Presentation is integral to your job description as a social media professional. If the thought of that gives you the willies, relax. It takes time, patience, and effort to perfect your presentation skills.
Presentations are both a test and a chance to shine. The fundamentals of a winning presentation remain the same whether you’re presenting a new social strategy, demonstrating the return on investment of a campaign, or pitching business to a potential client. Use these guidelines to craft a captivating social media presentation that holds your audience’s attention from beginning to end.
Get your facts right.
Research is the foundation of any presentation. It will serve as the foundation for your narrative. Use these questions as a framework for your investigation before you proceed to Google or the web:
Plan the structure of the presentation.
A presentation on social media isn’t something you give for the sake of entertainment. Maybe you’re pitching a new strategy to your social team or trying to garner executive support for a new social technology. Regardless of its subject matter, your presentation should be solution-focused and driven by a clear objective.
You could look into your previous social involvement to find relevant information for your study. To assist future endeavors, look back at successful social media posts. Listening to your target demographic might help you identify content holes and new avenues for expansion. Zero in on key performance indicators and search for social proof indicators.
Don’t get sidetracked as you gather evidence to support your theory. By distilling your findings, you can give your presentation more substance.
Who are you writing for?
Your presentation research shouldn’t be confined to only your chosen topic. You should also study your target demographic. Knowing your audience helps you tailor your message to their needs.
If you work for a single company or brand, you will likely be presenting to your coworkers and superiors, who are already familiar with you, your work, and your topic. But, agency-based social media marketers have unique obstacles requiring additional investigation.
When selling a social media strategy to a new customer, it’s crucial to have a firm grasp of the company’s brand, industry, and business needs. You won’t just need to know the client’s brand history but also who their rivals are, how they’re using social media, and more.
Build a deck
Stories, like social media, help us feel more connected to the world. Your presentation will be more effective if you tell engaging stories to your audience.
The presentation’s “deck” serves as the storyboard, while the slides serve as the visual aids. PowerPoint themes can assist you in creating professional social media decks even if you don’t possess the design skills to do so. These pre-designed decks are not only visually appealing but also help you save time in creating one.
Give a quick introduction and state your purpose for being there.
Introduce yourself and any co-presenters on the first slide of your presentation. The following slide should be the agenda, which summarizes the presentation.
You might also want to consider sending out an advance agenda. This will allow stakeholders to provide you with initial feedback that may be used to fine-tune your presentation and better meet their needs. Your listeners can then plan their questions accordingly.
Introduce yourself with a catchy first sentence.
Maintaining your audience’s interest throughout your presentation is facilitated by starting strong. A compelling hook is the first step in attracting readers and keeping their attention. Some of the most common include startling data, provocative inquiries, an engaging tale, and thought-provoking quotations.
Make strategic use of color.
Your presentation should use the color palette specified by your agency or brand’s style guide. Consider the scenario where you represent an agency and give a presentation on social media to a potential client or consumer. Even if your target market is unfamiliar with you, they are likely familiar with your product. Using consistent colors and fonts is a quick and easy approach to remind your readers that you are an authority on the topic.
Colors should have meaning if you use them in a wider context. Think about the feelings that different colors evoke. For instance, yellow is commonly associated with cheerfulness and vitality, whereas red is frequently linked to arousal and ardor. It’s essential to maintain coherence in your presentation’s color design.
Use graphical representations of data.
Providing evidence of return on investment (ROI) is frequently the crux of social media marketing presentations. Visualizations of data, such as graphs and charts, are an effective argumentative tool.
Refrain from charting every piece of information you find during your investigation. The most effective charts are those whose key points are immediately apparent. If you want your data to stand out, try utilizing color, bolding, or another visual treatment like the Sprout Social Index did above with the help of free PowerPoint templates. These templates not only help you save time, but they also help engage the audience.
Share your results.
Naturally, you’ll want to showcase some of your social media marketing work in this presentation. Provide screenshots of viral social media posts to demonstrate the efficacy of your strategies for the brands you represent.
Conclude with a Call To Action
A compelling call to action (CTA) reminds the audience of your original purpose and suggests a
next step they can take once you’ve finished speaking. It’s a chance to leave your audience with something to consider before you wrap things up.
Plan Out your delivery.
You’ve prepared your deck and written up your findings; now comes the time to plot your presentation’s delivery. You may make a presentation about “nothing” attractive by adopting the correct attitude, tone, cues, and timing. See how well Will Stephens handles it in this demonstration.
Induce feelings in the audience.
Facts and numbers are excellent, but hitting points that elicit an emotional response is even better; as Maya Angelou famously put it: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
If you’re trying to attract new customers by expanding their social circles, you should highlight any impressive results you’ve had. Don’t hold back on your enthusiasm.
You can’t make every part of your story riveting. Choose the range of feelings you wish to evoke. The most effective talks have elements from both of these styles.
Reduce your speed
You might feel like you have to rush through things, but that’s not a good idea. As people are anxious, they frequently begin to speed up. If you’re anxious, remind yourself to take deep breaths, speak clearly, and calm down.
Check in with the audience periodically to see if they have any questions or need anything clarified as you go along with the presentation. Those in your presentation may need an extra explanation of industry terms or social media metrics if they aren’t familiar.
Find and fix any problems in advance.
Repeated practice is essential. Don’t just quickly scan your slides. Pretend your dry runs are a genuine deal. If feasible, show it to someone you know who will offer you honest, valuable comments. You’ll feel more comfortable in your performance the more you practice.
To Sum Up
Your presentation is over, but your work here is not done. Send the completed deck to your audience and any stakeholders after the presentation, and be sure to mention any follow-up or action items that were discussed.