Presenting slides on Zoom: what’s the right amount?

When it comes to how many slides you can use in your Zoom presentation, that is totally up to you. Doing it right depends if you learn some tips to give your slides that extra boost you are looking for. 

One of the questions I get all the time is: how many slides should I have in my presentation? Many experts would give you different answers, but in my opinion, as long as they are engaging, you can use as many as you wish. Nevertheless, there are some key points you need to consider before you start preparing all those slides on Zoom:

1. Less is more:

Try to incorporate more images and less text on your slides.  Don't decide on a specific number based on an expert’s opinion, practice your presentation a few times, make sure you can deliver it with a good flow and that you don't feel rushed to jump from one slide to the next. 

2. Bullet points kill presentations:

If the point you are making is so important, consider having a whole slide for that point instead of an extra bullet point. If you must use bullets, 3 is the magic number. Also, try to keep it short like and with a simple relation that makes sense like past, present, future, or green, yellow and red. 

3. Be strategic about your content: 

Don’t give away all the information at once. Try to unload all the things you have to say with purpose and structure, help your audience navigate all the information you have in store for them. This would give clarity and will allow your attendees understand better what you are saying. 

4. Organize your slides to retain your audience until the end:

One of the most important things when structuring your slides is to organize them in a way that creates retention. For instance, you can mention at the beginning of your presentation how many points you are going to make and then list them in your slides, that gives your audience an idea of when you are going to finish. 

5. Stick to a low number of slides:

Try to avoid clutter and stick to a manageable number of slides for you and for your audience, so they can anticipate with ease what comes next without getting lost in a sea of slides and bulletpoints. Be precise and assertive. 

To wrap it up...

In conclusion, focus on quality not quantity. Avoid clutter, and if you think you are giving too much information on your slides go ahead and cut some.

Engage them with some intrigue, keep your slides entertaining with cool images and be as clear as you can be so your audience will enjoy and absorb all the content you’ve prepared for them! 

Remember, slides on Zoom are just an aid, you should not rely on them, after all, you are the presentation. If you want to learn how to make them even more effective you should try the 5 second rule.