he Art of Copy in Your PowerPoint Presentation

As an experienced PowerPoint User, you know that visuals are the foundation of any great presentation. But that doesn’t mean you should forget about the copy. Here are some text-related aspects to consider when creating an effective PowerPoint presentation.

Keep it Visual

First, it’s important to realize that visuals should remain at the center of any PowerPoint presentation. This post should not convince you to make text-heavy, visually unappealing slides. As the presenter, you want your audience to pay attention to you instead of struggling to read the type on the screen. And when you do add the text, never put whole sentences on a slide. Instead, use bullet or numbered lists with keywords and -phrases.

Consider the Fonts

To add to the viewability of your PowerPoint slide, carefully consider each font before choosing it. Fonts should not be considered a design, but a functionality element. The most beautiful fonts are generally difficult to read, which distracts from your ultimate purpose. As a general rule, sans serif fonts with a type size of at least 20 points are easiest to read. Once you find a font, stick to it – your presentation should have no more than two fonts, one for headers and the other for the body.

Add, Don’t Repeat

Think of the text on your PowerPoint slides not as a bulleted version of your notes, but – just like graphs – as adding to the presentation. Your audience shouldn’t be able to get the gist of the presentation simply by viewing the screen; make yourself invaluable by being the source of information that cannot be found on the slides.

Don’t Forget Major Points

However, be sure to include your major points in the presentation. A successful business presentation will likely be shared after the fact via Email and services like SlideShare, enabling those who couldn’t make it personally to get an idea of what was discussed. Adding the major points of your presentation to the slides also ensures that they are reinforced in the minds of the audience, who will be more likely to remember them.

Visuals remain the focal point of any effective PowerPoint presentation. But with these guidelines, you can ensure that the copy aspect does not fall flat and your presentation will be well-rounded and successful.