4 TIPS FOR USING SOCIAL MEDIA DURING YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION

Audience engagement has been taken to a new level with the use of social media. Having the ability to connect with your audience online before even stepping foot into your presentation can ensure that you are providing the information they want to hear

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Here are four tips to guarantee social media success during your next presentation:

ENGAGE WITH YOUR AUDIENCE.

This is a crucial step in the use of social media. Prior to your presentation, build up the excitement by tweeting to your audience with “sneak peeks” of the information you will be sharing or even ask them what they want to hear. We’ve all listened to a presentation waiting for the moment the presenter asks, “Do you have any questions?” All you hear are crickets in a silent room.

Live tweet ups are some of the greatest ways to involve your audience, while still giving them the opportunity to listen and ask questions. A few of the best tools to show a live tweet are: Visible TweetsTwitter Fountain, and Tweet Deck.

The golden rule to engaging with your audience is to listen. Acknowledge their questions, compliments, and even their criticism. Listening to them will ensure that they are listening to you as well.

 

DON’T OVER-DO IT.

With every social media platform out there, how do you pick just one? It is important to not confuse your audience. Collaborate your social media accounts by using one uniform hashtag, but don’t attempt to use every single platform. From my experience, two is the magic number.

When it comes to a presentation, Twitter is necessary. Collaborating your Twitter with posts on your Facebook or Instagram will help your audience stay engaged, while sharing the information you are telling them.

 

CONTENT IS KEY.

Not only should the content you are posting be relevant, it should also be beneficial to your audience. For example, if you are presenting on the best local cheeses, tweet your favorite recipes using the cheeses you will be talking about in your presentation. Your audience will enjoy the tip, and it will stir up conversation among them.

Throughout your presentation, be conscious of the phrases you use. Make each one “tweet-able”. When making a key point, be sure the phrase is under 140 characters (even less in order to give room for the hashtag). While presenting, your audience will be quoting you, make it easy for them to do so.

 

BE SMART ABOUT YOUR HASHTAGS.

It is important for your presentation to have one universal hashtag. Since Twitter only allows 140 character posts, make the hashtag short, relevant and easy to remember. TED does a great job of this, using #TED2015 to promote all of their talks.

These simple steps will have you well on your way to successfully using Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram in your next presentation.