Webinars have become popular in recent years because they provide attendees with the comfort of gaining knowledge from wherever they are, and in the circumstances they are comfortable with. But as a host, you should note that presenting a webinar is different from giving a traditional seminar speech, though it may seem similar at first glance.
Mainly attendees could be using their phones during the webinar (or find other distractions) which often results in a shorter attention span. That is why preparing a good webinar presentation is crucial to the success of your webinar.
The preparations
First of all, pick a topic you are comfortable with, that is in the range of your expertise, and that is likely to interest your attendees. You can choose a topic that is now popular or find something unique that you consider important but seems to not be talked about enough. If you choose to talk about something that is trending right now, beware of making your webinar repetitive and dull. There are high chances that your attendees have heard a lot about this topic already, so you have to be innovative. You don’t want to take an easy way out!
Secondly, plan your webinar thoroughly and create an outline for yourself. This can help in a lot of aspects:
– you will feel more confident and will be perceived as such by the attendees,
– there will be a lesser chance of you making a mistake,
– a well-organized webinar is more understandable for the attendees,
– there is a higher chance of making it more interesting and livelier.
How to create the perfect webinar presentation?
Of course, you have to decide on what software you are going to use. The presentation can be made using the most popular tool which is Microsoft PowerPoint, but there are other programs you can take into consideration (for example Google Slides, Prezi, etc.). Once you’ve decided on your software, you can start designing the slides. Here are some tips regarding what you should focus on and why:
- Keep your slides minimalistic
Limit the usage of words and focus on the visuals. You can use images, graphs, and charts, but keep it minimal so that the attendees are focused on what you are saying and not on reading gigantic paragraphs of text. Too much reading will result quickly in weariness and boredom. Remember: the presentation is mainly for the attendees, it is not your main source for notes. If you have to, you can prepare a sheet of paper with your outline and notes, and use it as reference from time to time if needed.
- Each slide should equal one idea
If you want to talk about a topic that requires several points to explain it, make sure that every point has its own slide (with the main key phrase always on the top of a slide, otherwise the attendees might get confused). Try to avoid using bullet points displayed on one slide because it disrupts the attention of attendees.
- Make it colorful and engaging
You do not want to use every possible color from the color palette, but do not limit yourself to just one either. Use colors to make the knowledge more approachable. Fun is often more beneficial than elegance! Besides, who doesn’t love color-coding? Also, consider using professional webinar tools such as polls and whiteboards to make your webinar more attractive and interactive for the attendees.
For more information, see: https://www.livewebinar.com/