Step 14: Create Your Webinar using Powerpoint

Estimated Time: 2 hours

Requirements: Draft of your article (from step 12)

In this step, you will use Powerpoint to create your own pre-recorded webinar.

Step 14.1: Create Your Script

One of the biggest mistakes that people make during presentations is to create the PPT first. PPT is merely a tool to aid you in the communication process.

The first thing you need to do is to create an outline, which you would have already done in Step 12.

The next thing is to create your script. As we discussed in step 12 all you need to do is to elaborate the article of about 1500 words which you've already written in the previous step, into a 2500-3000 word script by adding details around each of the points. 

You should be mindful about the application of the AIDA framework in your content creation journey.

How to use gen-AI? 

A prompt such as "Please convert the following article into a webinar script. Expand it to 3500 words while retaining the original structure and content as is. Article: [paste your article in the next line]" should generate a draft script for you. 

You may finalise this. Read it aloud at a normal pace - imagine that there's a person in front of you, and you're talking to him/her. If it's 15-20 minutes you're good. If it's less than 15 minutes, increase it to above 15 minutes.

You should also check that the script is not 'fluffy'. The words should add value - either through engagement or through information. This should be done, especially if it's more than 20 minutes.

Step 14.2: Create Your Presentation

1. Download the template

2. Add Cover page: In the first slide insert your campaign banner (full page), it will serve as the cover page. Please ask for a copy of the final version from the editing team, if it hasn't already been shared with you.

3. Add List of Contents (optional): If you would like to add a list of section headers, you may add it in the second slide. Considering this is a short 15 minutes presentation, it is not necessary.

4. Add Section Headers: The third slide of the template is for the section headers. The headings from your script will help you in delineating the various sections.

5. Add Content: 

   1. The following slide templates are available for your presentation. You may use any of these in any combination within the sections:

      1. Slide 4: template for Title + Contents

      2. Slide 5: template for Title + Contents where content is divided into two parts - for example: one part containing text, and the second half image.

      3. Slide 6: template for full page Content.

      4. Slide 7: template for important single points or quotes

      5. Slide 8: template for creating a striking impact - use this very judiciously, you will have to explain why you used it.

   2. Remember that what you add to the slides - every word that you write, every image, every number, every quote - is only supposed to be a visual aid to help your audience understand what you're presenting better. 

      1. The slide titles should flow directly from the important points that you had outlined in Step 12.

      2. If you add any images or graphics, they should have a meaningful addition to the message that you intend to convey. You must not add images or graphics just to make the page look beautiful - we do not want the audience distracted by beauty losing track of the message we intend to convey. That said the images or graphics should be of good quality and clearly convey the point that they intend to convey.

      3. Similarly, if you add any numbers, they should have a meaningful addition to the message that you intend to convey. Numbers should not be added just for the sake of making the data look scientific and credible.

6. ThankYou: Slide 9 of the template is the standard Thankyou slide, and should be used as is (just remove the instructions box.)

Speed Tip

If you have properly created a hierarchically structured outline (title, section-headers, pointers below headers) in step 12, you can straighaway import it using the outline functionality of powerpoint - saving you a lot of time in typing/copy-pasting the information on separate slides.

Step 14.3: Record Audio to Complete Your Webinar

Before starting, please open your system's Mic settings and ensure that the Mic volume is set to maximum. Windows users can go to Settings >> System >> Sound >> Input >> Volume to increase the volume. At this stage you should also do a trial recording, using the voice recorder app, to double check that your system is receiving input properly.

1. Open your PPT presentation prepared in the previous step.

2. While on slide 1, click on the Record tab

3. Click on the Record button within  the Record section of the Record tab. This will open the recording window.

4. Press the Record button at the top left of your screen to start recording. Remember to first do a quick mic check to make sure that your voice is being captured, and at a good volume. You can delete the trial recordings by clicking on Clear >> Clear recordings on all slides.

5. Everything okay? Press the Record button at the top left of your screen to start recording.

6. After you're done with the current slide you can click on the right arrow to advance to the next slide.

7. In this way you record till the last slide. And, once you've told people what they need to do next, you click on Stop.

8. Click on Replay to check that everything is in the right order. The slides should move forward in sync with your recording.

9. Save the file. 

Tips

While recording you don't want to sound as if you're reading out from somewhere - monotonous or boring. 

• The best way to avoid this is to imagine that your friend is sitting in front of you and you're having a conversation with him/her.

  • Your volume should increase and decrease as it does in a normal conversation.

  • Your rate of speech should generally be a tad slower than normal conversation, and should increase and decrease as you move through different pieces of content.

• Take pauses - a deep breath

  • Where you want people to think about what you have said.

  • When you're moving from one slide to another. This will also be useful in case you make an error and want to go back and edit the audio of just that slide and not the entire slide.

• Background noises are alright unless they're too loud, too frequent and too distracting. They add to the natural feel.

If you face any issues using this method or in recording on your PC, you can record in your phone and insert the audio into the powerpoint using Insert >> Media >> Audio >> Audio on My PC . While this is easier to begin with, it might be difficult to align audio to the content and introduce properly synced autoplay later on.

Step 14.4: Submit Your Content to the Editing Team

Note: You may choose to do this after discussing your draft with the editing team.

Once you're done, fill the Submission Form:

• • Open the submission form

  • Fill the details:

    • Content Type = "Webinar PPT + Audio"

    • Content Title = Your Content's Title (not the campaign's title)

    • Content Link = Editable Link of your PPT+Audio file saved on Google Drive, One Drive etc.

    • Caption/Description = Description for your webinar video generated using tools such as AHREFS Youtube Video Description Generator

  • Submit the form

That's it. You're done!