Twitter – for the uninitiated – is an online service that combines the interactivity of social networking with the self-expression of blogging. Basically, folks who Twitter create communities of friends, family members and colleagues who also Twitter. The system allows you to stay in touch by continually updating your status by micro-blogging – commenting on your moment to moment activities in 140 characters or less. Folks can also share links etc. in these updates.
So what does this have to do with your PowerPoint presentation?
The fact is, tons of people are Twittering nowadays, and it is one of the most compulsively engaged, widespread networks going. Remember when the plane crash landed on the Hudson river recently? Long before new crews and helicopters arrived – or even knew about the accident – a passenger on a nearby ferry had already taken photos with his cell phone and Twittered them to his network. Before any official announcements were made, millions of people were actually browsing the images in real-time!
How can you put this technology to work for you at your next presentation?
Embrace The Twitter
We’re all looking for new ways to engage our audiences and keep them involved when we put on our PowerPoint presentations. Of course, the first rule is always great content, but how can you use Twitter to help you connect more effectively? Try breaking your presentation up into bite sized chunks – separated by short pauses – that make for easy Twittering. Also, turn your talking points into “tweet points”: short, catchy phrases that can easily be Twittered by your audience members. Custom-design your presentation for Twitter and your audience will catch on quickly!
Tweet And Twitter, Plus And Minus
Of course, trying to integrate a technology like Twitter into your next PowerPoint presentation can give you and your audience a unique way to interact, increasing the reach of your message exponentially. However, you may also be risking loosing control of your presentation in the middle of a Tweet-storm run wild! Make sure to structure your presentation in a manner that allows for appropriate Twittering of specific messages while still leaving you in charge. Also, clearly define your PowerPoint presentation as a Twitter-fest so you don’t end up leaving a number of non-Twittering audience members out of the fun.
Wade Through The Twitter Stream
It is important to monitor the Twitterstream in real time during your presentation. If you aren’t aware of the ideas, issues and questions that your audience is generating in response to your talk, you’re not really interacting after all. Consider displaying the Twitterstream live. This will add an entirely new dimension to your presentations, creating a truly instantaneous communication between you and every member of your audience!
Tweet! Tweet!
[adsense:468×60:8572691380]
