Gregory Pouy is a marketer, a consultant and a speaker. But he’s especially well known for his highly shareable SlideShare presentations.
His presentations, documenting the best digital campaigns of the year (among others), are not only fun and attention-grabbing, but also insightful. That’s Pouy’s modus operandi.
Luckily, he was generous enough to share some of his secrets for our Masters of SlideShare presentation. You can check out the full presentation below, but we wanted to provide Pouy’s full interview. Read on and pick up a few tips.
When did you first start using SlideShare and what drew you to it?
I first started using SlideShare to share other people’s presentations because I wanted to share them on my blog. Then, in 2008, I did my very first presentation for the agency I was working for. The objective was to show that we managed the subject very well.
SlideShare is a unique forum unlike other “social networks.” When crafting a presentation, what are the “rules” or guidelines you follow?
Yes SlideShare is a very specific platform and I follow many rules:
1. Find a interesting subject and check that it hasn’t been developed by others.
2. Write the story you want to tell.
3. Find a creative concept.
4. Create the slides.
5. Read, read and read again.
6. Did I mention that you have to rewrite your title 20 times to finally find the right one?
7. Make sure you get the most attention when you launch your presentation (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
8. Answer comments.
For someone just getting started with SlideShare, what would be your first piece of advice?
Read the presentations that are shared to understand how it works.
How do you balance text and imagery in a SlideShare presentation?
I really want to bring great content to people, but it doesn’t have to be boring. So I put a lot of effort into the creative concept and the design.
Visuals always occupy a bigpart of the slide, but at the end of the day, both text and imagery should work perfectly.
What are the signs of success with a SlideShare presentation? Are they downloads, views, or shares?
I feel that being on the homepage is the sign of success, but it’s mostly about who is reading you and thinks your presentation is great.