Guidelines on how to Write a PowerPoint Presentation

There is a similarity between this technique and the use of posters. The difference between the two is that PowerPoint presentations are done using computers. The use of PowerPoint has gained prominence in many areas.

Uses of PowerPoint presentation

1.   Learning.

The use of audio and visual features in PowerPoint makes it for the audience to understand what is being presented. It promotes interactions between teachers and learners. Currently, most educational institutions have adopted PowerPoint presentations during their teaching lessons. The presentation technique can be used in various subjects and has made learning easy and interesting.

2.   Corporate Training.

It is used by various organizations worldwide to train their staff about different operations and emerging trends in their respective industry. Top management executives have found PowerPoint presentations to be effective in teaching their junior workers. The use of technology also reduces the time spent on training sessions.

3.   Marketing.

Every company in the modern business world is striving to streamline its marketing operations. One of the tools that have been embraced to achieve that objective is PowerPoint. The software is used in advertising campaigns for different firms and motivates the sales department to improve productivity. The use of features such as charts, images, and clip arts helps grab the attention of the audience throughout the presentation. Other features of PowerPoint presentations that make them attractive include animations and sounds.

4.   Job Seeking.

As technology advances, individuals are adopting new ways of doing things. Traditionally, job seekers only used papers to present their resume to recruitment panels. However, people have started using the technology when applying for jobs by preparing a resume with it. Job applicants list their skills and experience on PowerPoint and print the file.

5.   Online Work.

The PowerPoint skills have enabled individuals to have a new source of income by doing freelance writing jobs from writing websites. Some people use PowerPoint presentations in advertising their products on their sites. Others make tutorials and upload them on YouTube to earn some extra income.

Tips for Writing a Perfect PowerPoint presentation

•   Ensure that information is straight to the point and as brief as possible to avoid causing boredom among the audience.

•   Use less text and maximize the graphics.

•   Colors and fonts in your PowerPoint presentations should be uniform.

•   Organize the contents of your work properly. Your work should be cohesive to make it easy for the audience to understand. Avoid using too much information on one slide, as this makes your work look congested.

•   Ensure that there is only one point or topic in every slide. You can use as many slides as possible to achieve that objective.

•   All the slides in a PowerPoint presentation should be arranged logically to ensure a smooth flow of information when presented to the audience. You will look disorganized if you jump from one point to another. The flow of the content should be predictable.

•   Use an appropriate layout to ensure an effective flow of information in your PowerPoint presentations.

•   It is recommendable for individuals to use bulleting when presenting their information to make their content easy to follow. Only use keywords instead of full sentences.

6.   Choice of Colors.

Avoid colors that are too bright as they may lead to eye fatigue among the audience. It is recommendable to use dark colors on light backgrounds. However, the colors of a brand should be used as they represent a company’s identity. You can explore a wide variety of colors that are available on the internet.

7.   Fonts.

The choice you make about the fonts to use in your PowerPoint presentations will affect your work's attractiveness. It is recommendable to use sans serif fonts to enable the audience to read your presentation's contents with ease. Use 30 points for your font size.

8.   Avoid Excessive Styling.

Individuals use different styles for PowerPoint presentations to make their work attractive to the readers. However, if you over-do it, your work will be distractive.

Essential Elements of a PowerPoint Presentation

1)   Text- they allow individuals to write key points, definitions, and facts in a PowerPoint presentation. The text should be arranged in lists with single or few words.

2)   Images- help highlight the main points in a presentation and make the work attractive to the readers.

3)   Graphs and Tables- they are used to analyze and present numerical figures.

Steps Involved in Writing a PowerPoint presentation.

a)   Launch the Software.

In some versions of Microsoft, a blank page may open automatically, but others may require you to open one.

b)   Choose an Appropriate Design.

PowerPoint has many designs that an individual is required to choose from. The choice for the design may depend on personal preferences or the type of presentation. You will find a tab at the top of the screen where you can choose a suitable design. The software allows users to have a preview of a design before applying it to their work.

c)   Create a Title Page.

You can do this by clicking the ‘Click to add title’ option on the screen. Write the title of the PowerPoint presentation in the blank space. You can change the features of the text such as font and color by highlighting it.

d)   Add the Slides.

Most PowerPoint presentations have more than one slide. You can add by selecting ‘New Slide’ on the program. You can edit the contents of each slide by clicking it. The design you used earlier in your work will be applied to all your work unless you make changes.

e)   Add Relevant Charts and Pictures.

You can achieve this by clicking the ‘Insert’ tab found at the top of the screen and then selecting the item you would want to insert into a slide.

f)   Add Transitions.

At the top of the window, you will find the ‘Animations’ tab. Click and scroll to find your preferred transitions. The software allows you to have a preview for all transitions.

g)   Play the Presentation.

You can view it by selecting the ‘Slide Show’ button.