The Presenter’s Guide to Social Media

Today, there is almost no escaping the grips of social media. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. According to the Pew Research Center, almost 65% of adults are sharing and consuming information via social media – 10X more than 10 years ago. What does this mean for those preparing to give a presentation? There are a few moving parts. While Twitter and Instagram might be the obvious choices for presentation integration, Facebook and LinkedIn are equally useful tools. Here are some tips on how to utilize various social media platforms before, during, and after your presentation.

social_media_information

Before Your Presentation

  1. Target your audience

Before you even start thinking about content, consider who will be listening to you. If you take the extra time to gain insight into the needs of your audience, you will craft more relevant content. Just as people search potential employers prior to an interview, presenters should search potential attendees. With 414 million users currently, LinkedIn is a great resource to consult to accomplish that goal. Consider connecting with a few individuals and maybe even setting up a face-to-face meeting or two. Also complete a search of attendees’ Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram accounts for an even deeper understanding of their needs.

  1. Create a hashtag and include your Twitter handle

You can optimize your social media presence by selecting a specific hashtag, incorporating it in posts teasing your talk, however, the hashtag should relate to your presentation topic. Include whatever hashtag you use in shared content before the event and take note of the types of content that are more engaging to your audience. Don’t forget to add your Twitter handle to strengthen the association with your content in your audience’s mind.

During Your Presentation

  1. Include verbal shareable content

Sometimes audience members may feel compelled to tweet or post something you said during the presentation. As a presenter attempting to spread your ideas and persuade others to care about your story, investing time in producing inspirational or particularly knowledgeable copy can expand your influence post-presentation.

Let’s say you are giving a presentation on deforestation. Your Twitterable moment would likely be something like this:

Deforestation destroys 48 football fields of forest every minute. 

Combine that statement with your Twitter handle and you’ve got fuel for an online marketing campaign.

  1. Use social media as a discussion tool

If you announce an opportunity for individuals to ask questions or make comments on social media with the hashtag, then you can monitor their thoughts. ProPresenter6 is a tool that allows the presenter to moderate Twitter and Instagram on one screen, while viewing a separate slide on the other. After searching for a certain phrase, results from the two social media platforms will immediately appear on the screens. 

After Your Presentation

  1. Share presentation content online

Don’t let all of the research and design work poured into your presentation go to waste. Target a different audience by sharing your slides on LinkedIn, design an infographic based on the information you presented and push it out on Twitter, Facebook and even Pinterest. Capitalize on your presentation and build your professional brand in the process. The more visual the content, the better as posts with images generate engagement 650% higher than posts with only text.

social_media_engagement

  1. Engage online

The presentation is over, but your relationship-building efforts with the audience shouldn’t end. For example, in Ten Simple Rules for Effective Online Outreach, the authors discuss the importance of “monitoring accounts and participating in subsequent discussions (e.g., responding to Facebook/Blog comments, answering questions on Twitter)” within the science community.

“Social media engagement therefore helps audiences pursue their own interests, helps scientists address controversial topics like climate change, and simultaneously helps break down perceived barriers between scientists and society.” – National Institutes of Health Editor Philip E. Bourne

Overall, social media platforms can not only enhance audience engagement offline, but also online.

Find out more about improving your presentation and connecting with your audience.

The Best Way to Communicate Your Ideas

Presentation Skills for Introverts and Extroverts

5 Mistakes Presenters Keep Making

Join our newsletter today!

© 2006-2024 Ethos3 – An Award Winning Presentation Design and Training Company ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Contact Us