Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

Writer: Craig Meerkamper

How bad is your stage fright? When making public appearances in front of a crowd, there’s a fine line between those who crave the spotlight and those who feel safer behind the scenes or in the audience. This is doubly so for those working in promotions who have the added pressure of not just representing themselves, but representing an entire brand identity. 

From video games, to industry conventions and fast food, promotional presentations are unique in the dynamic they create between presenter and audience. At most promotional presentations, the audience is self-selected. They’re there looking to get a sneak peek at what their favorite IP has planned for the future. They’re there for more than just data and sales metrics. The audience wants to be the first to hear the inside scoop. More than anything, they want to be entertained.

Thinking of promotional presentations in this way, as a show and performance, rather than a strictly corporate affair, is a crucial way to build audience engagement. Wowing an audience doesn’t mean flashy spectacle and pyrotechnics (though if there’s the budget for some flamethrowers I don’t see how it could hurt), it requires an engaging confidence in your information delivery. 

This is to say, you need to impress them. The least impressive thing is reading every word verbatim off of presentation slides, adding nothing more. When hosting a promotional presentation, you’re performing, you’re a one person show. So you really have to learn your lines. An overly constructed presentation that’s long, complex, and writing heavy is like putting your entire annotated script up on the screen. Sure, all the content is technically there, but does the audience really gain much from seeing that?

Instead, think of your presentation as your cheat sheet. You’re the star and your presentation is the backdrop. It’s there to support and bolster your performance — to give the audience something big to think about. Making a point more impactful, making a crucial statistic memorable — these are the moments you change the slide, or bring up a visual that creates a special, lasting impact.

With these struggles and tips in mind, Blast is launching an exciting new course, “How to Build Powerful Presentations.” It’s designed for professionals who want to take their presentations to the next level. By taking the course you’ll learn proven methods to tell a powerful story and design impactful slides that help your presentation leaving the audience saying “wow!”.

Upcoming Promoter Sessions: January 15 & January 16 2025 4pm-7pm EST.