Let’s say you work in a cybersecurity firm. Your organization is merging with a computer firm to introduce additional products to its market. As a senior manager, you have been tasked with sharing information about your company with the prospect.
From the instructions, you have to present analytics, transactions, and other relevant data to the prospect. You have to put the information in a format that’s appealing to your audience. You must include videos, images, texts, and audio in your presentation. This way, you engage your audience and stand better chances of closing the deal. It’s a challenging assignment, and you need practical solutions.
Luckily, the internet is packed with a lot of software for making good presentations. You can find paid and free software for making killer presentations. Better still is how the software includes templates that make it easy to present complex topics.
Google Slides
Google slides are great for collaboration. They are excellent for teams that are spread out in different locations around the world. Google allows for collaboration within the app, and anyone invited through email or the link can view, comment, or edit on the file.
Another exciting part of Google Slides is that it is free for anyone with a Google account. With Google Slides, you only need to select a theme, insert text and graphics, and your presentation is complete within a short time.
Aspects
- You can embed videos and include animations
- A variety of themes to choose from
- Has revision history in case you want to retrieve a previous version
- Saves files automatically, so no changes are lost
- Compatible with PowerPoint presentations. You can convert a Slide to a PowerPoint presentation and vice-versa
- Google Slides can be viewed offline
- You can include images from the web, your computer, or Google Drive
- The business accounts cost $6 to $18/user/month
Visme
If you are building presentations from scratch, then Visme is the right software for the job. Visme has a variety of templates that make it easy to create any presentation. It also offers different color palettes, so you have the right appearance for your presentation.
Better still are the various graphics and icons available for your presentations. There are a variety of pie charts and Venn diagrams that are excellent for comparison information. You can also spruce your presentation with a variety of royalty-free images available in the app.
Aspects
- You can download presentations in several different formats
- The paid plan allows for the private sharing of the slideshow
- You can view analytics when the presentation is public
- Ability to create reports and infographics
- There’s the free and paid version. The paid version ranges from $14 per user per month, billed annually.
Microsoft PowerPoint
Old is gold, and this is a fact with the Microsoft PowerPoint. Even with new applications coming up, PowerPoint still offers the best presentation option. It’s easy to use and readily available on any device.
To top it up, PowerPoint has dozens of built-in themes available for use. You can customize images and change fonts until you achieve the right look for your presentations. Better still is how Microsoft allows you to import free PowerPoint templates from the internet to create stunning presentations.
Aspects
- Ability to deliver presentations in real-time through Broadcast live
- You can view current and upcoming slides simultaneously
- You can print a PowerPoint presentation in PDF format
- You can search for graphics using relevant keywords on the PowerPoint library
- Ability to embed videos from the internet
- Integration with AI technology
- Easily convert voice-overs to text
- Downloadable on Android and iOS devices
- Paid as a subscription from $5 to $20 per month
Apple Keynote
Keynote is an application that’s specific to Apple devices. Anyone with an Apple ID can use Keynote for free. The templates in Keynote are also stunning and excellent for making your presentation stand out. They come in bold, significant, and wide sizes that are attractive to view.
Keynote also offers live previews to help you see how your templates appear on each slide. They present a toolbar that enables you to update and edit the slides in real-time. Getting started on Keynote is also easy as long as you are connected to iCloud.
Aspects
- Direct control from iPad, iPhone, and Apple watch
- Includes a Touch ID passcode that will protect your device from unauthorized access
- Availability of a variety of icons and symbols
- GIF images can be added as .gif
- You can present narrated audios by uploading voice-overs
- Can be viewed offline by downloading as .pdf or .pptx
- Over 30 effects and cinematic animations
- Includes math equations and charts for educational institutions
Prezi
Prezi breaks the monotony of linear presentations. Prezi digitalizes your presentations, so you can deliver your message in a conversational format. With Prezi, presentations no longer have to move slide by slide. Prezi allows for a non-conventional way of presentation where information is revealed by zooming on different screen areas.
For teams that want to share ideas, Prezi offers excellent opportunities for collaboration. It’s a great brainstorming software that allows several members to share ideas in real-time. It also enables sharing presentations within your organization and on the internet, providing a larger platform for engaging your audience.
Aspects
- Ability to import free PowerPoint templates and convert them to Prezi presentation
- Portable presentation and presenter view available on the paid package
- Allows for offline presentation and editing through native desktop apps
- Delivers analytics for shared and public presentations
- Most presentations are viewed as animations
- You can present a video alongside your text and images
- Slack integration available on demand
Final Thoughts
Attractive visuals are essential for keeping your audience glued to your presentation. It’s for this reason that software plays a key role in creating appealing visuals. If you are looking for stunning templates for your presentation, consider the five software shared above.
You can also research your audience to discover what makes them tick. Always remember that good presentation is what every institution, business, and individual need to share complex topics with ease.