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How to Give a Great Presentation Using Visuals

Read time: 5 minutes  |  Author: PRI Graphics  |  Posted: July 24th, 2023

Engaging Your Audience with Compelling Visual Storytelling

Visual storytelling has transformed the way we approach presentations, with data showing that 65% of the population are visual learners. The key to a memorable and impactful presentation lies in coupling a compelling narrative with potent visual aids. When these elements work together, your central theme or message leaves a lasting imprint on your audience, inspiring them to take action.

This article will shed light on the latest trends and strategies to effectively incorporate visuals into your presentations, facilitating engagement, recall, and impactful action.

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Visual Recall and Audience Engagement in the 21st Century

In an era where information overload is the norm, an audience remembers only about 25% of an oral presentation. However, incorporating effective visuals can boost audience engagement by a remarkable 94%. From traditional printed graphics to innovative digital infographics, an array of visual aids can be employed to structure your presentation and amplify your key points.

Let’s explore how to create a riveting presentation using these modern visual tools:

  1. Distil Your Presentation to One Central Idea: Identify the core message that you want your audience to take away.
  2. Design Your Presentation Around Your Key Point and Audience’s Needs: Ensure your content is relevant and resonates with your audience.
  3. Dissect Your Central Idea: Break up your central message into smaller, digestible points and arrange them logically, with each point building upon the previous one.
  4. Develop a Narrative Using Visuals: Frame your points within a compelling story, using visuals that inspire and stick in the audience’s memory.
  5. Direct Your Audience with a Visual Call-to-Action: End your presentation with a compelling visual that underscores your call-to-action, showing your audience the next steps.

Humanizing Your Presentation: The Power of Characters

While products, objects, and statistics are crucial for your presentation, they may feel sterile without a human touch. Every data point, every statistic has a person and a story behind it – bring these to life. Use real characters to support your points and make your presentation more relatable.

For instance, if you’re introducing a new product, bring forth the person who conducted the market research. If you’re discussing a demographic, personify it through a character that represents the group. By structuring your presentation around the people involved, you humanize your narrative, making it memorable and emotionally resonant.

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Presenting With Purpose: Story Structure and Timeline

An effective narrative has a timeline. It should walk your audience through the past, present, and future of your story. By sharing how you or your central characters feel about the timeline, you make it tangible and relatable.

All great stories have a conflict that triggers a change. This change can be a resolution to a challenge or meeting a need. The anticipation of change keeps your audience intrigued and emotionally invested.

Visualizing Your Narrative: Show, Don’t Tell

Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words. Visual aids create emotional responses and help your audience better understand your key points. They can also be used metaphorically to represent complex ideas and make them easier to comprehend. Ask us about color presentation printing!

Concluding Your Story: A Visual Call to Action

Conclude your presentation with a strong visual call-to-action. This tells your audience exactly what you want them to do next and how they can engage further with your content or business.

Leveraging Expertise: Connect with the Professionals

As a leading printing company in Phoenix, PRI Graphics specializes in large format printing, digital small format printing, and design services. Our in-house graphic design and project management teams can guide you on incorporating a variety of effective visuals into your presentation. From flip charts and graphics cards to poster boards, floor graphics, and pop-up banners, we create unique, high-quality images suitable for any presentation style or format.

For more insights on presentation printing or any queries, contact us online or call us at 602-393-3131. You can also reach us toll-free at 1-877-409-8889 or email us.

For additional tips, the American Association for the Advancement of Science provides some great pointers in their communication toolkit entitled, “Using Visuals in Presentations.

About the Author

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PRI Graphics – Director, Marketing & Brand Management

PRI Graphics is a marketing and design expert who is passionate about new emerging trends in digital media and business strategy. A member of AMA with a PCM® in marketing management, he continues to strengthen his knowledge and skill sets in the marketing ecosystem. Prior to joining PRI, he pursued a career in filmmaking and carries on the passion for brand development.