A short, good quality video that is used purposefully and shown at the right moment in a presentation can work wonders to keep an audience engaged and interested in the topic presented.

Videos are an effective and persuasive presentation tool that incorporate more ideas, examples and additional expert input into any presentation. When used correctly in a presentation, video undoubtedly helps to get the message across more clearly.

5 Ways to Combine Videos with Your Presentation

It is important to determine what exactly it is that you want to achieve with the presentation video material. Also decide when it will be the most appropriate to show the video clips. Will it be used as an introduction, a conclusion, or somewhere in the middle of your presentation? Let’s consider 5 ways to combine videos with your presentations.

1. Introductory

Video is a great tool for capturing attention. It can be used as an introduction to your presentation, as it may serve as a talking point, or to simply get your audience interested in your topic. Video allows for imagery to get viewers’ attention and may even utilize storytelling to draw viewers in. A carefully selected video will establish the theme of the presentation and also build anticipation and excitement about the topic that you are about to discuss.

2. Clarification

Video can be used to “show, rather than tell”, provide concrete examples, and clarify points made. Especially where information in your presentation is particularly demanding, a video can be used to provide the necessary clarification to take your presentation forward. Video allows us to make sense of abstract concepts, as it involves audio and visual senses optimally. This also means that more information can be communicated in less time. Therefore, make it easier for your audience to grasp what you are trying to communicate by using a video clip that clarifies the point that you are making, or demonstrates a complicated concept.

3. Responsibility

It is feelings rather than words that will get the desired reaction from your audience. Video may be more effective in getting an emotional response from your audience. Video appeals to visual and auditory systems through sounds, music, imagery, body language, and facial expressions. This makes video a tool that can elicit an emotional response, be persuasive and may influence decision making in the audience members. People remember stories they have heard far better than statistics or factual information. So, in order to elicit an emotional response from the audience that will nudge them into action, an anecdote / narrative will do wonders to get the viewers emotionally involved.

4. Segmentation

A presentation that merely involves slides on a screen can become very tedious. Fortunately video can be used effectively to break up dull parts of a presentation. When the content is segmented or chunked, with the use of relevant and effective video clips, one can deliver an outstanding presentation!  As the video brings variety and breaks the presentation into shorter chunks, the presentation becomes more manageable, not only for the audience, but also for the presenter. (The presenter can pause for a moment, take a sip of water, and glance at speech notes in preparation for the next part of the presentation.) It is, however, essential to establish a smooth transition between the talking and the playing of video clips.

5. Conclusion

Not only can you use video at the beginning of the presentation, but you can also end the presentation with a video that summarizes the information conveyed or highlights the most important points made. A video can provide a very powerful close to a presentation, as the combination of audio and visual media will ensure more accurate recall of the information presented. When the presentation concludes with words, as well as with video material, long term memory recall is enhanced. Here it is especially important to make use of a short, to the point, video clip that will end the presentation on a high note.

If you want to deliver an influential and inspiring presentation, it needs to include carefully selected, short video clips. Make sure that the clips are relevant to your topic and that the audience knows what you aim to achieve through each video shown. Finally, pay close attention to the transitioning into and out of a video during a presentation – by embedding the video clips into the presentation slides, your presentation will run smoothly and the video material will take your presentation to the next level!