Online Presentations: Top Tips to help you Succeed!
Online presentations have, quite simply, never been more important than they are today. With remote work now the new normal for most of us, making a good impression on screen should be a priority. Whether you’re presenting to colleagues at work, or to a prospective client, it’s important that you have the best and most flexible setup and tools available. Here at XSplit, we can help you out with some useful advice and amazing tool recommendations. Read on to learn more!
Preparation is key
The right preparation can help you to create a better remote presentation. Before you start, make sure that the lighting will leave you looking your best, or at least visible. Ensure that you have a good front light, so it shines brightly on your face. If the room you are using doesn’t have enough natural light, you could consider purchasing supplemental lighting to enhance your image.
Try to use a background that enhances your professional image and is aligned with your message. This will mean avoiding clutter and distracting images. Using a presentation platform that allows you to blur the background or, even better, inserting a virtual background with XSplit VCam, can be a big asset in creating the perfect look and feel for any presentation.
A remote presentation is a type of performance, and the best way to a smooth online performance is to know your technology. It’s a good idea to have a dry run, including a soundcheck, to get comfortable with the platform features, and to have a co-host or moderator to assist you with the technology during the presentation.
If possible, plug your computer directly into your router using an Ethernet cable. This will give you the best shot at a stable internet connection. Remember that a weak or unstable internet signal can ruin even the best presentation.
And … action! What to do in front of the camera
Just as it’s important to make eye contact with an audience when presenting live, you should look directly into the camera when presenting remotely. One trick is to place the camera at eye level – this helps to avoid the dreaded double-chin appearance from a camera that is positioned too low, or constantly looking up at people if it is positioned too high.
Ideally, the camera should frame your face, neck, and shoulders. Practice your positioning to find the sweet spot between being too far away, so you appear far off in the distance, and being too close, so that you are just a giant, disembodied head.
Standing up can add a sense of animation and energy to your presentation. If you are sitting, you can add some energy by leaning forward, as if you were a TV news anchor. Leaning back and slouching gives the impression that you are disconnected from the audience.
Remember that the best way to keep people engaged virtually is to be engaging. Research shows that happy and engaged people retain information better than bored people, so model the energy that you want to create. One trick to doing this is to smile. This can help you sound, as well as look, more engaged.
Adding visual appeal
Researchers have found that people remember much more of what they see than what they hear. This means that creating a visually interesting online presentation could be the key to engaging your audience. Consider incorporating polls, videos, raised hand features, etc. Try not to speak for more than a few minutes without some sort of audience engagement.
The flip side to this is that audience comments and chats can be distracting, particularly if you try to read them while speaking. Instead, have the co-host or assistant monitor this for you. Another option is to engage directly with the chats by acknowledging them, reading them out loud, and then commenting on them, a bit like a radio show.
One benefit of remote presenting is that you can dispense with the slides and use more engaging visuals – incorporating videos and using elements like virtual pointers, and scrolling infographics. Or present information as a design feature, giving your presentation a more cinematic feel. Incorporating a ‘guest’ speaker also adds interest and can generate a sense of excitement.
To accomplish this, and make your presentations really pop, you can use a tool like XSplit Presenter! Find out how in the next section.
An app that can do it all – and more!
The new XSplit Presenter can help you create exciting and engaging presentations with its wide range of features. Add the personal touch by becoming part of the presentation. It uses AI technology to allow you to remove your background without a green screen and integrate yourself into your presentations. Instead of a talking head – your audience will see your online presentation, with you standing at the side, narrating. XSplit Presenter also allows you to annotate your presentation in real-time, and add a virtual pointer to make rapid annotations and draw viewers’ attention to a particular point.
If something comes up during Q&A that needs you to share a window or application on your computer, you can share just that window with a few clicks – and avoid showing the audience everything on your desktop. XSplit Presenter also makes it easy to add remote guests or co-hosts into your presentation with both their webcam and microphone, whether it’s an expert to talk on a specific subject matter or someone different. It will also allow conference call guests to hear and listen to the media you play.
As for visuals, XSplit Presenter allows you to add scene transitions and to add your webcam and other overlay elements. Particularly useful are features that support YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other types of streaming, allowing you to get your presentation in front of more eyes.
Although tech like XSplit Presenter can help you create the perfect presentation, only you can bring it to life. Whether you are presenting to clients, co-workers, or investors, letting your personality show through will have the most lasting effect.