How do you create engaging online presentations for business administration?

1 Know your audience

Before you start creating your presentation, you need to understand who your audience is, what they need, and what they expect from you. This will help you tailor your content, tone, and style to suit their preferences and needs. For example, if you are presenting to a group of potential investors, you might want to focus on the financial and strategic aspects of your business, and use a formal and professional tone. On the other hand, if you are presenting to a group of students, you might want to use more interactive and engaging elements, such as polls, quizzes, and stories, and use a more casual and friendly tone.

2 Plan your structure

A well-structured presentation will help you organize your ideas, guide your audience, and keep them focused. A simple and effective structure consists of three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introduction, you should capture your audience's attention, introduce your topic and main points, and state your purpose and objectives. In the body, you should develop your main points, support them with evidence and examples, and use transitions to connect them. In the conclusion, you should summarize your main points, restate your purpose and objectives, and end with a call to action or a question.

3 Design your slides

Your slides should be designed to enhance your presentation, rather than being the main source of information. To do this, use a simple and readable font, such as Arial or Calibri, and limit yourself to two fonts maximum. Additionally, choose a contrasting color scheme, such as dark text on a light background or vice versa. Include relevant images, charts, graphs, and icons to illustrate your points and make sure they are high-quality and properly labeled. Bullet points, lists, and headings can also be used to highlight key points but keep them to no more than six per slide. Finally, animations, transitions, and sound effects should be used sparingly and only if they add value or interest to your presentation.

4 Deliver your presentation

Delivering your presentation is just as important as the content and design of your slides. You need to communicate effectively with your audience and show them your confidence and enthusiasm. To help you, practice your presentation several times before the event and record yourself to check your timing, voice, and body language. Use a reliable platform, such as Zoom or PowerPoint, and test your equipment, internet connection, and settings before you start. Engage with your audience by asking questions, soliciting feedback, encouraging participation, and acknowledging their comments and questions. Look directly at the camera to maintain eye contact instead of looking at the screen, smile and nod to show interest and appreciation. Speak clearly, slowly, and loudly while using pauses, intonation, and emphasis to vary your tone and pace. Avoid reading from slides or notes; use cues such as keywords, images or numbers to remind yourself of points. Online presentations can be difficult but also rewarding and effective if you follow these tips. Doing so will create engaging presentations for business administration that will impress your audience and achieve desired goals.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?