On Wednesday we talked about what it means to give a multimedia or multimodal presentation and why it’s so important. But how do we create multimedia presentations when so much of our business these days is conducted via online platforms?
By Tay Vaughan’s definition in his book Multimedia: Making It Work, a multimedia presentation combines elements of text, images, sound, animation, and video. Below are 3 ways to get creative with presentations conducted on platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, or Skype.
Use the Chat Thread
One of the easiest ways to create a more engaging multimodal presentation is to use the chat thread feature available in most online platforms. For example, you could pose a question and have the audience respond individually in the thread. This gets more people involved, especially those who don’t like talking in a online chat format. You might even ask them to respond with only an image or GIF. This allows you to get away from text/words and move toward visuals.
Think about whether you’ll have a lot of activity on the chat thread or if you plan to use it a lot. If so, consider having someone else facilitate the chat thread so that you can focus on the presentation. That way, you aren’t distracted by the thread, but the chat still gets the attention it deserves. Just have someone from your team respond to questions and bring to your attention anything you need to address. And remember that most online platforms allow you to control the thread, so you can turn it off completely or adjust the settings. Take some time to think about how you can use it in a way that enhances the experience for your audience.
Move Outside the Platform
Another strategy for getting more variety in online presentations is to allow the audience members to navigate outside the platform for a brief time. I saw a great example of this recently. I was attending an online conference about social media, race, and social justice. Towards the beginning of the presentation, the speaker started by telling everyone to spend the next 3 minutes exploring the content they could find under the #GeorgeFloyd hashtag on Twitter. For 3 minutes, all of the audience members scrolled through posts, pictures, and a videos on the topic before the speaker brought us back together to begin a presentation on the role of social media in social movements.
Most of us are presenting to audiences who are accustomed to traversing technology with ease. When we ask them to spend time on a website or another platform, it feels comfortable and familiar for them because it mimics our natural information and entertainment patterns. Plus, it allows for variety and increased attention once everyone comes back together on the video call. Just make sure to give clear instructions about turning mics and videos off and about when to come back. Some platforms even allow you to post a timer for when you’ll resume the presentation which gives the audience members a helpful countdown.
Create a Video
One of the things that keeps presenters from creating multimedia presentations on online platforms is that they dread using the screen share function. Which makes sense. It can be tricky to get the audio and visual elements to function correctly. It gets even trickier if you are using multiple screens or going back and forth frequently.
However, you can avoid these potential technology pitfalls by creating a pre-packaged video ahead of time. A video often combines multimedia elements like sound, animation, or video. Then, all you have to do is share the screen once during the presentation. I always suggest creating an unlisted YouTube link of your video, as well. That way, you have an easy link you can share. Then the audience can just access your video from the chat thread link if the screen share function doesn’t work properly.
And if you are nervous about using the chat thread or screen share function, set up a call with a friend or coworker ahead of time to test it all out. In fact, do that even if you feel completely comfortable with the technology. Create a technology run through the same way you would if you were giving a presentation in person.
Just because you have to use an online platform doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of the engaging and entertaining features of multimodal presentations. Which one will you try on your next Zoom call? The chat thread? Involving another website? Or a sharing a video? Whatever you decide to use, your audience will thank you.
Ready for more ideas to take your presentation to the next level?
