Whether you are collating your personal memories or doing a year-end review of the company, a slide show is a good communication tool that can be leveraged. To put it simply, a slide show is a collection of images or video clips that showcases a compelling narrative to an audience.

Before we go further, let’s understand why slideshows are considered a viable communication option:

Why Use Slideshows?

It is a known fact that videos get a lot of engagement and in most cases, help improve the ROI. With a multitude of video formats available, slideshows stand out for the following reasons:

•         Digestible: The information is carried in a format that is easily digestible with each image or video clip highlighting a key point of the brand.
•         Conversation Starters: Each of the images or video clips highlights important facets of the brand and can be potential conversation starters.
•         Comprehensive: With a combination of images and video clips, a brand can conclusively offer information to the audience highlighting a different aspect of it with each image or video clip.  

How to Make a Slideshow Video?

Although they are easy to create, slideshows can look amateurish if made incorrectly. So, let’s begin with a step-by-step approach to creating slideshows:

1.       Begin with a Script

A script will help give order to the entire process of making the slideshow. It will tighten the narrative, preventing it from going astray during the course of the presentation. Additionally, a script will come in handy during the editing process, as you will have a solid idea of the order the slide show must take to make the point intended.

For instance, if you are creating a corporate video, instead of just collating employee interviews, it would be a good idea to ask employees questions at regular intervals. Doing so will make the slideshow more compelling and the audience would be keen on understanding the company through the questions posed.

Read the script aloud and cut it down in places where you feel like the content is unnecessary. You can even create a rough storyboard to get a better grip on things and what the final output should be like.

2.       Select the right images or clips

Most often, it is assumed that the slideshow comprises only images. But you can make the presentation more interactive by adding GIFs, slow-motion videos, and even short video clips. For instance, if you are creating an employee recruitment video, you can showcase images of people working together, as well as video clips of them giving testimonials about their experience working for the company.

This combination is likely to have the right impact on the audience and will showcase the company in a positive light. Above all, be sure to use good-quality images and video clips in the slideshow. Blurry or low-resolution images will only turn off your viewers.

3.       Structure the Slideshow

While making the video, do not underestimate the power of text. Where ever required add text overlays and graphic designs to make the content understandable. Such elements in the presentation help enhance the message the slideshow seeks to convey. Another element in the slideshow are transitions, which connect different parts of the video to make it flawless.

4.       Add Branding to the Slideshow

When using stock images or video clips ensure to include the company branding. Finalize your text, logo, graphics, special effects, and other elements to match the nature of your branding. The video elements along with the branding have to perform as a cohesive unit, impacting the audience.

5.       Edit the Sound

When you make a slideshow with music it is always better than one without any. Apart from music, some brands even incorporate voiceovers to make the necessary impact on the audience. Another good way to capture the viewers’ attention is to have subtitles; recent studies have shown that a captioned video has more viewers than one without.

Use Cases of Slideshows – Personal & Professional 

While there are tons of uses with a slideshow, here we present some popular use cases for slideshows:

•         Year-End Memory Video: Instead of sending blank holiday cards, you can collate memories in video clips, and send them with your near and dear ones via email, or could share them on social media platforms.
•         Birthday Surprise: Use a slideshow to tell a story about the strong bond that you share with a loved one, for their birthday. Send it across with a personal message on an email to make an added impact.
•         Relationship Memento: Collate all the images that strike a chord, and prove to be lasting memories of your relationship. Send it across to your dear ones to make them feel special on that anniversary day.
•         Vacation Montage: Share your holiday memories with friends and family, for them to be equal partners in your moments of happiness. Collate images or video clips and share them on social media to reach the maximum number of people.   
•         Professional Tie-ups: Celebrate business partnerships through slideshows that chronicle your journey from the very beginning. These will resonate among your employees and business partners.

Final Thoughts

Slideshows are easy and fun to make, and if made from the right perspective, are likely to give incredible results. While making the slideshow, ensure to use a good slideshow maker. One of the best slideshow makers in the market is from the company InVideo. They make the creation of a slideshow a breeze with easy functionalities built into the video editor.