15 PowerPoint Ideas to Inspire Your Next Presentation

The revolution began when Microsoft had the ingenious idea to launch PowerPoint. Besides being accessible and convenient, the software offers a wide range of features that can make a speaker stand out and amuse the masses.

Every student or business person has given a speech accompanied by a creative PowerPoint presentation at least a few times. Whether presenting in front of teachers, clients, or SEO, they had to grab attention, convey their standpoints, or present findings.

So how do you communicate your points in a new, dynamic way? How to avoid ending up with a stale show that turns heads away? Below, we list the top 15 hacks to trigger inspiration for your PowerPoint presentation.

Idea #1: Follow the 10/20/30 Guideline

Prominent venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki has contributed a lot to the PowerPoint world. He even imposed his own rule – the 10/20/30 rule. In his extensive work, Kawasaki has noticed that a creative presentation should include about ten slides. Moreover, your talk shouldn’t exceed 20 minutes, and the ideal typeface size is 30.

Idea #2: Hook Interest at the Onset

Your best shot at grabbing attention right from the start is to make a powerful introduction to the topic. To this end, ensure you make the first slide the most memorable. For example, you can ask a controversial question or tell a humorous anecdote. Alternatively, play music to set the right mood or include a debate-raising video.

Idea #3: Maintain Eye Contact

Forget reading off of your slides because this habit disengages the audience. It will bore them to death, and the effect would be minimal. Therefore, include only small chunks of text and verbalize your messages while looking at them. Your interaction with the slides should only serve as a signpost that you’re transferring to a new argument.

Idea #4: Write Inspiring Quotes

Quoting an influential person will make your message credible and familiar. In addition, an inspirational quote can set the tone of your talk and boost encouragement. The thought-provoking insight will urge the audience to get proactive and turn your concept into action.

“Drafting a PowerPoint presentation with citations is far from straightforward. It takes time, knowledge, and IT skills. So, if you want to tell somebody: do my PowerPoint presentation for me, you can hire an online assistant to help you start on the right foot,” recommends Cathy Somerset, a writer at PapersOwl.

Idea #5: Get Personal

Your talk should have personality if you want to relate to the audience. Hence, don’t just list facts and figures superficially. Instead, if you’re talking about a scientific experiment, share the difficulties you had on your way to success. Or mention a health problem you had if your clients or colleagues are from the healthcare sector.

Idea #6: Be Dramatic with Pictures

As radical as this tip might seem, it works wonders. Humans learn visually, so incorporating various pictures in your presentation is always wise. Moreover, you can use abstract visuals as backgrounds for your content.

Using a topic-related image is a must. And if you wonder how to make effective PowerPoint presentation with pictures, ensure these support your ideas and provide answers. Photos often speak louder than words and can easily convey disheartening concepts.

Idea #7: Use Impactful Fonts

The typefaces of your PowerPoint presentations must be well-paired, consistent, and create contrast. Hence, consider choosing a standard font like Garamond, Calibri, Tahoma, Constantia, and Gill Sans because people are used to them, and this improves understanding.

Another helpful tip is to avoid all-caps, italics, scripts, and decorative typefaces. Though they might seem attractive, unusual variants could be illegible and pose a readability issue.

Idea #8: Get Passionate about Your Topic

What can be more persuasive than your complete immersion in the subject? When those in front of you see how excited and confident you are, your success is inevitable. So, the more you connect with your content, the better the outcome.

Idea #9: Be Smart With Statistics

No human being can do without data. Therefore, including vital figures and statistics is a persuasive tool when speaking in public. Accurate information gives your talk credibility and authenticity. Still, avoid overwhelming every slide with endless numbers and data because this can have counter effects.

Idea #10: Tell a Story

Including true stories in your presentation is always an excellent hack. The storyline can calm the audience’s nerves and leave them inspired. Whether your tale is deeply moving or entails humor, consider creating an interesting transition by designing a mind map or pathway.

Idea #11: Post Infographics

If you want to simplify complex topics, grab the power of viewer-friendly cartoons. While a list of statistics is too dull and dry, a catchy infographic with neon colors can visualize the slide efficiently. For maximum impact, try arrows or jigsaw puzzle pieces to turn boring stats into engaging visuals.

Idea #12: Pick Well-Designed Templates

The number of Microsoft PowerPoint templates you have at your disposal is almost endless. You can also download fun elements on Google for free. Use them to your advantage and create frictionless and clean slides.

For instance, choose PowerPoint presentation templates related to social media if your topic is marketing. The template can make or break your performance depending on how well you combine content and design.

Idea #13: Use the Fading Technique

Bring what you’re saying into focus by highlighting the point you want to get remembered. When the content is no longer relevant, fade it to black. You can also fade charts or a bullet when you start elaborating on it to avoid distracting the viewers.

Idea #14: Insert Catchy Icons

Another strategy for quality engagement is to use animated graphic designs. These can convey your standpoints instantly through a single visual representation. Alternatively, shape your explanations around the iconography.

Idea #15: Capture Looks with Props

Turn that all-talk, all-text presentation into a unique, interactive experience with a topic-relevant prop. Besides drawing interest, guests will remember your presentation idea long after they leave the conference room.

Bottom Line

The above PowerPoint presentation tips will improve your performance and give you abundant inspiration for future talks. Whether through videos, high quality images, or a mesmerizing color palette, these winning strategies will help you voice the unexpected.