This past spring, marketing guru Seth Godin wrote a blog post called "The Hierarchy of Presentations." In it, he said, "A presentation isn't an obligation, it's a privilege."

We couldn't agree more, especially when it comes to webinars.

Not sure you buy that? Well, think of it this way: you're not obligated to give the webinar any more than people are obligated to attend.

When you offer a webinar to the masses, you're essentially asking people to trust you or your company enough to block out a part of their busy day (and perhaps even pay money) to listen to you talk. They come because they perceive value in the presentation. It should be a privilege to share your expertise with people who care to learn more about you, your company, and whatever it is you're discussing (which is why, first and foremost, you need to be sure that what you're presenting matters).

But let's assume you do have a topic that your audience members are passionate about. What next?

We all know that webinars are becoming more and more common. On the one hand, this is a great thing for your audience and for your business. Webinars are extremely convenient for attendees, and webinars help companies save money (e.g. on things like travel) while providing a way to leverage the presentation long after it's over through media like on-demand playback.

On the other hand, because webinars have become part of the mainstream, it's harder to stand out. How do you create dynamic presentations so your audience remains engaged and responds to whatever it is you're asking them to do? Besides having a great topic, it really comes down to two things: the presenter. And the slide deck.

Webinar Slide Deck Best Practices

Now, you might think you need to add more bells and whistles to your slide decks to make them memorable. Resist the temptation. Yes, you want to engage your audience and you should make your presentation interactive. But there's a big difference between engaged interactivity and information overload/overkill.

Follow these best practices when creating your webinar slide decks.

  • Use simple fonts. This is not the time to test  the "croobie" or "jokewood" fonts (yes, those are real). Why? Simple. You don't have control over how these fonts will render in all browsers. It makes sense to stick with tried and true fonts, like Verdana or Times New Roman.
  • Do NOT use animations or sliding transitions. Load video clips, etc. if you want to show moving pictures.
  • Keep details on slides to a minimum. You don't want to give the audience members so much to look at that 1) they don't know where to focus or 2) they're so busy trying to follow the slide they miss something important your presenter said. Seth Godin actually thinks that you shouldn't use bullets in presentations. While this might seem extreme, his point is on target: if your slide has enough info on it that it warrants a bulleted list, you might have too much info on the slide.
  • Remember, you can always give out additional information after the webinar. This is actually a great way to follow-up with attendees and continue to market to them. Also, you should remind audience members that you'll be making the slide deck available for download. Consider providing a transcript of your webinar in addition to on-demand playback.
  • Don't be a Toucan Sam (in other words, don't use too much color because it can be distracting).
  • Put your contact info on the last slide. Seems obvious, but it's worth repeating.
  • Promote interactivity by including polls and surveys. These can help the presenter, too. He or she can take a breath, a sip of water, or collect his or her thoughts.

Best practices also extend to how you use the slide deck during the live presentation:

  • Load the presentation well in advance so that you have a chance to review and make corrections if necessary.
  • Have an agenda and stick to it so you don't run behind and then have to rush through the last slides.
  • Don't move through slides too fast. How do you know if you have too many? Here's a good rule of thumb: if you have to change slides every few seconds, you have too many.
  • Remember to encourage questions via live chat features. Don't assume you'll remember to ask for questions during your presentation, either. Write the reminders into your script.
  • Be familiar with your presentation so that if you get a question that requires you to jump ahead a few slides, you know exactly where to go (and how to get back).

Do you have other suggestions that aren't included in this article? Let us know, and you might see your comments in a future newsletter (or other social medium).