Learn how to write an effective PowerPoint presentation. Discover the writing process for PPT. Take your idea from concept to draft to polished presentation.
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jun 19, 2023 • 21 min readAre you writing a PowerPoint presentation? Learning how to create a PowerPoint takes practice. The writing process helps you organize the steps to produce a presentation.
You know your topic and audience. You know that your slides must grab attention, follow a logical order, and flow smoothly. This takes some work. But the first step in figuring out how to make a business presentation for PPT is to sit down and begin to write.
Before jumping in, look through our professional templates on Envato Elements. We'll explain how to plan and how to write a PowerPoint presentation. This introduction to PowerPoint writing has everything you need.
Do you want a head start on learning how to writing a presentation? If so, you'll want to review this short video that explains the basics of writing a PowerPoint presentation:
You've just learned how to create a PowerPoint. But there's more.
Download your free eBook on making presentations below. And don't forget to read the written tutorial for even more tips about writing a PowerPoint presentation.
Jump to content in this sectionTake what you'll learn in this tutorial further. Download our free eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations.
Learn the complete presentation process in this comprehensive guide. That way, you can go beyond writing your presentation. You can learn to design all your slides like a pro, deliver to your audience with impact, and more.
In our tutorial, we make it simple. We go over how to write a PowerPoint presentation—quickly and painlessly. We’ll start with how to write a compelling introduction with a fail-proof “hook.” Then, we'll look at how to create an outline, and how to finish strong. Finally, we’ll wrap it up with some helpful design tips. These help the written and visual components of your presentation come together.
We've got the steps you need as an introduction to PowerPoint writing. Now let's get into the writing process that leads to a professional PowerPoint presentation!
Before you can write your presentation, you need to do some research. Here are the steps to take:
Right now, before you get any further in the process, write out what your topic is in one sentence. Think of it as a mini thesis for your presentation.
To be effective, your single sentence “thesis” must be specific, relevant, and debatable. It's an argument that you'll spend the rest of your presentation proving.
For example, you may start by saying,
“It’s good for photographers to be aware of their surroundings.”
Think how this would read if you were a bit more specific.
“As a street photographer it’s important to be clear about your circumstances.”
Both phrases essentially say the same thing, but the second is more focused.
And finally, getting as specific and clear as possible might look like this mini-thesis from one of our photography tutorials:
Few things are more important as a street photographer than being clear on the context, or circumstances, in which you are photographing.
Now that you’ve written out your topic's mini thesis, it’s time to get to the main points.
The simplest way to do this? Make a list. Jot down everything that comes to mind on your topic. Once you’ve done this, go back through the list. Highlight (or circle or underline) the points that are most important.
Remember, one key factor of your thesis is debatability. Treat this like an argument that you're trying to win. If you only had five to six main points to persuade a listener to agree with your opinion, which points would you choose?
An outline for a PowerPoint presentation helps you organize your thoughts. And it helps you decide exactly what to include.
A PowerPoint presentation outline is a roadmap for your written presentation. Use one whenever you think about how to create a PowerPoint. These list the essential points you’ll explore. These you’ve already identified in the step above. Now, you'll organize the points in a logical way, starting with your introduction.
Now you know how to write a PowerPoint presentation outline. Next, let’s look at how to write a script for a presentation.
Once you've done your research and you understand your topic, you're ready to start writing:
Remember that mini thesis we worked on? You’re about to be glad you did it.
Your introduction should consist of two things: your thesis and a summary of your outline. It's important to find the right balance with how you approach this. You want to neatly skim over each of the main points you'll cover, but without giving too much away too early.
Your introduction shouldn’t just be informative, it needs to be engaging, too. It's your opportunity to convince your listeners that what you've got to say is interesting and worth their attention. It should grab their attention.
Your conclusion will look and sound a lot like your introduction. But there's one key difference. Your introduction is to intrigue, and your conclusion is to call your listeners to action.
Avoid watered down phrases as you wrap up your points. Learning how to write a presentation means sharpening your focus. Don't give hints or suggestions. Instead, use direct language and make impactful summary points.
Focus on that key last impression. Imagine what you want your listeners to leave your presentation with.
Your goal with the first statement of your introduction is to hook your listeners. You want to say something that makes them want to keep listening.
Ways to hook audience:
This tutorial on how to make a good persuasive presentation has many helpful tips on crafting a compelling hook:
Think of each main point as a mini hook. A point is an opportunity to draw your audience in. Take advantage of this. Every main point you make should be a memorable one-liner.
When it comes to the delivery of each point, remember to speak clearly, state slowly, and pause where appropriate for effect.
The writing process for PowerPoint doesn't work in isolation. It's one of many contributing factors that fuel a winning slide deck. Design is equally important.
Nothing will distract your audience more than a poorly designed PowerPoint presentation. It's essential to have a clear design strategy that pulls your presentation together. If you're lacking one, you won't inspire your audience. Here are a few critical design steps to take:
Your slides need to be up-to-date and relevant. Have you ever seen a presentation that used a template that looks like it’s outdated or overused?
So, has your audience. Instead, download one of the many fresh modern PowerPoint templates from our Envato Elements. There are many professional options to choose from like the Golazo PowerPoint Presentation below.
Golazo PowerPoint Presentation format from Envato Elements
The PowerPoint presentation format also needs to be on target with your goals. Learning how to make PowerPoint slides means knowing that every design isn't perfect for every occasion.
Learning how to create a PowerPoint is easier with great designs. For some more template ideas, check out these great articles on some of the best templates on the market today:
