how to make a presentation more dynamic

How to Make an Interactive PowerPoint Presentation: An Expert Guide (Free Downloadable Playbook)

Zhun Yee Chew

Are your PowerPoint presentations lacking impact and failing to engage your audience? You’re not alone. I experienced that before. I used to spend hours carefully crafting the perfect PowerPoint presentations only to be met with disinterested faces.

In a world where attention spans are getting shorter, traditional PowerPoint presentations often struggle to hold the interest of the audience. So here’s the hard truth: unless you adapt and embrace interactivity in your PowerPoint presentations, your valuable hard work and content run the risk of getting lost in presentations.

Fret not, as in this comprehensive guide, we will share with you expert tips on how to make an interactive PowerPoint presentation through interactive animations, transitions, hyperlinks, quizzes, games, and many more.

And perhaps the sweetest part of the deal is that you will also have access to a downloadable playbook of 60+ pages with a wealth of tutorials, templates, cheat sheets, resources and tools to elevate your PowerPoint skills from average to extraordinary through interactive PowerPoint presentations.

Are you prepared to impress those who once found your presentation dull? If your answer is a resounding ‘yes,’ then let’s begin.

What is an Interactive Presentation?

What is an interactive powerpoint presentation.

Interactive PowerPoint presentations are simply PowerPoint presentations that are made interactive to convey information in a more dynamic and engaging manner.

Creating an interactive PowerPoint presentation involves deciding if you want to make your slide content interactive or if you want your audience to interact with your slides. 

Interactive PowerPoint presentations can generally be divided into two main dimensions: interaction with slide content through interactive elements and fostering interaction with the audience.

Interaction with Slide Content:

In the first dimension, PowerPoint presentations are made interactive through enhancing the slides content with interactive elements, usually native to PowerPoint. 

We will cover interactive elements including:

• Transitions
• Interactive data visualization
• Annotations. 

They function to enhance slide interactivity through adding movement to static objects, enabling non-linear slides navigation, as well as adding a dynamic touch to data and information presentation. 

Audience Interaction:

In the second dimension, PowerPoint presentations are made interactive through interaction between the presenter and the audience, usually with the help of PowerPoint add-in tools. We will cover: 

• Assessments
• Brainstorming
• Collaborative multimedia uploading

Once you have decided which strategy you would like to use, you can then follow  these step-by-step guide  and the following expert tips to turn your PowerPoint slides into an interactive experience!

Benefits of an Interactive Presentation

The fact that you are still reading this suggests that you don’t need further convincing on the benefits of interactive PowerPoint presentations. 

However, if you do, here are some quick statistics:

68% of individuals hold the belief that interactive presentations have a greater potential for being remembered. Webinar Care

This means that a simple action of making your PowerPoint slides interactive has a profound impact on how your presentation is received by the audience. From our years of experience creating interactive PowerPoint presentations, they generally: 

• Increases  engagement , motivation and knowledge  retention . 
• Result in better  impression  and more impactful messaging being conveyed.
• Allow presenters to better tailor their content or offerings to the audience or clients because they can gather  real-time feedback .
• Open up room for  creative   storytelling  and showcases.

Interactive Puzzle PowerPoint Templates

Master the tricks to turn your PowerPoint into an interactive experience today!

Expert Tips on How to Make an Interactive PowerPoint Presentation – Before Presenting

1. add animations, but use them judiciously.

The first and most straightforward way of making your PowerPoint presentations interactive is through adding animations to your slides. However, so many people use PowerPoint animations the wrong way. PowerPoint animations are more than just making bullet points or images appear or fly in during your presentation.

Remember, using animations excessively in your PowerPoint presentation will only reduce the appeal and professionalism of your slides. The key is to use them judiciously and purposefully. Before you hit the “Animations” tab, ask yourself, “Does this animation enhance the message I want to convey to my audience?”  

2. Add 3D PowerPoint Animations Using PowerPoint Native 3D Stock Elements

Did you know that PowerPoint has free animated 3D elements you can use? We recommend you to try them up to instantly upgrade your presentation from ordinary to extraordinary. 

❓ How?  Simply go to Insert > 3D models > stock 3D models > animated models. And you will find a wide range of free 3D models ranging from food and animals to plants and characters, and many more. You can also select different animation scenes by heading to the Animations tab.

3. Add Animations With Triggers for Visual Excitement

You can take your PowerPoint animations up a notch by incorporating combining animations with triggers to create interactive pop-ups with extra information . These on-click pop-ups are valuable when presenting a map or when you want to explore specific aspects of an object or topic in more detail. You can also use these pop-ups as markers to alert the audience to exciting elements within different parts of the slide, as such: 

❓How? To create on-click pop-ups in your PowerPoint slides, first add shapes that will become clickable buttons, one to “open” the pop-up and the other to “close” the pop-up. Then, add text boxes with extra information you want to show, as well as entrance and exit animations. Combine the animations with “triggers” to activate the animations when the open or close buttons are clicked on. 

For a more detailed tutorial on this pop-up animation, download our Interactive PowerPoint Playbook  below. 👇

4. add non-linear slide transition.

A quick way to add interactivity to your PowerPoint slides is by using PowerPoint transitions. The first we want to discuss is PowerPoint Zoom. PowerPoint Zoom enables you to zoom in and out of and navigate to specific sections or slides on click, anytime during your presentation.

To  access the PowerPoint Zoom feature : click on Insert in the  PowerPoint ribbon  >  Zoom  > then choose  Slide ,  Section , or  Summary   Zoom . Each of these PowerPoint Zoom option serves slightly different functions:

• Slide Zoom: zooms into specific slides
• Section zoom: zooms into specific sections
• Summary Zoom: creates a summary slide for the different slides or sections in your PowerPoint presentation for easy navigation.

❓ How? To  set up PowerPoint slide zoom , select the starting slide where you wish to implement the Zoom effect. Next, click  Insert  >  Zoom  >  Slide Zoom . Here, you can pick the specific slide or slides you want to zoom in on. Click the Insert button, and thumbnails of the chosen slides will be added to your current slide.

Alternatively, for a more manual setup process, you can also set up a navigation menu at the beginning of your presentation that allows the audience to jump to different sections or slides using hyperlinks.  Read more in the Hyperlinks section below. 

5. Add PowerPoint Morph

Like PowerPoint Zoom, PowerPoint Morph empowers presenters to create dynamic transitions that elevate the visual storytelling in their presentations. But PowerPoint Morph brings storytelling to a whole new level and adds a layer of intrigue to your slides by simulating object transitions or evolution across slides. It functions similarly to animations but offers a smoother and more organic visual experience, without the need for complex setup steps. 

Personally, we think the outcomes generated by PowerPoint Morph are more professional and polished-looking as compared to traditional animations. And if you are looking for a more advanced-looking presentation, try this 3D morph animation In PowerPoint .

We’d also like to share with you the numerous applications of PowerPoint Morph contributed by our colleagues and PowerPoint professionals at ClassPoint:

• Moving background
• Rotating wheel
• Rotating cogs
• Photo gallery
• Slide Zoom with Morph
• Creative reveal
• Parallax effect
• Continuous slide transition
• Phone frame
• Movie frame

Gain access to free templates for all these PowerPoint Morph applications and effects by downloading our Interactive PowerPoint Playbook. 👇

6. add hyperlinks – they can link to so many more places than just websites.

Much like PowerPoint Zoom, hyperlinks enable presenters to create interactive menus and navigation structures, allowing audiences to jump to specific slides or sections effortlessly. However, while PowerPoint Zoom primarily focuses on creating a visual and interactive overview of content within a single presentation, hyperlinks extend this capability to connect with external resources, web content, or even additional PowerPoint files. 

There are a few ways you could add hyperlinks to your PowerPoint presentation to transform  it into an interactive experience effortlessly: 

4 Ways You Can Add Hyperlinks to PowerPoint: 

• Slide Transition : You can navigate to specific slides in a non-linear manner by simply inserting a hyperlink into your current slide. Head over to Insert > Link > This Document and select the slide you want to link to. You can apply hyperlinks to text, shapes, or pictures. 

• Interactive Navigation Menu : Adding an interactive navigation menu at the beginning of your presentation allows clear navigation between different slides and sections in your presentation. Head over to Insert > Link > This Document and select the slides you want to link to.

• Action Buttons : With hyperlinks, you can also create Action Buttons in your PowerPoint presentations to make your PowerPoint slides behave like interactive web pages, allowing users to navigate, explore, and engage with the content in a dynamic and user-friendly manner. Head over to Insert > Action Buttons and choose from the selection.

• Embedded Content : You can also hyperlink your PowerPoint slides to embedded content like PDFs, spreadsheets, and even web pages. Simply click Insert > Object and select the file you would like to embed in your PowerPoint slides. This way, you can remove the hassle of toggling between various files or windows during your presentation.

Expert Tips on How to Make an Interactive PowerPoint Presentation – When Presenting

1. turn your powerpoint slides into interactive quizzes.

The traditional way to add interactive quizzes to PowerPoint is through an unfavorable process of combining complex animations with triggers and hyperlinks. Let’s be honest, it takes an eternity! Even though PowerPoint offers an extensive range of presentation tools, it does not have audience interactivity built at its core. 

The good news is, audience interactivity can actually be effortlessly achieved with the various PowerPoint add-ins as listed below: 

We will get to polls and games in a bit. For now, let’s show you how you can turn your PowerPoint slides into an interactive quiz in a just a few clicks with PowerPoint add-ins like  ClassPoint , which offers a wide range of interactive quizzes from  Short Answer  and  Word Cloud , to Multiple Choice questions.

How to Create An Interactive Quiz in PowerPoint In A Few Clicks

Once you have downloaded ClassPoint, you will have a suite of additional interactive quiz features added to your PowerPoint ribbon. 

To turn  your PowerPoint slide  content into interactive  quizzes, simply  click on any of the interactive quiz features and add them to your slide. Enter PowerPoint Slideshow mode and you can start the quiz immediately. 

2. Run Gradable Assessments inside PowerPoint

With the versatile PowerPoint add-in,  ClassPoint , you can also create assessments and collect real-time responses right inside PowerPoint. This is wonderful news for teachers! All you have to do is set up  interactive Multiple Choice questions  and enable  Quiz Mode . 

ClassPoint’s Quiz Mode introduces an  automatic grading  feature to your Multiple Choice questions within PowerPoint presentations created with ClassPoint. This feature not only automates the grading process but also includes automatic star ratings, the option to select difficulty levels, and provides a quiz summary along with an exportable quiz report, making it the perfect tool for classroom formative assessments in PowerPoint!

3. Incorporate Annotations During Slideshow

Another unique way to interact with your PowerPoint slides is through the use of annotations. With annotations, you as the presenter can interact with your slides to draw your audience’s attention to specific details, highlight key points, and tell a more coherent story. 

There are 3 ways you could use annotations in PowerPoint: 

• PowerPoint Draw Tab:  To utilize the PowerPoint Draw Tab, click on the “Draw” tab in your PowerPoint ribbon and begin annotating anywhere on your slides using built-in features like the pen, highlighter, and Ink to Shape. However, please note that PowerPoint Draw only allows annotation in Edit mode.

• PowerPoint Pen Tools:  Another option for native PowerPoint annotation tools that permit annotation during slideshow mode can be found by clicking the pencil icon located in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen during a presentation. You can use the pen, highlighter, or laser tools to annotate any part of your slides during the presentation.

• ClassPoint  Toolbar:  The ClassPoint toolbar serves as an enhanced, free alternative to PowerPoint’s existing pen tools. It offers a broader range of additional annotation features, including text boxes, shapes, spotlight effects, fully customizable pens and highlighters, and more. This enables you to transform your PowerPoint slides into a creative canvas that will captivate your audience throughout your presentation.

4. Run Ice Breakers and Brainstorming Sessions in PowerPoint

The uses of interactive PowerPoint add-ins like  ClassPoint  are not only limited to teaching and learning. Give your PowerPoint meetings and presentations a strong start with a collaborative and dynamic brainstorming experience.

You can enhance your PowerPoint presentations and turn them into an interactive brainstorming experience by incorporating  Word Cloud  in PowerPoint, inviting participants to instantly contribute ideas, keywords, or concepts. This allows everyone to dynamically visualize emerging trends and interesting ideas.

❓ How? To start a brainstorming session in PowerPoint, click on the “Word Cloud”  button in your PowerPoint ribbon once you have downloaded ClassPoint to add the “Word Cloud” feature in your PowerPoint slides. Then enter PowerPoint slideshow mode to start brainstorming! 

5. Add Draggable Slide Objects (And Why It’s Better than Animations!)

Similar to animations, draggable objects allow you to interact with your slide objects freely during slideshow mode, except than you can do so with full control of where you want the slide elements to go!

This dynamic presentation feature adds an element of visual interest that captures your audience’s attention and can be a valuable tool for explaining complex ideas. Moreover, it has the potential to serve various purposes, such as revealing hidden information or acting as a movable marker to indicate your position on the slide content. You can also use it for group drag-and-drop activities, such as matching, categorizing, sorting, and more. You can either perform these actions yourself to provide a visual explanation or engage your audience by letting them instruct the movement of images and text on the slide.

❓ How? Draggable objects is a unique tool that is possible inside PowerPoint with the use of the add-in ClassPoint. Download ClassPoint, free PowerPoint add-in, the select any shape, image, illustration, or text on your slide to become draggable by clicking on “Draggable Objects” in your PowerPoint ribbon, and toggling “Drag enabled” on the side panel.

In slideshow mode, click on the draggable objects hand from the ClassPoint toolbar at the bottom of your screen to start dragging your slide objects around!

6. Create Playable Games In PowerPoint (Without Animations or Hyperlinks)

Much like interactive quizzes, PowerPoint games add a layer of interactivity and fun to PowerPoint presentations. However, what sets PowerPoint games apart is their ability to introduce competition through gamification. 

Here are  3 ways  you can instantly gamify your PowerPoint slides with  gamification elements :

• Set Up a Point and Reward System : Define how your participants can earn stars and points, and  award stars  to them when they have accomplished a goal during your presentation. 
• Add  Levels and Badges  to PowerPoint : Every game benefits from having levels and badges, and your PowerPoint game is no exception. You can create a simple game within PowerPoint by incorporating  questions  into your slides and defining the points and scores needed to progress to higher levels. When it comes to badges, you have the creative freedom to tailor them to your audience. For example, in an educational setting, badges can be skill-focused, while in a social gathering, they can take the form of fantasy characters that participants aspire to collect
• Add a  Leaderboard  to PowerPoint : Leaderboards are essential to keep track of scores or points during a PowerPoint game. You can of course create a manual leaderboard using PowerPoint’s tables and hyperlinks, but an easier and more straightforward way of implementing a leaderboard in your PowerPoint is using add-ins like  ClassPoint  and  Vevox .

With these fundamentals of gamification in place, you are now ready to create fun and exhilarating games in PowerPoint. 

Here is a full walk-through on  how you can create a PowerPoint game  in a few simple steps. 

If you are an educator, this  free trivia PowerPoint template and these 5 interactive PowerPoint game templates tailored for the classroom will be useful for you.

Expert Tips on How to Make an Interactive PowerPoint Presentation – After Presenting

1. run real-time polls in powerpoint.

Think of a memorable presentation you have attended? Did it use live polls? We bet it did! Live polling are especially helpful after a PowerPoint presentation to gather feedback for future improvement.

Traditional poll tools require presenters to switch between tabs during presentation. Thanks to PowerPoint add-ins such as  ClassPoint ,  Mentimeter  and  Poll Everywhere , this is no longer the case. And by eliminating the need to switch between different applications or tabs, the presentation experience becomes more fluid and engaging.

2. From Static to Interactive Data Visualisation

Incorporating interactivity through data visualization after a presentation concludes is a potent strategy for enhancing audience engagement and comprehension. Once the primary content delivery is complete, you can transition into a dynamic display of data or feedback you have gathered from your audience using interactive charts, graphs, or infographics.

This approach empowers your audience to explore the information at their own pace, dig deeper into specific data points, and ensure a two-way communication between the presenter and the audience. Whether it’s zooming in on specific trends, toggling between different data sets, or going through feedback, interactive data visualization encourages active participation and a deeper connection with the presented information. 

We recommend the following 2 ways to display data into your presentation:

• Insert tables, charts and graphs, and add a touch of interactivity through animations.

Below is a list of 10 PowerPoint animations most suitable for different kinds of graphs and charts: 

• Embed a website with data you want to go over. I’m not talking about a link that leaves PowerPoint for your default browser, but an actual embedded browser that loads your websites without leaving PowerPoint! Plus you can insert the page as a picture into your slide and start annotating on it!

Now that you have a collection of strategies and tips at your disposal, you are better prepared to leave your old and dusty PowerPoint toolkit behind and embrace these refreshing ideas. Whether your ultimate aim is to create a captivating classroom experience, deliver a memorable business pitch, or simply wow your friends and peers during  PowerPoint nights , don’t forget to: 

• Add animations, but use them sparingly.
• Make use of non-linear transitions and storytelling. 
• Turn simple transitions into stunning visual experience with PowerPoint Morph.
• Make creative use of polls, quizzes and games. 
• Make your presentation human with Bitmoji.
• Build anticipation with interactive presentation tools like annotations and drag and drop.
• Try out these 160 fun PowerPoint ideas for your next presentation!

To read more about Interactive PowerPoint Presentations, you can download our Interactive PowerPoint Playbook, which includes comprehensive guides, tutorials on various interactive PowerPoint presentation methods, cheat sheets, and a wide range of resources for mastering the art of creating interactive PowerPoint presentations.

About Zhun Yee Chew

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How to Make a Presentation Interactive: Best Tips, Templates & Tools

Written by: Raja Mandal

Delivering a presentation often comes with the fear of losing your audience's attention. You dread seeing unfocused eyes, whispering conversations or cell phone tapping.

If you've experienced this, you’re not alone. Recent surveys highlight that 4 in 5 business professionals admit they tuned out during the last presentation they attended. The reason could be anything from getting bored with the topic to people's decreasing attention spans.

So, how do you tackle this? One of the best solutions for this is to make your presentation interactive.

This way, they will have a lesser chance of getting distracted. In fact, studies show that when the audience participates, the engagement can reach an impressive 92% .

That’s why we've created this guide to help you make your presentations interactive, even if you have no prior design experience.

Stay tuned till the end to get the best tips, templates and tools to turn your ideas into an interactive visual presentation.

Additionally, you can watch this video to learn about 15 more interactive presentation ideas.

Table of Contents

What is an interactive presentation, what makes a presentation interactive, interactive presentation example, 16 interactive presentation ideas, how to make an interactive presentation with visme, interactive presentation faqs.

• An interactive presentation allows the audience to engage with and respond to the material presented.
• To make a presentation interactive, encourage audience participation, ask and answer questions, conduct polls, use technology tools and share engaging stories or scenarios.
• Some interactive presentation design ideas include SWOT analysis, animated videos, data storytelling, case studies, idea mapping, countdown timers, visual animation, timelines, map exploration, and QR codes.
• Visme's presentation software and templates are the best way to create an interactive presentation. Just choose a template, add your content, include interactive features and multimedia, and your presentation is ready to download, share, and present.
• Sign up for Visme and create an interactive presentation that keeps your audience engaged throughout the presentation.

An interactive presentation is a type of presentation that allows the audience to actively participate and engage with the content.

Unlike regular presentations, where the audience simply views the slides, interactive presentations involve the audience in the experience.

For example, they can click on different elements to reveal more information, choose topics they're interested in exploring further and even manipulate data or graphics to see different outcomes.

This hands-on approach makes the audience an important part of the presentation, which ultimately enhances their understanding and retention of the information presented.

Interactive presentations may also feature quizzes, clickable videos and decision trees that allow attendees to control their view or interact with the material.

The primary goal of creating and delivering an interactive presentation is to engage the audience throughout it and help them retain the information for longer.

Here’s an example of an interactive presentation created with Visme

Made with Visme Presentation Maker

A good interactive presentation gets the audience involved in the learning process. But what exactly turns a regular presentation into an interactive one?

Let's break it down into five key elements.

1. Active Participation of the Audience

Unlike standard presentations, the audience doesn’t just sit back and listen in—they need them to get involved. This could mean answering questions, participating in discussions, giving feedback or participating in quizzes.

Presenters might ask the audience to share their experiences or give their opinions on the topic at hand. This not only keeps everyone engaged but can also bring a wealth of different perspectives to the discussion.

2. Polls and Surveys

Real-time polls and surveys are a standout feature of interactive presentations. The presenter can easily collect audience responses with clickers, smartphones, or raising hands and then show everyone the results.

From this immediate feedback, the speaker understands the audience's knowledge or opinions. It can even guide the direction of the presentation.

3. Dynamic and Interactive Elements

Adding dynamic and interactive elements to your presentation can make a big difference. Think about including an interactive menu or a table of contents that lets you jump to the right section by clicking a link.

Interactive elements like custom navigation buttons, hyperlinks, hotspots, transitions and clickable pop-ups or hover effects also spice up presentations and keep your audience hooked to your slide deck .

4. Engaging Animation

Animations like animated graphics, icons and characters bring life to presentations. Whether in 2D or 3D format or cool visual effects, it’s one of the best ways to grab attention and explain complex ideas in an enjoyable way.

5. Interactive Content

Finally, multimedia content like videos, GIFs and even background music or sound effects is a great way to engage your audience. Visual aids like photos, charts, graphs and maps also make information more accessible and fun. Adding these interactive pieces can turn a standard presentation into a dynamic learning experience.

6. Use of Interactive Technology

Modern technology has transformed the art of interactive presentations.

For example, there are digital tools that allow participants to submit questions or comments, vote on issues, or play educational games related to the topic. During interactive whiteboarding, participants can write, draw, or post sticky notes.

These tools make it easier for everyone to engage and interact during virtual presentations, no matter where they are.

7. Storytelling and Scenario-Based Engagement

Telling stories or creating hypothetical scenarios is a proven interactive presentation strategy.

For example, you might present real-world scenarios and ask the audience to discuss or solve them. These role-playing scenarios or case studies encourage participants to think critically or apply what they've learned.

Wondering what an interactive presentation looks like. Below is an example of an interactive presentation created with Visme. Check out this awesome example of an interactive presentation made with Visme.

You can actually engage with various elements of the slides and see interactivity in full effect!

Made with Visme

Whether you’re delivering a physical or virtual presentation, there are many different ways to infuse interactivity into your presentation.

Check out these 16 interactive presentation ideas to wow your audience and leave a lasting impression.

1. Add Visual Flair with Special Effects

Special effects like popups and hover effects are not just for visual purposes; they give extra information and make the experience interactive.

For example, a hover effect might show notes on an image and add more detail to your points without making the original view too messy.

Consider adding a flipbook effect to give a real-world experience in a digital format. It makes the audience feel like they're going through a real document and flipping through content pages, making digital presentations feel more personal and engaging.

With Visme, you can easily incorporate all these special effects and interactive elements and more to elevate your interactive presentations. From creating eye-catching popups and informative hover effects to adding engaging flipbook animations, Visme helps you bring your presentation to life.

2. Explain Complex Ideas with Animated Videos

We all love a good story, especially when it's visually appealing. Animated explainer videos can turn complex ideas into fun, easy-to-understand stories. By incorporating these videos into your presentation, you can capture your audience's attention and explain concepts in a memorable way.

Whether you're explaining a new product, concept, or process, adding animation can breathe life into your words. It's an enjoyable way to break the monotony of traditional presentations and bring your story to life.

Not sure how to make a great video? Visme's online video maker makes it a breeze for anyone to create an explainer video for their interactive presentation.

Get started with our rich variety of explainer video templates covering various industries, business types and sizes.

Here's an explainer video template you can customize and insert in your presentation.

3. Turn Data into Engaging Stories

Static data can sometimes be dry or overwhelming and make your presentation difficult to understand.

Adding a dose of storytelling and interactivity transforms your numbers into engaging narratives.

Interactive data visualization helps your audience understand the significance of the numbers, making the data impactful.

In this example below, check out how 270toWin makes the intricate US presidential election process come alive with an interactive and educational experience!

Visme's advanced data visualization tools help you turn complex data into engaging stories. Choose from 30+ data widgets like radial gauges, progress bars and population arrays.

Additionally, you can use 20+ types of charts and graphs, including pie charts , bar graphs , bubble charts and more.

Additionally, Visme comes with 3D data widgets , charts and graphs to help you add an extra layer of interactivity to the data visualizations.

Customize these data visualization tools to craft compelling narratives and make your data relatable and memorable.

4. Add a Personal Touch with Voiceovers and Music

Another way to enhance your presentation is by incorporating voiceovers or subtle background music to captivate your audience's senses.

A voiceover can act as a secondary storyteller, delivering key points without overwhelming the visuals on the slide. This is especially ideal for asynchronous viewing, where the viewers can watch the presentation at their own pace.

On the other hand, background music is a powerful tool that deeply connects with your audience's emotions. For instance, a stirring classical piece can add a sense of seriousness to historical topics. At the same time, light, airy tunes can maintain a pleasant mood during longer video presentations , preventing attention from waning.

Visme allows you to add voiceovers, songs, background music, and any soundtrack to your presentation. You can either use your device's microphone to record the voiceover or upload your own recording or soundtrack and add them.

Read this article to learn more about creating a narrated presentation with voiceovers . Or watch the video below to learn more about recording an audio voice over in Visme.

5. Use Transitions and Animations to Enhance the Flow

Transitions and animations aren't just for making the presentation look good; they enhance comprehension and retention.

Use transitions to keep your presentation flowing smoothly and prepare your audience for what comes next. Transitions create a connection between slides, like visual punctuation that frames each new slide as a part of the story. They provide a moment for the information to be absorbed before moving on.

With Visme, you can choose from various slide transitions like "flipping page," "enter from side," "simple fade" and more. Additionally, you can choose when the slide should move to the next one, based on a specific time, a click, after a video or a transition delay.

Explore our tutorial article on how to add transitions to your presentation slides to learn more.

6. Encourage Participation with a Q&A Session

Allocate time for questions and answers to turn a one-sided presentation into a conversation, building a good relationship with your audience.

A Q&A session encourages the audience to think about and question the information, creating a two-way exchange of ideas. It's not just for them; the questions they ask can also show you which parts of your presentation were most interesting or might need more explanation.

To make the session productive, ask the audience to think of questions as they listen and consider using a tool to gather questions from the audience. This way, you can address the most important questions from the audience.

Moreover, to ensure the session stays on track, consider timing the Q&A section and other interactive segments like polls and quizzes. Visme offers a Timer feature that can help you manage the length of these activities effectively.

Using the Visme Timer, you can allocate specific time slots to each part of your presentation, ensuring you cover all planned topics and interactive elements without running over your allotted time.

7. Bring Your Content to Life with Animated Characters and Icons

Animated characters and icons can truly bring your presentation to life. Think of them as the sidekicks in your presentation story, adding humor or clarity and making the overall experience more enjoyable and memorable for everyone. And beyond their aesthetics, they help your audience visualize and relate to your content on a personal level.

Transform your interactive presentation into an immersive experience with Visme’s 3D character creator . Choose a pre-designed character that matches your requirements and you can customize everything from the hairstyle, hair color, skin tone, animation style and more.

8. Navigate Through Timelines

Instead of static dates and events on a slide, imagine your audience clicking through a timeline, uncovering detailed explanations or exciting facts at their own pace.

This method turns a simple presentation into a journey through time, where each viewer becomes an active participant, exploring your subject's past, present, or future.

It's a powerful tool for storytelling and engagement, making history lessons, project milestones or future forecasts more compelling.

Visme's interactive presentation templates come with timelines for various purposes, including project management, event planning, history and more. Choose a template and customize the timeline using Visme's online timeline maker and the interactive features you want.

Check out this article to explore 11 timeline presentation templates and use them in your presentation.

9. Incorporate Interactive Maps

Using interactive maps can transform a geographically dense presentation into an interactive exploration. With these maps, your audience can explore different places just by clicking and learning about each location.

Whether you're showing the spread of a trend, the sites of historical events, or your company's offices, interactive maps make learning about geography interesting and informative.

They invite your audience to dive deeper, understanding not just the "where" but also the "why" and "how" behind each pin on the map.

Visme's interactive map maker allows you to customize regions and markers. You can adjust colors, add tooltips and display data values for clarity. This helps to illustrate various information effectively, turning static data into a visual experience that encourages engagement and deeper understanding.

Below is an example of an interactive map created with Visme.

Did you hover over each state to see the different numbers and statistics? Do you see how powerful that is? Users are much less likely to scroll past interactive content. They want to stick around and play with it for a bit first. 

Explore our beautiful, interactive map templates and select one that suits your needs.

10. Surprise Your Audience with a QR Code

Ending your presentation with a QR code is a modern twist that surprises and engages your audience. This could be your call to action, leading them to a website for more information, a video summary of your presentation or a feedback form to capture their thoughts.

The anticipation of scanning the code and discovering what's behind it adds a touch of mystery and interaction. This simple method can extend the conversation beyond the presentation room and keep your audience thinking about your message long after the discussion.

And guess what? Visme also lets you generate a QR code with its free QR maker . You just need to enter the text or paste the URL you want to link the QR code with, and that's it—it's that easy. Additionally, you can customize the appearance of the QR code to match your design.

11. Turn Learning into a Game with Interactive Quizzes

Turn passive reception into active learning by incorporating quizzes into your presentations. Quizzes grab attention, encourage participation and support the material covered.

Craft questions that are engaging yet easy to understand to ensure wide involvement. Interactive sessions can bring new energy to your presentation and add an element of fun and competition. Instant feedback on quiz responses can boost engagement, making the experience even more rewarding for participants.

Creating interactive quizzes and surveys for your presentation is a breeze with Visme. Its intuitive quiz maker allows you to design visually appealing and engaging quizzes with various question types and instant feedback options. You can even track quiz results to gauge audience understanding and tailor your content accordingly.

12. Conduct Polls to Make Your Presentation Fun

Using polls in your presentations is a great way to keep your audience engaged and get immediate feedback. You can ask questions throughout your talk to see what your audience thinks.

Use tools like Survey Monkey , Typeform and Formstack to create your poll and embed it easily into your Visme presentation.

As your audience votes, they can see the results in real time, making the experience more dynamic and interactive. It's a simple but effective way to make your presentations more engaging.

13. Make Your Presentation Non-Linear

Creating a non-linear presentation offers a unique way to engage your audience by allowing them to navigate the content according to their interests and needs.

Here are three key elements to consider:

• Hyperlinks: Hyperlinks allow you to connect different slides or external resources in your presentation. They make it easy for the audience to jump to related topics, examples, or supporting materials.
• Table of Contents: A table of contents in your presentation is like a map for your audience. It shows all the topics covered and lets them choose where to start or which parts to skip.
• Navigation Buttons: The navigation buttons allow the audience to move back and forth between slides freely. This gives them control over their viewing experience. You can customize these buttons to go to specific sections or return to the main menu.

14. Captivate Your Audience with Storytelling

Using storytelling techniques while giving the presentation is one of the best ways to increase audience engagement. You can use relevant and interesting stories to make your content more relatable, engaging and memorable.

Begin with a compelling story to capture your audience's attention, and use anecdotes or real-life examples throughout to illustrate key points. Storytelling makes your presentation more human and helps people understand and remember even complex information. This method can transform a boring presentation into an engaging experience.

A great example of this is Brené Brown's TED Talk, " The Power of Vulnerability ." She uses personal stories and anecdotes to make her research on vulnerability relatable and memorable. This is a great example of how storytelling can make even complex topics engaging.

15. Learn by Doing with Role-Playing

Role-playing is a different dimension of interactivity that you can add to your presentation. To do this, you need to involve your audience in hypothetical scenarios or simulations and enable them to apply what they are learning in a practical context.

For instance, if you're giving a presentation on customer service, you could have audience members role-play a problematic customer interaction, allowing them to practice handling such situations.

This idea is especially helpful for training sessions, workshops and team-building exercises. It reinforces key messages and encourages participants to think creatively and explore different perspectives, which enhances the overall learning experience.

16. Brainstorm and Collaborate with Interactive Whiteboards

Interactive whiteboarding tools change how you and your audience interact together during presentations. These tools let everyone share ideas simultaneously, making group discussions, planning and meetings more interesting and efficient.

Participants can draw, write or add sticky notes directly on the digital board, building a sense of shared ownership and creative problem-solving.

Visme's built-in online whiteboard tool takes this interactivity to the next level. You can bring your presentation slides to this tool and use them effortlessly. This way, you and your audience can sketch out concepts, map out strategies or simply jot down ideas as they arise.

Creating an interactive presentation that captivates and engages your audience is easier than you think. With Visme, you don't need to be a design wizard or tech whiz.

Just follow these five simple tips to create an interactive presentation that looks professional and keeps your audience hooked from start to finish.

The Graphic Content Developer at WOW, Kendra Bradley, used Visme for her interactive presentation creation needs. Her experience says it all: Visme is one of the best presentation makers in terms of interactivity, ease-of-use and high-quality design output.

Here's what she has to say about Visme.

"Previously, we were using PowerPoint, which is fine, but the interactivity you can get with Visme is so much more robust that we've all steered away from PowerPoint."

"PowerPoint templates are plain and boring, and we want to create more fun and engaging content. Visme has multiple slide templates to choose from, which makes this so much easier."

"I just made a deck recently and it took me about 15-20 minutes. I found a template I really liked and tweaked it and put it in our brand colors. In PowerPoint, it would take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half."

Read this case study to learn How WOW! is Saving Nearly 79% in Time and Cost With Visme.

Now, let’s get back to the process.

Step 1: Choose an Interactive Presentation Template

Before starting the process, you'll need a Visme account, which you can create using your email ID or Facebook account. Once done, it's time to choose a template.

Using a template saves you valuable time and gives you a professional starting point.

Look for a template that matches your topic and aligns with your design preferences.

Visme offers thousands of professionally designed presentation templates, so you’re sure to find one that aligns with your vision.

Go to our template library, click "Presentations" from the left panel and choose from various categories, including business , education , pitch deck and creative .

Better yet, head over to the editor, click "New," then "Project," and choose "Presentations" to access the extensive collection of presentation templates Visme offers.

There’s also an option to create your presentation from scratch on a blank canvas.

Step 2: Customize the Template

Customizing your chosen template in Visme is both easy and enjoyable, thanks to our intuitive design tools and features.

Here’s how you can infuse own content and style into your presentation:

Add Content and Edit Text

Visme’s drag-and-drop functionality makes it simple to add various content elements like text, images, charts or other visuals to your template.

Just select the element you want to add, drag it to the desired spot and drop it in place.

Personalizing the existing text is simple. Click on any text box to start editing. You can change the font, size, color and style to better match your brand or your personal preferences.

Change Colors

Adjusting the color palette of your template allows you to align it with your brand guidelines or set a specific mood for your presentation.

Visme enables you to customize the colors of various elements, from background to text and shapes. Simply click on the element you wish to change and select a new color using the color wheel.

With Visme's brand design tool , you can easily save and apply your brand elements. Just copy and paste your website URL, and the tool will extract your brand colors, brand fonts and company logo. You or anyone in your team can then apply them to your projects with just one click.

Add/Change Design Elements

Adding new design elements like icons, illustrations or shapes can significantly enhance the visual appeal of your presentation.

Choose from Visme’s extensive library of design assets, including vector icons , illustrations, shapes and 3D animated graphics .

Select the element you want to change, and either replace it with another from our library or adjust its attributes to better suit your vision.

Include your team members in the design process to get feedback or ideas using Visme's collaborative design feature . Invite your team via email or a shareable link and allow the invitees to comment, annotate and live edit your presentation.

Step 3: Add Interactive Features

Visme offers interactive tools like polls, quizzes, hotspots and clickable links to make presentations more engaging.

Here’s how you can include these interactive elements in your presentation.

Polls and Quizzes: Add polls and quizzes to make your presentation interactive and fun. For polls and quizzes, click on "Apps" from the left panel. Choose an app like Formstack, SurveyMonkey or Typeform to create your poll or quiz. Once you've created it, you can embed it directly into your presentation.

Hotspots: Hotspots allow you to hide extra information behind clickable icons. To create hotspots, select "Actions" from the top toolbar and then choose "Hotspot." You will have options to link to an object, video, or audio. Customize the settings for how you want the popup content to appear and show any additional details.

Clickable Links: Insert links into your presentation to let your audience explore more information easily. To add external links, first click on the object you want to link from. Then, from the top panel, click "Actions" and select "External Link." You'll be given options to link to different types of external sources such as websites or social media. Paste your URL in the provided field to set the link.

Embeddable Content: To embed online content, click "Media" from the left panel and select "Embed Online Content." Paste the URL of the content you want to embed in the provided box, then click "Insert." The content will be embedded in your presentation.

Transitions and Animations: To add transitions and animations to your Visme presentation, click on the object or text box you want to animate. Next, click on the "Animate" tab in the top toolbar and choose your desired animation effect. Finally, adjust the animation settings, such as duration and delay, to tailor it to your presentation's needs.

Step 4: Incorporate Animations, Visuals and Multimedia

Include visuals and multimedia in your presentation to break the monotony of text and convey messages faster. Visme allows you to add images, videos, audio and voiceovers to aid comprehension and improve your storytelling.

Here is how you can leverage these resources efficiently:

• Adding Images and Icons: Navigate to the "Graphics" tab within Visme to access various stock images , 3D characters , animated shapes, icons and special effects. You can easily search for specific visuals that align with your presentation's theme. Once you've found the right image or icon, simply drag and drop it into your slide.
• Incorporating Videos : To add a video, switch to the "Media" tab, where you can either upload your video or embed one from popular platforms like YouTube. Videos are excellent for breaking up the monotony of text-heavy slides. Plus, they can provide a dynamic illustration of your points.
• Implementing Voiceovers: Adding voiceovers to your slides can deliver a personalized touch and cater to auditory learners. In Visme, you can record your voice directly onto a slide or upload pre-recorded audio files. This allows for a more interactive and accessible presentation.

Easily create professional voiceovers and transform your written content into speech using Visme's AI text-to-speech generator . Simply type in or paste your text to generate high-quality speech that enhances presentations and makes them more accessible and engaging to a wider audience.

Read this article about creating multimedia presentations using Visme, or watch the video below to learn more.

Step: Download, Share and Present

Once your interactive presentation is ready, Visme allows you to publish it in multiple ways.

Click on the "Download" button on the upper right corner of the dashboard, choose "Present Offile," and click on "HTML5". Downloading your presentation in HTML5 lets you keep all the interactive and animation features.

Additionally, you can download the presentation in PPTX, JPG, PNG and PDF formats.

Visme also gives you the option to export the presentation directly to your learning management system (LMS) in xAPI and SCORM format.

Click on the "Share" button next to the download button to publish the presentation on social media, share it via a private or public link or embed it on your website with a code snippet.

And the best part? You can present your interactive presentation directly from Visme, so you don't have to leave the app and use all the features of the presentation software on the go. Visme's presenter studio tool comes with various practical features to enhance your ability to deliver presentations confidently.

You can use the presenter notes to keep track of key points you want to cover without cluttering your slides.

With the option to record yourself, you can create personalized asynchronous presentations. This feature is perfect for participants who cannot join live sessions, allowing them to watch the presentation at their own pace while still experiencing a face-to-face connection.

After sharing the presentation, use Visme's advanced analytics features to understand the audience engagement. It collects data, including average time spent, unique visits, total views and even visitor's IPs. This feedback can help refine your presentations, ensuring they effectively capture and retain audience interest. It's especially helpful when you are delivering the presentation virtually.

Q1. What is an interactive presentation tool?

An interactive presentation tool is software that allows you to create presentations with interactive elements like quizzes, polls, and clickable links. Visme is one example of an interactive presentation tool.

Q2. How can I make my presentation more interactive and fun?

You can make your presentation more interactive and fun by incorporating g quizzes, polls, games, storytelling, multimedia and other interactive elements. visuals. Visme offers many features that can help you create interactive presentations.

Q3. How can I make my PowerPoint presentation interactive?

You can make your PowerPoint presentation interactive by using tools like Visme that makes it easy for you to infuse animations and interactive assets embed quizzes, polls and videos or link text and objects to ing to external websites and resources and much more

Q4. How to present creatively without PowerPoint?

There are many ways to present creatively without PowerPoint. You can use various interactive presentation tools like Visme, which offers a wide range of templates, features, and integrations to help you create and deliver engaging presentations.

Put Together Interactive & Beautiful Presentations with Visme

As we've seen, interactive presentations aren't just a trend; they're a powerful tool to combat declining attention spans and make your message memorable. You can turn passive listeners into active participants using interactive elements like clickable buttons, hover effects, menus, polls, videos, maps and QR codes.

With its user-friendly interface, millions of visual assets, and wealth of features like a presenter studio, interactive features and collaboration tools, Visme empowers you to craft interactive presentations that leave a lasting impact.

No design experience? No problem. Choose an interactive presentation template from the Visme library and use the design ideas and step-by-step tutorial explained in this article to create your interactive presentation in minutes.

Create a free account in Visme and start your journey towards more engaging presentations today.

Create beautiful presentations faster with Visme.

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About the Author

Raja Antony Mandal is a Content Writer at Visme. He can quickly adapt to different writing styles, possess strong research skills, and know SEO fundamentals. Raja wants to share valuable information with his audience by telling captivating stories in his articles. He wants to travel and party a lot on the weekends, but his guitar, drum set, and volleyball court don’t let him.

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Adding a summary slide to the end of a PowerPoint presentation is a good idea. That way, you can review items with your audience at the end of the presentation. The presenter controls what items make it to the summary slide and can even use each item on the slide to quickly return to the previous slide(s).

How to create a summary slide in PowerPoint

How to hyperlink summary items, how to insert a zoom summary slide in microsoft 365.

If you’re using an older version of PowerPoint (pre-Microsoft 365), you can create a summary slide as follows:

1. Select all of the slides you want to summarize in Slide Sorter view. Click the first slide, then press and hold the Ctrl key as you click the remaining slides ( Figure A ).

2. Click Summary Slide on the Outlining toolbar.

3. PowerPoint inserts the summary slide before the slides, so be sure to drag it to the end of the presentation.

When you’re done with the presentation, you can click to the summary slide for a brief period of questions and answers, if appropriate.

SEE: Spice up your presentation by adding multiple flashing stars in a PowerPoint slide .

If that’s the end of things, then the simple summary slide is adequate. However, you might want to display the original slides again as you answer questions from the audience. If that’s a possibility, hyperlink the summary items to their respective slides as follows:

1. Select the item on the summary slide.

2. Choose Hyperlink from the Insert menu.

3. Click Place In This Document in the left pane.

4. Identify the slide ( Figure B ).

5. Click OK.

You don’t have to hyperlink the items on the summary slide, but doing so lets you return to the original slide(s) with a quick click. You’ll probably want to add hyperlinks on each slide for the return trip to the summary slide.

SEE: Here’s how to tone down a busy picture using Merge in Microsoft PowerPoint .

If you’re using Microsoft 365, adding a summary slide is easier. Thanks to the Zoom feature, PowerPoint will generate a summary slide, but how you use it differs a bit from the older summary slide. There are no hyperlinks per se; clicking a thumbnail will zoom in on the original slide.

Let’s create a summary slide that includes the same slides 1, 3 and 5 using the Zoom feature:

1. Click the Insert tab.

2. In the Links group, choose Summary Zoom from the Zoom dropdown ( Figure C ).

3. In the resulting pane, click slides 1, 3 and 5 ( Figure D ). If you select slides before starting this process, they will already be selected.

4. Click Insert.

Figure E shows the resulting summary slide, which includes thumbnails of slides 1, 3 and 5. PowerPoint displays the summary slide at the beginning of the presentation, so remember to drag it to the end.

How to use the Zoom summary slide

To use the summary slide, simply click any thumbnail to zoom in on that slide. You’re not actually moving to that slide. What happens with the next click is where sections matter.

In Figure C , you can see two dimmed options. Section Slide is dimmed because the current presentation has no sections. When you apply the Zoom summary slide, PowerPoint automatically divides your slides into sections. How you intend to use the summary slide will determine whether you keep the new sections. The Zoom feature works well with sections, but they’re not required.

SEE: Create a moving arrow in Microsoft PowerPoint to gently guide the presentation from point to point.

If the presentation has sections, the second click will zoom in on the section slide in that section. Each subsequent click will display the next slide in the section until you reach the end of the section. Once you’ve reached that point, a click will return the presentation to the summary slide.

If the presentation doesn’t use sections or the section has only one slide, the first click zooms in on the appropriate slide. The second click returns you to the summary slide.

How to remove a section

There’s no way to stop PowerPoint from adding sections once you implement the Zoom slide feature. Fortunately, removing the sections is easy:

1. Right-click the section item.

2. Choose Remove Section ( Figure F ).

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