What is a multimedia presentation?

Multimedia presentation is a presentation type that utilizes different media or forms

of communication to relay the message. It incorporates different types of
communication media, including video, infographics, interactive graphics, audio,
and pop-ups. Therefore, other than relying on text and images alone, the presenter
has various other communication methods to relay different types of information to
different types of audiences. This form of presentation has been promoted by
developing Microsoft PowerPoint and other presentation makers, which allow one to
incorporate different multimedia elements.
The multimedia presentation has been adopted in different fields and industries to
capture the audience’s attention. In marketing, multimedia presentations are widely
used in marketing and sales presentations to pitch products to potential buyers.
Interactive multimedia presentations have also been adopted by sales personnel to
showcase products and persuade buyers into making purchases. Multimedia
presentations have also been adopted in classrooms and lecture rooms to bring visual
aids to learners. Teachers use visual aids to augment their lessons and improve the
understanding of the students. On the other hand, professors also require learners to
prepare multimedia presentations for class projects to improve their presentation
skills. The ability to condense information pages into a short piece of text, an image,
or interactive media proves the student’s understanding of the content. This article
walks you through the steps and tips involved in preparing an outstanding and
memorable multimedia presentation.
Steps for preparing a multimedia presentation
1. Identify the objective of the multimedia presentation
Having a purpose and objective is key to ensuring that your multimedia presentation
remains relevant and useful to the target audience. The first step to preparing your
multimedia presentation is to know the content to communicate and its reason. This
can be achieved by identifying the topic of your presentation and the target audience.
For a product manager or entrepreneur, your objective could be to make a pitch deck
to persuade investors into investing in your idea. For a student, the purpose of the
presentation could be to summarize research to your professor or classmates.
Similarly, a salesperson may want to report sales to the management. In essence, the
purpose of the presentation determines the type of information to include and the
types of multimedia elements to incorporate. For example, interactive media may not
be useful in a conference talk of more than a thousand people where everyone would
interact with the content.
2. Create an outline
Prepared with the content for the presentation, the next step is to organize them to
create a flow. Without a flow, people are likely to get lost or confused because they
cannot connect the pieces of information to make sense of it. As you create an
outline, include relevant multimedia elements in every step of the way. Match every
piece of information with a relevant medium such as video clips, animated GIFs,
videos, interactivity, Google Maps, background music, sound effects, surveys, and
charts.
3. Select the right template
Templates are the foundations of your presentation that determine the theme your
presentation is going to adopt. Different presentation software such as PowerPoint,
Prezi, Picktochart, Google Slides, among others, provide different templates. Some
come with permanent colors, while others allow you to change the color. Whatever
the case, ensure that the color of your choice is incorporated in the template design.
Other than color, the template design also plays a role in determining how the final
presentation will look like. Ensure that the design is aligned with the objective of
your presentation. For example, the design of a presentation for school children is
likely to be different from an academic presentation at a conference. It is advisable
that you select a simple template to incorporate your design and multimedia
elements.
4. Create the presentation
Armed with the right template, create the presentation by putting the content in the
right place. Regardless of the presentation software, you should be able to
incorporate different media and make edits. This is a design task and paying
attention to every detail is key. Ensure that your content is clear and understandable.
For example, if you use charts or tables, make sure that the scales or axes are labeled.
5. Review your presentation
It is advisable to take some time to go through your presentation slide by slide and
ensure that all multimedia elements are rightfully placed and serve your purpose. It
is normal to be excited about incorporating eye-catching elements to add to the
aesthetics of your presentation. However, it also important to ensure that the content
is focused on the objective of the presentation.
Tips for creating multimedia presentation
1. Make a wise choice of the mediums
The choice of multimedia elements defines the outlook and the message you will be
relaying to your audience. Whether it is a video clip, animated GIF, or audio, it
always knows its value to your presentation. Ask yourself how the element will be
consumed by the audience or how relevant it is to the message you are trying to put
across. While they add to the aesthetics of the presentation, the main aim of having
the multimedia elements in your presentation is to help you make your point.
2. Consistency
Consistency is key to create a rhythm of thought flow in the minds of your audience.
The multimedia elements should be consistent with the general style of your
presentation. As discussed earlier, having a theme or a style in the form of a
presentation template ensures consistency in your communication. However, this
should not be confused with being flexible and dynamic. Being flexible is using
different multimedia elements to communicate the right information while being
consistent is ensuring that your information is organized for easy understanding. If
your presentation is colorful, ensure that the color is consistent all through.
3. Keep the presentation short and simple.
The attention span of people is short and can be lost easily. Keep the presentation
and use of multimedia elements short and on-point. They should only take enough
time needed to communicate the message. For example, having a long video in the
middle of your presentation will likely distract your audience and divert their
attention to the movie rather than the presentation topic.