Visual content gets you:

  • Engagement
  • Traffic
  • Leads

But if you don’t want to write a blog post or you don’t have the resources to make a video.

Make a SlideShare presentation instead.

In this article, we will learn how.

Let’s dive right in.

What is a SlideShare Presentation?

A SlideShare presentation is a presentation on SlideShare.net.

SlideShare.net is the world’s largest content sharing community, with content like:

  • Presentations
  • Infographics

Having a presentation on SlideShare helps your content get attention from over 80 million monthly visitors.

PowerPoint isn’t anyone’s first pick when it comes to making content.

And you would normally pass on putting together PowerPoint slides for 80 million plus SlideShare users.

But with the right templates and tools you can create a visually engaging SlideShare presentation in PowerPoint.

The best part is, you wont need:

  • A design program
  • A big budgets
  • To hire a contractor

Create a SlideShare Presentation in PowerPoint

Next we will go through the steps towards making a SlideShare presentation in PowerPoint:

Get inspired by presentations on SlideShare

Consuming other content gives you ideas on:

  • Format
  • What’s working

Simply, go on SlideShare.net and scroll through SlideShares that you like.

Then view them on the website or download them for future inspiration. 

To download a PowerPoint from SlideShare, do the following:

  • Sign up for an account on SlideShare
  • Go to SlideShare presentation you want to download
  • Click the “Download” button
  • Then click “Continue to download”
  • And finally, click “Save File”
  • Then click “OK”

Remember, some presentations wont download as a .ppt file and others aren’t downloadable.

Pick fonts and a colour scheme

Next, pick fonts and colour schemes to use.

For the font:

Pick two different fonts to use on your presentation:

  • One for the headers
  • One for the main body text

For the header font, make sure its:

  • Bold
  • Eye-catching

And for the body text font, make sure it’s:

  • Simple
  • Easy to read

Making these two fonts contrast between each other makes it easier for viewers to understand the message. 

For the colour scheme:

Pick a colour scheme that:

  • Contrasts between colours
  • Makes colours stand out

The number of different colours you decide to use in your presentation is your choice.

But remember, certain colour combinations work together better than others.

Decide the main point of the presentation and it’s sub-points

Create an outline for your SlideShare, like you would when creating a blog post.

Do this by first deciding on:

  • The working title
  • Main takeaways

Then, you can go in deeper on those sections with supporting points and explanations.

Remember to create a slide for each:

  • Title
  • Section headers
  • Supporting points

Also create slides for the:

  • Call-to-action
  • Conclusion

Note: Keep these slides simple for now, include a title and a few detailed notes.

Fill the main content of your presentation

Now it’s time to fill in the main content.

Make sure it doesn’t have too much text.

Because SlideShare is mainly for visual content and people breeze over the content.

Remember to make sure your presentation tick the following boxes:

  • Visually heavy
  • Only includes text that’s needed
  • Doesn’t read like an ebook
  • Different format from slide to slide

For example, a checklist slide followed by a quote slide, to keep your presentation different.

Add introduction slides

Now go back to the start of your presentation.

Because it’s easier to get the bulk of your content out the way then go back and tidy it up.

Note: This only works if you know the topic of your presentation beforehand.

This step is easy, simply introduce the main content you just wrote about. 

Add the conclusion

Now go to the end of your SlideShare and conclude in one or two slides.

Make sure your presentation doesn’t go from a slide containing the body content straight to a CTA slide.

Note: Your conclusion should naturally set up CTA on the next slide. 

Add a call-to-action slide

At the end of your SlideShare, keep viewers engaged by adding a call-to-action.

A few examples of CTAs you could include are:

  • Downloading an ebook
  • Attending an event
  • Visiting your website

Edit, edit and edit some more

Now go over your presentation and edit the copy and design.

And when you’re done, get someone to proofread your presentation like a coworker.

Add “animated slides” and hyperlinks

If you create a presentation in PowerPoint and upload it to SlideShare, all the features might not appear.

That’s why you need to add:

  • Animated slides
  • Clickable links 

For slide animations, PowerPoint animations don’t work on SlideShare.

So text box and object animations won’t work on SlideShare.

But, you can manually input features on slides so it looks like it’s “animated.”

Remember to make sure people can click on the CTAs in your presentation. 

Upload your PDF to SlideShare

At the end, your presentation will be in a PDF format.

Now it’s time to upload your PDF to SlideShare.

Then you will have the option to:

  • Add a description
  • Add tags
  • Schedule a time the SlideShare can go live

Conclusion

Remember to promote your SlideShare when its live, you can do this on:

  • Your blog
  • Social media accounts
  • Your email lists

Now you know it’s simple to create a SlideShare presentation.

And PowerPoint won’t ever be boring again.

Now it’s your time.

Tell me how you create and share your SlideShare presentations?

Let me know in the comment section below.