These days it takes more than just a great introduction, fancy slides, and a confident speaker to deliver a memorable presentation. If you want to go from delivering a good, informative presentation to giving one that people will keep talking about long after it’s over, the key is integrating social media. There’s no denying the role social media plays in today’s society. People tweet about their weekend experiences, share their favorite videos on Facebook, and share a glimpse of their lives through photos on Instagram. If you want to reach a broader audience (and captivate the one you are speaking to directly), you need to consider incorporating social media into your next presentation.
Before Your Presentation
Social media is a great way to increase your reach long before you ever step onto the stage. First, you need to identify any channels that the event host might be using to engage audience members. For example, your conference might be promoted with a specific hashtag which encourages communication about the event weeks prior to the presentation. The conference website might include the twitter handle next to each presenter’s name so that people can communicate with a specific speaker about their particular topic. You can do the same thing by creating a hashtag that is unique to your presentation. Choose a keyword that directly relates to your topic and use this hashtag to promote your presentation and share it on various social media channels to spread the word about your upcoming talk.
During Your Presentation
Now that you have created a pre-presentation buzz you want to keep that momentum going during your presentation. Have your social media information on the screen for people to see as they enter the room. While they are waiting for the presentation to begin, they can use that information to follow you on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or any other social media channels. As you present, you want to encourage audience members to tweet your key points. Therefore, you need to keep these key points short and sweet so that audience members can easily share the information via various social media channels. Depending on your technical capabilities, you might even consider having a second screen visible with a live stream of tweets associated with your specific hashtag. Another great way to engage audiences is to end your presentation with a Q&A where people can submit questions via Twitter using their smartphones or tablets. This is a great way to engage audience members who might not be comfortable asking questions aloud.
After the Presentation
After your presentation you can share video clips, photographs, or highlights via social media channels. Audience members can then share the information through their own social media channels. This is also a great way to reach those people who were unable to attend the presentation. You should also remember to add links with the full version of your presentation as well as any additional resources on your website. Encourage individuals to reach out to you with questions or comments. This shows the audience that you value their time and opinion and it helps to make your entire presentation more memorable.
