What are the best ways to optimize your presentations for online delivery?

1 Choose the right platform

The first step is to choose the right platform for your presentation. Depending on your audience, purpose, and budget, you might use a web conferencing tool, a video hosting service, or a social media platform. Each option has its own features, limitations, and requirements. You should consider factors such as the number of participants, the level of interactivity, the quality of audio and video, and the security and privacy of your data.

4 Engage your audience

The fourth step is to engage your audience. Online presentations can be more interactive and collaborative than face-to-face ones. You can use various tools and techniques to involve your audience and keep them interested and attentive. You can ask questions, conduct polls, use quizzes, share files, use chat, and enable feedback. You can also create breakout rooms, use gamification, and invite guest speakers. You should plan your engagement activities in advance and test them before your presentation.

5 Adapt to technical issues

The fifth step is to adapt to technical issues. Online presentations can be more prone to technical glitches and disruptions than face-to-face ones. You need to be prepared and flexible to deal with any problems that might arise. You should check your equipment, internet connection, and platform settings before your presentation. You should also have a backup plan, such as a second device, a phone number, or a pre-recorded video. You should also inform your audience about the possible issues and how to handle them.

6 Follow up with your audience

The sixth step is to follow up with your audience. Online presentations can be more difficult to measure and evaluate than face-to-face ones. You need to collect feedback and data from your audience and use them to improve your presentation skills and outcomes. You can use surveys, analytics, comments, and testimonials to assess your presentation's effectiveness and impact. You can also send thank-you notes, summaries, resources, and action items to your audience and maintain communication with them.

7 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?