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Online Presentation Maker for Engaging Presentations

Create Your Presentation

• Online presentation maker with 900+ slide layouts.
• Millions of images, icons and graphics to choose from.
• Dozens of chart types to visualize data and numbers.

Chosen by brands large and small

Our presentation maker is used by over 27,500,000 marketers, communicators, executives and educators from over 133 countries that include:

EASY TO EDIT

Presentation Templates

Avoid the trouble of having to search for just the right template or create your own slide design from scratch by tapping into our library of more than 900 slide design layouts for practically every content need, from diagrams, charts and maps to image collages and quote slides.

Create your presentation View more templates

Features of the Presentation Maker

Beautiful presentation themes.

Choose from one of our presentation themes with hundreds of available slide layouts for you to pick from and build a beautiful presentation. Find slide layouts to fit any type of information you need to communicate within your presentation and customize them to perfectly fit your brand or topic.

Build your presentation

With fully customizable slides, text blocks, data visualization tools, photos and icons to help tell your story, you can easily build creative and cool presentations as quickly as you need. Build the perfect slides with Visme’s easy-to-use presentation editor.

Customize every aspect of your presentation with your own images and text

Choose from over a million images, thousands of icons, dozens of charts and data widgets to visualize information in an engaging way. Apply a color scheme to all your slides with one click. Add animation effects, transitions, interactivity, pop-ups, rollovers and third-party content such as live websites and social media feeds.

Record yourself presenting

Once you’ve created your presentation, do more than only share or download it. With Visme’s Presenter Studio, you can record your presentation and share it with your audience.

• Record your screen, audio, and video, or switch off your camera for an audio-only presentation.
• Present asynchronously on your own time, at your own pace. Let your colleagues watch it at their convenience.

More Great Features of the Presentation Maker

• Stunning presentation themes and premade templates
• Millions of stock photos and icons to choose from
• Input your brand fonts and colors to create branded company content
• Easy drag-and-drop design tools, made with the non-designer in mind
• Search for slide layouts that match your presentation content
• Easily present online or share with your peers

Share Your Presentation

Visme makes it easy to create and share presentations online. Our presentation software allows you to present online by generating a link to access your presentation, share privately by sending a password protected link to friends and colleagues, or even turn your presentation into a lead generation tool by requiring email sign-in before viewing.

LEARN ABOUT PRESENTATIONS

What is a Presentation ?

A presentation is a sequence of slides that tell a story or teach an audience about a topic. These are often used in business as ways of demonstrating something and in the classroom as teaching aids. While PowerPoint long dominated the presentation industry, Visme’s free online presentation maker allows you to create even more beautiful and engaging content.

With Visme's engaging presentation maker, you can start with a template, dive into one of our themes with various slide ideas, or mix and match slides from different templates to create your own masterpiece.

Use the presentation maker to take the trouble out of presentation design.

Creating a slide deck for an important presentation can take several hours, if not days. Our free presentation maker provides a searchable slide library with 900+ layouts that you can fully customize. With so many options, you can easily find the exact slides that you need instead of searching for the right template or building a slide design from scratch.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED + MORE

More Than a Presentation Maker

Visme’s online presentation tools allow you to create an interactive online presentation that will blow your audience away. Add interactive elements, animate your slides and create a presentation that will have your viewers talking for days to come.

MAKE IT ENGAGING

Interactivity

Create interactive presentations with popup and rollover effects that allow your viewer to interact with your design to learn more information.

VISUALIZE YOUR DATA

Charts & Graphs

Share data, statistics, simple numbers and more in your presentation slides with Visme’s easy-to-use charts, graphs and other data widgets.

BEAUTIFY YOUR CONTENT

Stock Photos & Graphics

Choose from over a million stock photos, icons, illustrations, characters, lines, shapes and more to create an engaging presentation design.

HOW IT WORKS

Make Presentations in 5 Steps

Whether you’re creating a presentation to pitch your business, to inform your industry or to update your team or supervisors, you want your slideshow to be equal parts beautiful and informative. Visme makes it easy with our powerful presentation maker.

Mix and match template styles and slide ideas, customize with your own ideas, insert design elements from our asset library, present online with presenter notes and more.

• Sign up for free or log into your Visme account and create a new project.
• Choose one of our beautiful themes under the Presentations content category or select a pre-designed presentation template.
• Add new slides from our theme library to help guide your presentation design.
• Customize text boxes, fonts, colors, photos, icons, charts, data visualization tools and so much more within your slides.
• Quickly and easily share or present your slideshow by clicking Share in the top navigation bar and viewing our share options.

How to Use the Presentation Maker

Before creating your slide deck, make sure to create an outline with all the major points that you need to include within your presentation.

Start creating your slides. You can easily use our free presentation slides and templates to help you create a well-designed and informative presentation.

Easily replace any image with millions of free images within our editor, as well as diagrams, charts, icons, illustrations and maps.

Insert your own text by clicking on any text box and typing in your own information (or you can simply copy and paste it from your outline).

Our free presentation maker online also comes with built-in animation effects. Add transitions, audio, pop-ups, rollovers and interactive buttons to wow your audience.

Use the Presenter View to rehearse your delivery. Use the timer to make sure you don’t go over the allotted time. You can easily add presenter notes that only you will see while you present.

Generate a public or private URL to share with anyone or embed your slide deck on your website or blog by clicking the Share button in the Visme editor.

Download as an editable PowerPoint or in HTML5 to keep all of your animations and interactivity intact for offline presenting.

Questions About the Presentation Maker

How can i create an account with visme, how much does it cost to create a presentation with the presentation maker app, can i create animated projects, is it possible to make interactive projects with the presentation maker, how do i present my slide deck, how can i create a slide deck in a few minutes, your presentations deserve to be beautiful and so does the rest of your content.

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The best Google Slides and Powerpoint presentation templates

Here's a selection of the best free & premium google slides themes and powerpoint presentation templates from the previous month. these designs were the most popular among our users, so download them now, the best presentations from september.

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Steps for studying a text.

Reading a book is good practice. Books are a source of knowledge! However, the complexity of the text you're reading affects the time you'll spend understanding it and memorizing it. That can be a problem when studying, so here's a template with some tips on how to face difficult texts...

Premium template

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Chalkboard Background Theme for Elementary

Download the Chalkboard Background Theme for Elementary presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and easily edit it to fit your own lesson plan! Designed specifically for elementary school education, this eye-catching design features engaging graphics and age-appropriate fonts; elements that capture the students' attention and make the learning experience more...

Papyrus History Lesson

History lessons tend to be boring for students, since they need to remember dates and a bunch of information. Make it entertaining by editing our free presentation template, whose backgrounds based on ancient papyrus rolls take it to the next level.

Create your presentation Create personalized presentation content

Writing tone, number of slides, minimalist business slides.

Minimalism is an art style that frees the canvas and that lets the content stand out for itself. It’s a way of conveying modernism, simplicity and elegance and can be your best ally in your next presentation. With this new design from Slidesgo, your business presentations will be as professional...

Fall Cottagecore Theme

Ah yes, the temperature drops two degrees at the end of summer and your mind automatically switches on fall mode: warm brown and green tones, you start wearing your jacket, drink the coffee hotter, watch (again) that show inspired by fall... We understand that desire for the best time of...

Colorful Theme

Download the Colorful Theme presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic resources. You...

Futuristic Background

When you need to impress everybody and stay relevant, you must look ahead and aim to be the first. Take a peek into the future with this new template Slidesgo has just designed. It’s free and perfect for techie topics or just for giving your presentation a futuristic vibe!

Research Methods Lesson

If you deal with Science, it’s important to learn more about research methods. Teach your students about them with this presentation full of illustrations and drawings related to labs. Use graphs, maps, tables and overview diagrams to support your lecture in a visual way!

Pastel Portfolio

Having a very creative portfolio opens a lot of doors, more than you think. We've created this template for those who want to showcase their work and skills. As always, the Memphis graphic style will help you grab attention, and the pastel colors too! Mention your studies, add images of...

Simple Blackboard Background

Download the "Simple Blackboard Background" presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic resources....

Notebook Lesson

These are the last days before the Summer break! We know that there are some pending lessons that you need to prepare for your students. As they may be thinking about their friends and their holidays, catch their attention with this cool template!

Welcome to Middle School Class

Welcome, everyone! This is our middle school class, take a look! Our students, our teachers, our subjects, our schedules… We have written everything about it in this presentation! The cool waves of color flow amazingly with this design. Everything is super creative and colorful! Prepare for the back to school...

Hello Autumn! Infographics

The leaves falling, the cozy atmosphere at home, the beautiful tree colors and the smell of a good cup of tea… We just love fall! There are many activities you can enjoy during this beautiful season, here you can write down a few! Customize these autumnal infographics and use them...

Elegant Bachelor Thesis

Present your Bachelor Thesis in style with this elegant presentation template. It's simple, minimalist design makes it perfect for any kind of academic presentation. With an array of features such as section dividers, images, infographics and more, you can easily create a professional and creative presentation that stands out from...

Science Education Center

Albert Einstein believed that “the important thing is to never stop questioning.” When it comes to science and research, we need to investigate and to ask for answers. Teach your students about the value of questioning in your Science Education Center!

Minimalist Korean Aesthetic Pitch Deck

Templates based on a minimalist style are usually very useful in business presentations, as they make the audience focus on the content and not on the ornaments of the design. This minimalist style template that we propose here is perfect for a pitch deck to present your product or your...

The 13 colonies of the American Revolution

Download the The 13 colonies of the American Revolution presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by...

Download the "Linic" presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic resources. You need...

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Free PowerPoint Templates

Unlock the full potential of your presentations with our vast collection of free PowerPoint templates from FPPT, all tailored to be fully compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint. Browse through thousands of free slide templates, from business and finance themes to creative and modern designs, ensuring you find the perfect match for your presentation's tone and style.

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Common benefits of using free powerpoint templates & pre-made slide design for presentation.

• Save time & efforts. Focus in your presentation content
• Ensure compatibility across different versions of PowerPoint
• Easily convert your PowerPoint slides to Google Slides, Keynote and OpenOffice.
• Impress your audience with catchy slides & photos and PowerPoint themes with great backgrounds.

Our free PowerPoint backgrounds and presentation templates are very easy to customize and edit for your presentation needs. Using Microsoft PowerPoint (but now also in Google Slides), you can easily create engaging presentations with our free PowerPoint templates & slideshow templates.

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Under this section, you can get immediate access to some of the free PPT templates for PowerPoint available in our catalog. Alternatively, you can browse the entire design templates collection using the top menu or search by keyword. Serious presenters often want to keep their presentations minimalist in terms of design, but this catalog has a variety of free presentation templates and backgrounds available. Get access to thousands of modern presentation templates, backgrounds and free PPT templates, and creative slide templates with abstract designs. If you need help finding a suitable PPT template for your presentation project, contact us and we will help you.

Our PPT slides are 100% free for commercial and education presentations, but if you are looking for professionally-designed free slides templates, ready for business presentations, check out these visually appealing PowerPoint templates for PowerPoint and Google Slides.

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Discover the best Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates you can use in your presentations - 100% Free for any use.

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Presentation templates

Captivate your audience with customizable business presentation templates. whether you're pitching clients, wooing investors, or showing off your latest wins, there are presentation templates that'll suit your next meeting..

Free slide templates for presentations

Presentation decks can make or break your speech—don't risk boring or unprofessional slides distracting from your message. Set yourself up for success with free, eye-catching presentation templates that don't require graphic design skills to use. Whether you're pitching to investors or sharing a class project, using presentation templates allows you to focus on the content of your work without worrying about the design. Explore presentation templates for pitch decks, annual reviews, and conference slides, and get ready to wow your audience. Choose a presentation template and customize it with your business's branding and logo. If you work in a creative field, don't shy away from bold designs and vivid colors . Presentation templates offer versatile options for personalizing—get creative by customizing your template or opt for adding your own text to existing designs. When you use a template at your next meeting, you'll turn a simple presentation into an opportunity to impress. To make presenting even easier, you can download your template in a variety of formats, like PowerPoint and PDF, or share it digitally with your colleagues.

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Millions of people — from students to CEOs — use Prezi to grab attention, stand out, and capture imaginations

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Focus on your own creativity and build off, remix, and reuse presentations from our extensive content library.

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Open canvas.

Create, organize, and move freely on an open canvas. Create seamless presentations without the restrictions of linear slides.

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Choose from millions of images, stickers, GIFs, and icons from Unsplash and Giphy.

A presentation that works for you

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Keep your audience engaged by putting yourself in the center of your presentation.

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Prezi AI is your new creative partner. Save time, amplify your ideas, and elevate your presentations.

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Browse our extensive collection of 436 free PowerPoint and Google Slides templates . Choose from a wide range of unique themes and backgrounds to create stunning presentations. Our templates are designed by professionals to ensure high-quality visuals and easy customization.

Templates are an essential component of any presentation. They set the tone and provide a consistent design throughout your slides. Our selection of templates spans various categories, from abstract to sports, business, nature, technology, and more. You’ll find the perfect fit for your presentation topic.

Whether you’re presenting a business proposal, sharing research findings, or educating others on a specific subject, our templates are tailored to suit various industries and applications. Utilizing these templates can save you time and effort in designing your presentation while ensuring a polished, professional look.

Our free PowerPoint and Google Slides templates are easily customizable. Alter colors, fonts, and images to match your brand identity or personal style. Elevate your presentations with our exceptional templates and make a lasting impression on your audience.

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• Presentation Collections

Explore 10+ Free PowerPoint Templates and Presentation Sites

It is no news that for anyone who has the need for using PowerPoint on a frequent basis, creating a presentation is rather a task. But it’s not just about what they write it is important that what they write is stylish and well presented on a computer screen.

Since more than thirty million presentations are created daily in PP, it is challenging to find a template suitable for the project.

However one should not let this deter him/her from preparing a well-orchestrated power point. To assist everyone who might be in a hurry to create an uncluttered and attractive presentation, below are more than 10 free PowerPoint templates.

3 Tips for Choosing the Best Free Presentation Template

With all these free PowerPoint presentation templates out there, looking for the correct one can be intriguing and a little bit challenging. Here are three tips that will help you in finding the perfect match:

1. Need-based: Versatility and Customizability

While choosing a new PowerPoint template, one has to take into consideration the features of its customization. With this regard, according to some recent presentation stats, 47% of the presentation designers claimed that making a PowerPoint presentation on their own requires more than 8 hours, while 29.4% needed the help of other designers or professionals. Thus, the availability of customizable PowerPoint templates is crucial for saving lots of precious time in the design process.

2. Neat Appearance: Uniformity and Professionalism

The art of selecting free PPT templates is to make the content appealing and professional in structure. The tricky part of this leads many to delegate PowerPoint presentation design in order to be able to provide their target audience with content in a format that suits their needs and taste.

3. Capture Attention Effectively: Visually Pleasing and Aesthetic Feel

Enticing presentations are key to delivering your message across. With the 10-minute rule for presentations, a diatribe of attention just occurs after 9 minutes and 59 seconds. That’s why choosing a free template should be done with much meticulousness to ensure that it contains visually consistent, yet really simple elements, illustrations, and infographics to guarantee your presentation a success. 

Top 3 Best Free PowerPoint Templates

It is always good to have more than 10 free PowerPoint templates, as available, but to get the right one may sometimes be a little tasking. To assist with this the top three recommendations have been made based on their ability to design PowerPoint presentations for professional use in a variety of sectors.

1. Microsoft

Who else to find free PPT templates from than those creating all the fuss, Microsoft? Knowing something or two about designing a good PowerPoint presentation, the official Microsoft website brings an incredibly broad and various selection of templates – all the way from lively, bright, and colored to severe, formal, and educational. 

Why: It offers a great variety, well-designed, diverse PowerPoint templates for  free download

Pros: Official site of PowerPoint with different template types, all of which are easy to download and use.

Best for: Professional, fun, aesthetic, artsy, business, and all other forms of PowerPoint templates.

2. SlideEgg

SlideEgg is an online resource offering ready-made presentation designs that one can use as a basis for presentations. They specialize in PowerPoint and Google Slides template and have recently incorporated Canva as an editing option.

Why: Covers all categories of customizable, nice-looking, and theme-based PowerPoint templates.

Strengths: The website is easy to move around and find the correct PowerPoint templates for free download 

Ideal for: Business, Education, and professional PowerPoint templates.

3. The Power of PowerPoint (POPP)

Power of PowerPoint  hosts the largest free library of PowerPoint templates for all kinds of presentations one might want to do, together with a very professional and slick look.

Why: Great resource for those who like to customize the template for their needs.

Strengths: Offers an extensive collection of free and customizable PowerPoint templates.

Top 10 Website Sources of Best PPT  templates for free download

The answer to a common question—where can the best PowerPoint templates be downloaded for free online? Below are the top 10 websites offering free PowerPoint templates.

• PresentationGO: PresentationGO is indeed a robust library for PowerPoint templates, with over 30 pages of new, purpose-serving unique templates.
• Behance: The best of the best design talents are represented on Behance, which you will be able to see in their free slides templates. Templates such as this startup pitch deck help tell a story with visuals really coming alive to tell the story.
• FPPT: It offers some of the best templates for presentations, like the Molecule template, which can be used in a business or even medical application. These highly designed templates provided by FPPT help in capturing the interest of your audience while delivering the message in front of them.
• AllPPT: In search of a slide deck specifically real estate, then ALLPPT is your go-to destination for real estate PowerPoint templates. ALLPPT slide layouts feature more than numerous categories, which range from finance and business to recreation, sports, military, etc.
• Graphic Panda: Graphic Panda brings together a host of very iconic PowerPoint templates to get your presentation needs done. These include the Company Profile template among others on business and startups.
• Kingsoft: Kingsoft does brilliant work with its free PPT templates for business individuals. You can use the slide decks for everything from pitches to corporate meetings.
• Free PPT Backgrounds: Free PPT Backgrounds is great for when you need an ultra-simple, minimal template that’s super easy to customize. These templates make it so easy to get up and running.
• Leawo: It is full of creativity, variety, and will help you make outstanding slide decks. The wide collection of free PPT templates covers everything, from NBA themes to Disney and finance.
• E-learning Heroes: If you want to liven up your presentations, grab a free template with slick design from E-Learning Heroes. Having these in hand, your presentations are going to be that much more persuasive and convincing.
• Indezine: This is a site that enables you to name a fair price of your own to download some great looking PowerPoint templates and designs. You can very well opt to pay zero; however, you will surely realize that these templates are worth much more. 

Designing a stunning and effective PowerPoint presentation doesn’t need to be such a chore. From these finest free templates to the tips provided, you can come up with presentations that look professional and above all, engage your audience. The right template will really make a big difference in how your message is perceived by your audience. So, surf through these resources; find one that really fits your needs, and then go ahead to create those presentations that will really stand out—Happy Presentation!

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Pramod Malnatchi

Pramod Malnatchi is an experienced content strategist with over 3 years of active practice. He excels at using his broad experience to provide clear, concise, and interesting data-driven content in different niches. With his skills in PowerPoint presentations and Google Slides, Pramod is capable of making an idea visually interesting in terms of presentation. He ensures the quality and accuracy of information in every project by doing thorough research and consulting with experts in the field.

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas How to Make a Presentation Longer: 7 Strategies to Master

How to Make a Presentation Longer: 7 Strategies to Master

A common question asked by presenters is how to extend a presentation’s duration. This can be because they feel the topic is covered superficially for the audience’s knowledge level or because they find themselves intimidated by the allocated time slot. Either way, adding filler content without care can lead to losing audience interest and significantly impact the presentation’s effectiveness.

The key to making a presentation longer without compromising quality lies in enhancing content depth, utilizing visual and interactive elements, and effectively managing the timing of the delivery. In this article, we will explore seven different strategies for extending a presentation’s length while preserving its quality and ensuring the additional time is meaningful.

Table of Contents

Strategy 1 – Expanding Content Depth

Strategy 2 – enhancing visuals and multimedia, strategy 3 – interactive elements and audience engagement, strategy 4 – revisiting and recapping, strategy 5 – time management and pacing, strategy 6 – supplementary materials and handouts, strategy 7 – enhancing the introduction and conclusion, final words.

As we previously mentioned, the feeling that the presentation can go much in depth is frequent when presenters have to simplify the complexity of their ideas (check our article on how to present complex concepts for more information) to meet the audience’s knowledge level. This can either work or be a total disaster if the presentation is trimmed without considering if the audience is getting a clear picture of what you’re explaining.

N.B.: If you’re wondering how to simplify explanations in your presentation to speak with a non-technical audience, check our article on applying Feynman’s Technique for presentations . 

Revisiting Core Topics: Adding Depth to Key Points

Start by reviewing the main topics of your presentation. Identify areas where you can provide additional insights or expand on existing points. This could involve discussing the historical context, exploring underlying theories, or addressing potential counterarguments. By doing so, you not only lengthen your presentation but also offer a more thorough exploration of the subject matter. This is a strategy commonly applied in thesis presentations .

For example, if your presentation is on marketing strategies, you could delve into the psychological principles behind consumer behavior or discuss the evolution of marketing trends over the years. This added depth can provide valuable context and make your presentation more compelling.

Providing Additional Examples and Case Studies

Real-world examples and case studies are powerful tools that help illustrate key points and make abstract concepts more relatable. By including more examples and detailed case studies, you can extend the length of your presentation while enhancing its practical value.

Consider breaking down elaborate examples step-by-step, analyzing the outcomes, and discussing lessons learned. You can also compare multiple case studies to highlight different approaches or outcomes, adding depth and duration to your presentation. An ideal tool for such a purpose is a comparison chart .

Integrating Data and Statistics

Data and statistics add credibility and authority to your presentation. More data points, charts, and graphs can help you fill additional time while supporting your arguments with concrete evidence.

When presenting data , take the time to explain its significance, how it was gathered, and what it means in the context of your topic. This will add length and ensure that your audience fully understands the importance of the information presented.

Visual elements and multimedia can significantly contribute to a presentation’s overall length and quality. By thoughtfully incorporating more slides, videos, and interactive media, you can both extend your presentation and make it more visually appealing.

Using More Slides with Detailed Information

One simple way to extend your presentation is by adding more slides. However, it’s essential to ensure that these slides contribute meaningful content. Apply one of the core concepts of the 10-20-30 rule of PowerPoint presentations and deliver one idea per slide.

For instance, if discussing a new software tool, you could dedicate one slide to its features, another to its benefits, and additional slides to real-world applications. This approach allows you to cover more ground without overwhelming your audience with too much information on a single slide.

Adding Videos and Animations

Working with video presentations and adding animations to PowerPoint slide decks can effectively increase the length of your presentation while providing a dynamic change of pace. Videos can serve as powerful visual aids, offering demonstrations, testimonials, or additional context that might be difficult to convey through text alone.

Ensure that any videos or animations used are directly relevant to the content and add value to the presentation. You can also pause after the video to discuss its content in detail, further extending the time. Another tip we can mention from our experience is to test the control buttons for the video, as sometimes presenters lose a lot of time trying to stop or rewind a video if a question arises.

Incorporating Infographics and Diagrams

Presentation infographics and diagrams are valuable tools for summarizing complex information in a visually engaging way. By taking the time to explain each component of an infographic or diagram, you can extend your presentation while helping your audience better understand the material.

For example, if your presentation involves explaining a process, a flowchart or diagram can break down each step. You can then discuss each part in detail, highlighting its significance and how it contributes to the overall process.

Let’s be clear: audience engagement is THE power element to extend your presentation’s length. This can be as simple as incorporating exercises inside your presentations, like questions to let the audience think about an idea. This section will explore three different approaches to boosting engagement through audience interaction.

Including Q&A Sessions

Designating specific times for Q&A sessions throughout the presentation effectively engages your audience and extends the presentation’s length. Encourage your audience to ask questions about the content you’ve covered and provide thorough answers.

If you anticipate questions that require more detailed responses, consider preparing additional slides or materials to support your answers. This lengthens the presentation and ensures that your audience feels their questions are being addressed comprehensively.

Q&A sessions don’t have to be neglected to the final part of your presentation. You can add them in the middle after defining a series of concepts and then engage with the audience to test their understanding until that point.

Utilizing Polls and Surveys

Interactive presentation elements like polls and surveys are great tools for involving your audience and gathering real-time feedback. You can use polling software to ask questions during the presentation, and the results will be displayed instantly on the screen, or work with a traditional method like survey PPT templates .

After each poll, discuss the results. You can compare them to industry data or research and explore what the answers might imply about your audience’s perspectives. This interaction extends the presentation and makes it more engaging for participants.

Encouraging Group Discussions

This strategy is commonly used in motivational presentations when speakers invite their audience to do two—to three-minute exercises in which a question is asked between pairs. 

After the group discussions, bring the audience together to share insights and observations. You can then comment on these points, adding your own perspective and tying the discussion back to the main content of your presentation.

Revisiting key points and providing recaps is a highly effective strategy for increasing content retention while extending the duration of your presentation.

Summarizing Key Points After Each Section

Summarize the key points at the end of each major section of your presentation. This reinforces the material and helps the audience retain the information.

Briefly recapping the content allows you to transition smoothly into the next section, which can naturally lengthen the presentation. This practice not only aids retention but also ensures that your audience stays on track with the flow of the presentation. Additionally, it can be a good strategy if the slide deck is repurposed in PDF format so the audience can revisit each section and remember the concepts.

Providing Multiple Recaps Throughout the Presentation

In addition to summarizing after each section, consider including recaps at various points throughout your presentation. These could be more detailed and involve revisiting earlier content in light of new information presented later.

For instance, if you introduce a concept early in the presentation, you could revisit it in a new context, showing how it applies to a different aspect of your topic. This would extend the presentation and deepen the audience’s understanding of the content.

We’ve spoken in the past about the importance of time management in leadership . For presenters, time management is as clear as understanding which is the adequate pacing for your speech, which areas to prioritize, and where you feel you can add an extra edge for the sake of improving your performance as a presenter.

Slowing Down Delivery for Emphasis

Presenters can naturally extend their presentation by slowing down their delivery, particularly when emphasizing key points. Speaking more slowly and deliberately can give your audience time to absorb the information and reflect on your words.

This approach also gives you the opportunity to elaborate on important concepts, ask rhetorical questions, and create a more thoughtful, measured pace for your presentation.

Practicing to Ensure Adequate Timing

Practice is essential for acknowledging that your presentation is the correct length. By rehearsing multiple times, you can identify areas where you can slow down, add more detail, or insert pauses for reflection or interaction.

Consider timing yourself during practice runs to see where you might need to extend or shorten sections. This will help you achieve a balanced, well-paced presentation that meets your time goals. 

Providing supplementary materials and handouts can add depth to your presentation and extend its duration by encouraging ongoing engagement with the content.

Preparing Extended Handouts

Create detailed presentation handouts that expand on the content of your talk. These can include additional information, resources for further reading, or detailed explanations of complex topics.

Refer to these handouts during the presentation and walk through them with your audience. This not only extends the presentation but also ensures that the audience has access to valuable take-home materials.

Distributing Reading Materials During the Presentation

If appropriate, you can distribute reading materials during the presentation and give the audience time to read them before continuing. These could be articles, reports, or any other document that adds to the presentation content.

After the reading, take the time to discuss the material with the audience, asking for their thoughts or providing your analysis. This is a well-known method of encouraging active learning in presentations.

Using Post-Presentation Content for Extended Engagement

To extend engagement after the presentation, consider offering additional content or activities. This could include follow-up emails with additional resources, online discussions, or even a webinar that delves deeper into the topic.

The introduction and conclusion of a presentation are critical moments that set the stage and leave a lasting impression. Expanding these sections can effectively lengthen your presentation while ensuring it is impactful from start to finish.

Starting with a Detailed Introduction

Presenters often dwell on the best way to start a presentation . A well-crafted introduction does more than just outline the structure of your presentation—it sets the tone and provides context that can draw in your audience. Take time to introduce the topic comprehensively, explaining why it matters and how it relates to the audience’s interests or challenges.

You might also include a brief overview of what led you to explore the topic, such as personal experiences, research findings, or current industry trends. This adds a narrative element to your presentation, making it more engaging and setting the stage for the detailed content to follow.

Additionally, consider using an anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a surprising statistic to hook your audience from the start. These elements capture attention and allow you to explore the topic from different angles, thus extending the length of your introduction.

Expanding on the Conclusion with Actionable Takeaways

The conclusion of your presentation should do more than simply recap the content—it should also offer actionable takeaways that the audience can apply in their own work or lives. Take the time to clearly articulate these takeaways, explaining why they are important and how they can be implemented.

You can also revisit any questions or challenges posed in the introduction, providing answers or solutions based on the content covered in the presentation. This full-circle approach reinforces the material and adds additional time as you guide the audience through applying what they’ve learned.

Consider ending with a call to action slide , encouraging your audience to take specific steps based on the information presented. Whether it’s implementing a new strategy, conducting further research, or simply reflecting on the insights shared, a strong conclusion with clear next steps can significantly extend the duration of your presentation while leaving a lasting impact.

We’ve explored seven ways of creating more meaningful time in your presentations, several of which encourage active audience participation. Working on your presentation skills is a good idea to optimize your abilities in handling transitions, unexpected pauses, unplanned questions, and any inconvenience that can divert your attention from the planned course. 

Whether you are preparing for a business, academic, or public speaking event, the strategies outlined in this article provide a comprehensive guide to ensuring your presentation is both longer and more impactful.

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How does Plus AI compare to Copilot for PowerPoint?

Plus AI is custom-built for professionals who need slides for work or school, while Copilot is a general-purpose chatbot with limited functionality in PowerPoint.

We suggest trying both and seeing which one creates better content for you. You can also see example outputs in this article, or read our articles on how to use Copilot and the differences between the two tools .

What is the best free AI PowerPoint maker?

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You can see how Plus compares to other AI presentation tools in this roundup.

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The most popular PowerPoint Templates and Google Slides themes

The most downloaded PPT templates and Google Slides themes . This collection features the top 100 best templates in the last 12 months.

Pastel Notebook for group projects, free for PowerPoint and Google Slides. Upgrade your group project presentation from basic to breezy! This free digital notebook template gives your slides a fresh, approachable look. Forget stuffy templates – the pastel colors add a pop of personality without being too formal. This versatile […]

Pastel Notebook free presentation ppt template and Google Slides theme.

Formal B&W free PowerPoint Template and Google Slides Theme Ever feel like you just need a clean slate to get your ideas down?  This simple black and white presentation template is perfect for those times.  With its classic look, it won’t distract from your content,  allowing you to focus on structuring your thoughts […]

Simple and Formal Black & White free presentation template.

Vintage Vision Board with Monthly Calendars, free for PowerPoint and Google Slides. This free vision board template can be used as a planner for a monthly overview of your envisioned ideas, or, since I included a Title Slide and a Title and Body slide, you can also use it for […]

Vintage Vision Board with Monthly Calendars free template.

Spruce up your next presentation with Minimal Social, a free downloadable template for Google Slides and PowerPoint. Craving a presentation that’s both stylish and versatile? Look no further than the Minimal Social template! This free downloadable theme boasts a clean, minimalist design with muted tones and a touch of social media […]

Minimal Social free multipurpose presentation template.

Captivate your audience and transform your presentation on early childhood development with this free template!  Playful illustrations like children’s handprints, whimsical doodles, paper airplanes and windmills bring a touch of childlike wonder to your slides. This engaging template is the perfect backdrop to share your valuable insights on this crucial […]

Early Childhood free presentation template for Google Slides and PPT.

Flowers and Ladybugs free Spring Season template for google slides and PowerPoint. This free template for Google Slides and PowerPoint is the perfect way to add a touch of springtime cheer to your lessons. It features adorable graphics of flowers, bees, and ladybugs – a charming combination that’s sure to […]

Spring has sprung and it’s time to bring some floral fun to your classroom!

Free syllabus template for Google Slides and PowerPoint to inject personality into your class introduction. Forget about boring old paper syllabus, this free template is the perfect way to communicate the overview of your class, define expectations and responsibilities in an appealing way. It features a notebook with linked tabs […]

Interactive Notebook free syllabus template.

Free syllabus template for Google Slides and PowerPoint to inject personality into your course introduction. Forget about boring old paper syllabus, this free template is the perfect way to communicate the overview of your class, define expectations and responsibilities in a stylish way. It features file folders with linked tabs […]

20XX Syllabus template, free for Google Slides and PowerPoint.

Unfold the Story: Free Book Review Scrapbook Template for Google Slides & PowerPoint. Book lovers, unleash your inner reviewer! Ditch the dull format and craft a stellar review with this FREE Book Review Scrapbook Template for Google Slides & PowerPoint. Express your creativity with pictures, quotes, and even character collages. […]

Book Review Scrapbook. Presentation template and worksheet.

Make a lasting impression on your audience with this free and professional PowerPoint template and Google Slides theme. This template has a clean and modern design and features a peach color accent that you can modify easily to match your brand colors or preferences. Whether you’re preparing for a captivating […]

Formal peach free ppt template and Google Slides theme.

Elevate Your Presentations with Earthy Elegance and Sophistication with this free PowerPoint Template and Google Slides Theme. Beth is a stunning free template for Google Slides and PowerPoint, featuring a soothing palette of earthy tones, organic shapes, and leaves. The template is designed to exude a sense of natural elegance […]

Beth, elegant and versatile free template.

Valentine’s Day Gnomes: A Free Template for Google Slides and PowerPoint. As Valentine’s Day draws near, it’s time to start planning your classroom activities. This cute and free template is perfect for celebrating the holiday with your students. It features adorable Valentine’s Day gnomes, hearts, balloons, and messages to spread […]

Valentine’s Day Gnomes, spread love with this cute free template.

Transport Your Audience Back to the 90s with This Groovy Template for PowerPoint and Google Slides. Relive the nostalgia of the 1990s with this free and creative PowerPoint template and Google Slides theme. This vibrant design is packed with fun icons, geometric shapes, and bright colors that will transport your audience back to […]

90’s Vibes free creative Powerpoint template and Google Slides theme.

Organize Your Digital Life with This Pastel-Colored Ring Binder, free for PowerPoint and Google Slides. This free digital ring binder, available in editable formats for PowerPoint and Google Slides, is the perfect tool for streamlining your digital life. With its eight customizable tabs and easy navigation, you can keep your […]

Free Digital ring binder with pastel colors editable in PowerPoint and Google Slides.

Vega is a free and versatile PowerPoint and Google Slides template that helps you create visually appealing and effective presentations. With its clean design, this template provides a harmonious backdrop for your ideas, ensuring that your audience’s attention remains focused on your message. Whether you’re creating a business presentation, an educational presentation, […]

Vega, free multipurpose PPT and Google Slides template.

PowerPoint Slide or Lecture Note References

This page contains reference examples for PowerPoint slides or lecture notes, including the following:

• PowerPoint slides available online
• PowerPoint slides from a classroom website

Use these formats to cite information obtained directly from slides.

If the slides contain citations to information published elsewhere, and you want to cite that information as well, then it is best to find, read, and cite the original source yourself rather than citing the slides as a secondary source.

Writers creating PowerPoint presentations in APA Style should present information clearly and concisely. Many APA Style guidelines can be applied to presentations (e.g., the guidance for crediting sources, using bias-free language, and writing clearly and concisely).

However, decisions about font size, amount of text on a slide, color scheme, use of animations, and so on are up to writers; these details are not specified as part of APA Style.

1. PowerPoint slides available online

Jones, J. (2016, March 23). Guided reading: Making the most of it [PowerPoint slides]. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/hellojenjones/guided-reading-making-the-most-of-it

• Parenthetical citation : (Jones, 2016)
• Narrative citation : Jones (2016)
• When the slides are available online to anyone, provide the site name on which they are hosted in the source element of the reference, followed by the URL of the slides.

2. PowerPoint slides from a classroom website

Mack, R., & Spake, G. (2018). Citing open source images and formatting references for presentations [PowerPoint slides]. Canvas@FNU. https://fnu.onelogin.com/login

• Parenthetical citation : (Mack & Spake, 2018)
• Narrative citation : Mack and Spake (2018)
• If the slides come from a classroom website, learning management system (e.g., Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Sakai), or company intranet and you are writing for an audience with access to that resource, provide the name of the site and its URL (use the login page URL for sites requiring login).
• If the audience for which are you writing does not have access to the slides, cite them as a personal communication .

PowerPoint slide references are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 10.14 and the Concise Guide Section 10.12

From Satire To Satire: How Gen Z Is Revamping The Legacy Of “Death By PowerPoint”

Young Cheerful Handsome Business Manager Wearing a Suit and Tie is Dancing like Crazy in the Office. ... [+] Diverse and Motivated Business People Work on Computers in Modern Open Office.

Fourteen years ago, Don McMillan, a Silicon Valley electrical engineer, recorded a YouTube video called “Life after Death by PowerPoint,” in which—as the title clearly states—he satirized the excesses and abuses of business presentation slides. In a key scene, McMillan says, “Here are the common PowerPoint® mistakes. Number One: People tend to put every word they are going to say on their PowerPoint® slides. Although this eliminates the need to memorize your talk, ultimately this makes your slide crowded, wordy, and boring. You will lose your audience’s attention before you even reach the bottom of your uh—first slide.”

What makes the scene funny is that every word McMillan speaks is on his slide, and that he reads them verbatim with his eyes glued to the screen and his back turned to his audience.

The video has amassed more than four million views and launched McMillan into a successful career as a professional comedian performing at corporate events.

Over the years, McMillan’s satirical campaign against the abuses and excesses of PowerPoint was picked up by New Yorker Magazine cartoons. One of the best, by Alex Gregory , shows the Devil interviewing an assistant and saying, “I need someone well-versed in the art of torture—do you know PowerPoint?”

Flash forward to last week when the Wall Street Journal ran a front page story titled, “Nothing Says ‘Party!’ to Gen Z Quite Like a 50-Deck PowerPoint and a Remote Clicker,” that describes a new trend in which the young generation uses the software to create presentations about frivolous—and therefore humorous—subjects. The authors of the story, WSJ Reporting Interns Sanvi Bangalore and Milla Surjadi, Gen Zers themselves, report that many of their peers “are amused by the irony of using professional technology to present NSFW content.” Bangalore and Surjadi call the trend “comedic ammo” because it used parody as criticism, just as McMillan did.

The reason that these abuses and excesses have persisted for so long can be traced back to the days before PowerPoint (as well as Google Slides and Keynote) and even before 35mm slides when presentations were done on flip charts. Those large cumbersome sheets mounted on rickety easels became the center of attention as a large surface that all the participants could see and share; but it also served to document the ideas that could later be copied and distributed to others who did not attend the session. In their earliest incarnation then, the flip chart served two purposes: as a display during the meeting and as a record capable of duplication and distribution after the meeting.

Thus, was born the “Twofer”—a mismatched conflation of a display and a document— composed of overloaded slides and inadequate documents. The dysfunctional practice persists despite years of “Death by PowerPoint” jokes and satire. Old habits die hard. Clearly the solution is to separate the functions by creating two entities: a simple headline for display in PowerPoint (or other slide software) and separate documents to record and distribute done with Word (or other word processing software).

The Gen Zers, who became fluent with PowerPoint during their childhoods, are now entering the workforce and creating slides for more senior people to present. Let’s hope that their skills, their satire, and their parties can break the mold.