3 Steps to Turn Your Presentations Into Content Marketing Gold (Webinar Recap)

So: 76% of B2B content marketers report that they’ll be producing more content in 2016 than they did this past year. Are you one of them?

Better question: are you taking advantage of all of the resources available to you? If you’re not using your company’s presentation decks, then the answer is no.

Last week, we sat down with Leslie Belknap, Sr. Content Strategist at Ethos3, to learn more about how marketers can take advantage of their existing presentations and turn them into valuable content marketing assets. Take a look at the recording from the webinar below, Leslie’s prezi, or continue reading to learn Leslie’s top tips and tricks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGdYrrMIlfI

When you think of content marketing, think beyond blog posts—it’s time to get visual.

People are hard-wired to be more engaged by visual information, and if you’re skeptical about this point, just look at the stats:

• Visuals get 94% more views than text-based information;
• Viewers spend 100% more time on pages with visual content;
• Visuals increase retention by 42%.

The effect of visuals on reader engagement is so powerful that Google has actually prioritized websites that have more images and rich media embedded on them in search engine rankings. So if you want to get more eyeballs on your content, you need to get visual.

Presentation decks are the perfect tool for bringing visuals into your content strategy. The best decks are designed to convey information through images, graphics, and videos. In the case of a live presentation, the presenter will deliver those ideas and messages verbally, and the deck will serve as a visual accompaniment.

But when you remove the presenter and embed that deck on your blog, website, or social channels, you lose some of that context that gives those visuals their meaning. When it comes to recycling your existing presentations as content marketing assets, you’re going to need to translate them into something designed to be consumed online.

Make sure you consider these factors when translating your decks into online assets:

1. Know your audience. Just as you need to understand who is going to be in the room when you’re delivering a presentation live, you need to think about who is going to be consuming your content online, and how they are going to be consuming it. Tailor your content not only to your target audience’s interests but also to the format that will work best for them. For example, if you’re going after millennials, consider creating a set of graphics based on your presentation that are formatted for easy sharing on social media. On the other hand, if you are targeting a more B2B audience, making your presentations searchable on sites like SlideShare and Prezi.com are a good option.
2. Give your deck an eye-catching title. In many cases, the only thing your audience is going to see before clicking over to your presentation is the title—so make sure that it’s a good one! Your title should clearly convey the topic of your presentation, and it should also pique viewers’ interest. Put just as much thought into the title of your presentation as you would into the title of a blog post.
3. Update that boring title slide. In many cases, the first thing that people will see on the screen in a live presentation is the name of your presentation, along with your name. This is fine when it’s only being displayed as people are filtering into the room, but when it’s the first thing you show to people who could decide to click away at any moment, you run the risk of losing your online audience pretty quickly. Make your opening image enticing, and give your audience some hints at all of the valuable content that is in store for them if they keep clicking through your presentation. Looking for a source for some great images to spice up that first slide? Check out these 7 sites for free stock photos for your presentations.
4. Fill in the gaps. When you’re delivering a presentation in person, you are there to explain how all of the images in your deck are related to the main topic. Make sure that you fill in those gaps before distributing your deck online, so your virtual audience isn’t left scratching their heads. When creating presentations for online consumption, consider adding a bit more text than you normally would to your live presentations.
5. Share it everywhere. There is no single way to share a presentation online—you could embed it directly onto your website, turn it into a video and upload it to YouTube, or even break it up into separate visuals that you share on social media. If you want to take full advantage of presentations across your entire content marketing strategy, you should consider using all of these methods to reach the widest audience possible.

Bonus tip: Make sure your presentation is mobile-friendly, as more and more people are opening email, visiting social sites, and consuming online content on their mobile devices these days. Learn how to design a mobile-friendly presentation here.

For more tips on building presentations into your content marketing strategy, check out this complete guide from Ethos3.

Love Leslie’s prezi from the webinar? Make your own killer presentation with this template based on her presentation:

Click here to use the template!