Strategically for Reactions
GIFs are a surefire way to get a chuckle, but timing is crucial. Avoid using them on slides with important data, graphs, or key takeaways. The repetitive motion will distract your audience from the crucial information you’re presenting. Instead, use GIFs immediately after these points to emphasize their significance.
Choose a GIF that reflects the desired emotional response. In a way, your GIF guides the audience’s reaction. For example, when I presented data showing low mobile conversion rates compared to desktop, I followed it with a GIF of Dawson Leary from Dawson’s Creek sobbing uncontrollably.
To highlight the futility of advertisers increasing CPCs for better ad rank despite dismal conversion rates, I used a GIF of Leonardo DiCaprio throwing money in the trash. It effectively conveyed the message that this tactic was wasteful and expensive.
Giphy has a vast GIF library and excellent search functionality, so you’ll find everything you need there.
Here, I used animation to draw attention to the ad’s numerical element. Resist the urge to overuse animation. It’s most effective when highlighting crucial aspects of images, graphs, or contrasting elements.
Many presenters use animation to reveal bullet points sequentially, preventing the audience from reading ahead. However, if you must include large chunks of text, it’s better to dedicate one slide per point for easier reading.
#7. Ground Your Points with Real-Life Data
Unless you’re a world-renowned thought leader, people aren’t attending your presentation for your personal opinions. They want insights based on concrete data and analysis. Support your claims with case studies and examples. Marketing data speaks volumes compared to vague generalizations.
For instance, instead of simply stating, “Ad fatigue isn’t a major issue for remarketers,” back it up with data. Present a graph demonstrating that remarketing ads experience fatigue at half the rate of non-remarketing ads. Supporting bold claims with evidence significantly increases their credibility.
#8. Offer Actionable Takeaways
Knowledge without application is useless. Effective presentations not only highlight problems but also provide clear solutions.
The example above presents compelling data: more people convert on mobile phones using desktop-specific sites than mobile-optimized sites. This is a significant revelation for mobile advertisers, highlighting a major flaw in many mobile landing pages. But why present a problem without offering a solution? The following slide provides exactly that…
…a solution to the mobile landing page dilemma! I outlined a series of actionable, easy-to-implement changes (including the “drunk test”) to improve their landing pages. Great speakers ensure their audience leaves with valuable takeaways.
#9. Promote Your Twitter Handle on Every Slide
Expecting undivided attention during presentations is a thing of the past. As a speaker, embrace social media engagement and encourage your audience to tweet during your presentation.
There are two main reasons for this. First, it demonstrates to conference organizers that your content is engaging and share-worthy. Second, it allows attendees to share insights with those who couldn’t attend, potentially encouraging them to download your slides or attend your next session.
At the beginning of each presentation, I encourage the audience to tweet questions and comments, and I include my Twitter handle and the event hashtag on every slide. This serves as a constant reminder to engage with my content and ensures all tweets are easily trackable!
#10. Make Tweetable Moments Stand Out
To increase Twitter mentions, spoon-feed your audience tweetable soundbites. Conclude each section with a memorable, quotable phrase, preferably under 140 characters for easy tweeting! In my Pubcon SFIMA session, my goal was to inspire advertisers to create more captivating ad copy. My catchphrase, “Your ads don’t have to suck!,” perfectly summarized this message.
To make these “tweetable moments” pop, take a page from Margot da Cunha’s’s playbook and present them against a dark background for maximum impact. It works wonders!
#11. Seek External Proofreading
There’s nothing more embarrassing than presenting a slide deck riddled with grammatical errors. It’s unprofessional, distracting for the audience (and potentially even for you), and the errors can live on long after your presentation is over.
Often, conference organizers upload presentations to SlideShare, making them accessible even after the event. Worse yet, audience members might snap photos of your slides and share them online. The last thing you want is for a slide containing a glaring error to go viral!
To avoid this, ask someone else to proofread your presentation meticulously. While proofreading your own work is a good start, you’re more likely to overlook mistakes because you know your intended message.
# 12. Embrace Constructive Criticism
When I’m immersed in creating a presentation, it consumes my thoughts. I once even resorted to texting myself brilliant ideas (or so I thought) while out at a bar! You get the idea – by the time a rough draft is ready for review, I’ve invested significant mental energy and feel an almost parental pride for it.
Hearing negative feedback on something I’ve poured my heart into can be tough. However, it’s essential to be receptive to criticism and open to revisions. Fresh eyes offer valuable insights, identifying areas that are confusing, distracting, or where your narrative falters. Take the time to understand their perspective and make necessary adjustments before taking the stage.
#13. Repurpose Your Deck for Maximum Impact
After a conference presentation, I often think, “I spent weeks perfecting this deck, and it’s over in 20 minutes!” To maximize the lifespan of my hard work, I repurpose my presentations. I upload them to SlideShare and share the link across social media, extending their reach beyond the conference attendees.
Next, I create a comprehensive blog post expanding on the presentation’s content, often using my presentation script as a foundation. Lengthy presentations can even be transformed into a series of posts.
Finally, I collaborate with our marketing team to develop webinars based on the original deck. The more blog posts, guides, and webinars I can create from a single presentation, the easier it is to justify the time invested in crafting it.