Helen Eassom
Helen Eassom
Author Marketing
When
it comes to social media sites, it’s easy to feel a little bit lost. To
maintain some kind of presence on all of them would be pretty much a
full time task, and it can be difficult to decide, when you are so
strapped for time, which ones are worth that time and effort.


Slideshare
is one of the more overlooked social media platforms, but with its
potential for great returns on your time investment, it is well worth a
look. Use of Slideshare is on the rise, with an increasing number of
academics discovering its benefits too.481912395_292708448_292708449_256224451 (1).jpg


What is Slideshare?Slideshare
is a website which allows you to post content - PDFs, PowerPoint
slides, videos, and others - as a presentation. Presentations can then
be searched, viewed and shared by anyone. With 60 million monthly
visitors, Slideshare is the most popular presentation sharing website in
the world. Slideshare is free to use, but it also offers a premium
version which includes video uploads, analytics, private sharing and
professional branding (starting at $19 per month).


While
some sites can be hard to read on handheld devices, Slideshare
automatically optimizes content for mobile phones, so you can be sure
that your content is visible to all users. Slideshare content also ranks
high in Google search results, making it a worthwhile promotional tool.
After all, if you are putting in the time and effort, you want your
work to be seen by as many people as possible. Presentations are
incredibly easy to embed on your own blog or website, thus enhancing the
value of your content and giving you a boost in the search engine
rankings.


Once
you’re all signed up, you can immediately start uploading your content.
But, not all content is created equally, so how do you make yours stand
out?


1. Take a look at other Slideshare contentBrowse
on Slideshare to see what others are creating. Some presentations are a
lot more effective than others, and you will obviously want to emulate
the more successful ones. The presentations that feature on the homepage
are a great place to start – these have been handpicked by Slideshare
and are likely to be good examples of how to put together a top
presentation.


2. Make your presentations recognizableYou
want people to become regular viewers and sharers of your
presentations, and it helps if you find a consistent style. Slideshare
allows you to create custom templates, making your presentations easily
recognizable. Find your style, and if it works, stick to it.


3. Make your presentations eye-catchingPresentations
with eye-catching images and attractive layouts get more attention than
those without. While you don’t want to go overboard with images and
visual elements, using a compelling picture on your first slide could
make all the difference when it comes to the number of views and shares.


4. Cater your presentations for your online audienceThe
great thing about Slideshare is that you can repurpose content that you
already have - think old presentations you might have sitting on your
hard drive or previously written blog posts. However, bear in mind that
you won’t be able to talk over your slides- they need to stand on their
own, so make sure that you can adapt them for an online audience.


5. Keep things simpleIf
your slides are too complicated, people won’t read them. Keep things
minimalist- a picture and a few bullets per slide should suffice. Use
your communication skills to get your points across as efficiently as
possible, and don’t forget to include an appropriate call-to-action at
the end to drive people to your blog/website/research.


6. Optimize your presentations for searchingYou
want your content to be as visible as possible, so you’ll want to make
it as easy to find as possible. Slideshare allows you to include up to
20 tags or keywords to make your presentation easily searchable. Your
title should include words that are relevant to the subject matter, and
you should also make sure to include a brief description of the
presentation when adding your tags.


7. Share among your communitiesAs
previously mentioned, Slideshare makes it simple to embed your
presentations on your own website or blog. You should also share your
content via your other social networks. This will help extend the reach
of your presentations and will also alert readers to new content.


Most
importantly, have fun with it and you shouldn’t have to put in a huge
effort to see the advantages of sharing your presentations on
Slideshare!


Image Credit/Source:didecs/Getty Images