a video presentation of a social story is acceptable

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Social stories and comic strip conversations.

Social storiesTM and comic strip conversations can help autistic people develop greater social understanding and help them stay safe.

What are social stories? 

Social storiesTM were created by Carol Gray in 1991. They are short descriptions of a particular situation, event or activity, which include specific information about what to expect in that situation and why. 

The terms 'social story' and 'social stories' are trademarks originated and owned by  Carol Gray . 

What are social stories for? 

Social stories can be used to: 

develop self-care skills (for example, how to clean teeth, wash hands or get dressed), social skills (for example, sharing, asking for help, saying thank you, interrupting) and academic abilities

help someone to understand how others might behave or respond in a particular situation

help others understand the perspective of an autistic person and why they may respond or behave in a particular way

help a person to cope with changes to routine and unexpected or distressing events (for example, absence of teacher, moving house, thunderstorms)

provide positive feedback to a person about an area of strength or achievement in order to develop self-esteem

as a behavioural strategy (for example, what to do when angry, how to cope with obsessions). 

How do social stories help? 

Social stories present information in a literal, 'concrete' way, which may improve a person's understanding of a previously difficult or ambiguous situation or activity. The presentation and content can be adapted to meet different people's needs. 

They can help with sequencing (what comes next in a series of activities) and 'executive functioning' (planning and organising).     

By providing information about what might happen in a particular situation, and some guidelines for behaviour, you can increase structure in a person's life and thereby reduce anxiety. 

Creating or using a social story can help you to understand how the autistic person perceives different situations. 

My toys 

My toys belong to me. They are mine. 

Many of my toys were given to me 

Some of my toys have my name on them. 

I may play with my toys or share them with someone. 

I have toys that are mine. 

Carol Gray's The new social story book, 2015 

How to write a social story 

Carol Gray says you will need to  picture the goal, gather information, and tailor the text . 

Picture the goal 

Consider the social story's purpose. For example, the goal may be to teach a child to cover their mouth when coughing. 

Now think about what the child needs to understand to achieve this goal. For example, they need to understand why covering their mouth when coughing is important, ie it stops germs from being spread which may make other people sick. 

Gather information 

Collect information about the situation you want to describe in your social story. Where does the situation occur? Who is it with? How does it begin and end? How long does it last? What actually happens in the situation and why? If it is for a situation where a particular outcome is not guaranteed, use words like ‘sometimes’ and ‘usually’ in the story. 

Stories should appeal to the interests of the person they are written for and avoid using words that may cause the person anxiety or distress. The content and presentation of social stories should be appropriate to the person's age and level of understanding. Use age-appropriate photographs, picture symbols or drawings with text to help people who have difficulty reading or for younger children. 

Gather information about the person including their age, interests, attention span, level of ability and understanding. 

Tailor the text 

A social story needs to have a title, introduction, body and conclusion.

It should use gentle and supportive language. 

It should answer six questions: where, when, who, what, how and why? 

It should be made up of descriptive sentences, and may also have coaching sentences. A descriptive sentence accurately describes the context, such as where the situation occurs, who is there, what happens and why, for example: 

Christmas Day is 25 December. 

Sometimes I get sick. 

My body needs food several times per day; just like a steam train needs coal to stay running. 

A coaching sentence gently guides behaviour, for example: 

I will try to hold an adult’s hand when crossing the road. 

It’s ok to ask an adult for help with nightmares. 

When I am angry, I can take three deep breaths, go for a walk or jump on the trampoline.

Carol Gray's  The new social story book , 2015 

How to use social stories 

Carol Gray has developed guidelines on how to use social stories effectively. 

Think about ways to aid comprehension – would adding questions help, or replacing some text with blanks for the person to fill in? 

Find ways to support the story, eg create poster with a key phrase from the story. 

Plan how often, and where, the story will be shared with the person.

Present the social story to the person at a time when everyone is feeling calm and relaxed, using a straightforward approach, eg I have written this story for you. It is about thunderstorms. Let's read it together now. 

Monitor how well the story is received and whether it is working as intended. 

Keep your stories organised in a ringbinder or computer folder. This makes them easier to find and review, and to develop with new information. 

What are comic strip conversations? 

Comic strip conversations, created by  Carol Gray , are simple visual representations of conversation. They can show: 

 the things that are actually said in a conversation 

 how people might be feeling 

 what people's intentions might be. 

Comic strip conversations use stick figures and symbols to represent social interactions and abstract aspects of conversation, and colour to represent the emotional content of a statement or message.

From Carol Gray's  Comic strip conversations , 1994 

By seeing the different elements of a conversation presented visually, some of the more abstract aspects of social communication (such as recognising the feelings of others) are made more 'concrete' and are therefore easier to understand. 

Comic strip conversations can also offer an insight into how an autistic person perceives a situation. 

How to use comic strip conversations 

Comic strip conversations can help autistic people understand concepts that they find particularly difficult. People draw as they talk and use these drawings to learn about different social situations. 

In a comic strip conversation, the autistic person takes the lead role, with parents, carers or teachers offering support and guidance. 

Start with small talk (for example, talking about the weather) to get the person you are supporting familiar with drawing while talking and to mimic ordinary social interactions. 

Ask a range of questions about a specific situation or type of social interaction. The autistic person answers by speaking and drawing their response. 

Summarise the event or situation you've discussed using the drawings as a guide. 

Think about how you can address any problems or concerns that have been identified. 

Develop an action plan for similar situations in the future. This will be a helpful guide for the autistic person. 

For complex situations, or for people who have difficulty reporting events in sequence, comic strip boxes may be used, or drawings can be numbered in the sequence in which they occur. 

Comic strip conversations can be used to plan for a situation in the future that may be causing anxiety or concern, for example an exam or a social event. However, remember that plans can sometimes change. It's important to present the information in a way which allows for unexpected changes to a situation. 

How to make your own comic strip conversation 

You can use just paper, pencils, crayons and markers, computer word processing applications, or you could use an app. 

Ask the person you are supporting to choose what materials they would like to use. 

Some people may like to have their comic strip conversations in a notebook, or saved on their smartphone or tablet, so that they can refer to them as needed, and easily recall key concepts. 

More information 

• Timmins, Dr. S. (2017) Successful Social Stories for School and College Students with Autism, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Timmins, Dr. S. (2016) Successful Social Stories for Young Children with Autism Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Gray, C. (2015) The new Social Story book: 15th Anniversary Edition. Future Horizons Firm
• Gray, C. (1994) Comic strip conversations: illustrated interactions with students with autism and related disorders   Carol Gray social story sampler
• Gerhardt, P., Cohen, M. (2014) Visual supports for people with autism: a guide for parents and professionals. Woodbine House
• Howley, M., Arnold, E. (2005) Revealing the hidden social code. Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Aprendices Visuales  – books with pictograms. 

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Last reviewed and updated on 21 August 2020

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How to Write a Social Story (A Step-By-Step Guide)

Written by:

  Rebekah Pierce

Filed under: Social Skills , Executive Functioning , Planning

Published:  December 17, 2020

Last Reviewed: October 25, 2022

READING TIME:  ~ minutes

If you’re working with a child with unique learning needs, you’ve probably heard all about the benefits and potential uses for social stories for students of all ages (even adolescents and young adults !).

Social stories can help young learners adjust to new routines, participate in conversations, develop certain life skills, or learn how to interact with peers. Whatever the situation might be, social stories can help tell kids what to expect and what might be expected of them.

While the benefits of social stories are obvious, creating them is much more complicated. It can be a daunting task, particularly if you are working with several students or aren’t sure how to craft the perfect narrative.

Fortunately, there are ways to make your life a bit easier. Consider these tips on how to write a social story, and you’ll be an old pro in no time.

What Are Social Stories?

According to Carol Gray , the original founder of social stories, social stories are used to “accurately describe a context, skill, achievement, or concept according to 10 defining criteria .”

A social story must:

• Have a goal
• Include a two-step discovery process
• Contain a title and introduction that identify the topic, a body that adds detail, and a conclusion that reinforces and summarizes the information
• Has a format that is tailored to the individual abilities, learning style, talented, interests, and attention span of the audience
• Has exclusive use of first- and/or third-person perspective statements (no second-person “you”)
• Contains past, present, or future tense
• Has a positive, patient tone
• Is literally accurate
• Has an accurate meaning
• Answers questions about where, when, who, what, how, and why
• Contains descriptive and coaching sentences (sentences that guide behavior)
• Has language that describes more than it directs
• Is constantly revised
• Has a plan for editing and implementation

Types of Social Stories

There are all kinds of social stories you can write. They can be used to:

• Explain how others might feel or react in a certain situation (including the student)
• Help a student cope with change in routine or unexpected events (like a fire drill)
• Assist with expected or unexpected behaviors (what to do when you are finished with an assignment)
• Accomplish self-care skills (such as grooming tasks)
• Describe what will happen at an event (like going on a field trip)

In short, there are very few situations in which a social story is not appropriate – you could even use them to teach important job skills ! Social stories describe events more than they dictate what a student must do, making them good options for students who aren’t sure how to react to certain events.

How to Write a Social Story: Step-by-Step

1. decide what kinds of topics to tackle in your social story.

Social stories are normally written in first or third person, but never in second person. Writing a social story in second person diverts the story from being a descriptive story into being a directive one – that’s something you want to avoid.

Ideally, a social story should be written from the student’s perspective – “I went to the store” or “Adam went to the store” rather than “you went to the store.” They will answer the who, what, when, where, and why about a certain situation and the expected behavior that you would like to teach the student.

Therefore, the first thing you need to do is to identify the situation you’d like to cover in the social story. What kinds of situations do you find your student struggling in?

2. Vary Your Sentence Types

Carol Gray recommends that social stories should use both descriptive and “coaching” sentences. These “coaching” sentences are sometimes referred to as directive sentences, but that can be confusing given that we want the story to guide more than dictate.

Ideally, you should have at least two descriptive sentences for every coaching sentence. Descriptive sentences can be further broken down into factual, perspective, cooperative, and affirmative sentences.

Many people find it helpful to write one descriptive sentence followed by a directive/coaching sentence, then a cooperative and affirmative sentence. This kind of structure provides a nice “cause and effect” flow that might prove to be structured enough and helpful for students who struggle with abstract concepts.

Here is an example:

Descriptive Sentence: I ride the bus to school.

Perspective Sentence: Sometimes I get upset when I ride the bus because it is loud and crowded.

Directive/Coaching Sentence: I can put on my headphones and listen to music when I feel upset on the bus.

Affirmative Sentence: Staying relaxed on the bus is good for me.

Again, try to maintain a ratio of two descriptive sentences for every directive sentence to keep things more descriptive than directive.

3. Prepare the Story

After you’ve selected the topic and come up with some ideas for sentences, it’s time to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard!) and start crafting the story.

4. Add Some Pictures

Next, you will need to add some pictures to the story. Put the picture above the text so there is a clear link between the picture and the sentence. The pictures should be clear and represent the meaning of the story – now is not the time for fancy graphics or abstract artistic renderings! If you can, use visual support pictures or actual photographs of the child and the chosen situation.

5. Create Copies

Once you’ve written the social story and added in your pictures, you need to make copies. If you plan on using the social story for a large group, try to blow it up so that it will be visible for everybody who is viewing it. If you plan on using the book or many children, you will want to create multiple copies (enough for each student to bring one home) and consider laminating it, too.

6. Introduce and Read the Story

This is one of the most important steps in creating a social story, and one that tends to be forgotten. While the crafting and content of a social story are, of course, important, you also need to set aside ample amounts of time to read the story to the child. Make sure you choose the opportune time, introducing the social story when the child is in an amenable, approachable mood and ready to learn.

Read through the story several times and have the child read along if possible. You can also discuss personal experiences and make connections to real-world situations to make the story even more relevant.

7. Practice and Provide Feedback

After reading the story several times, consider role-playing to help further your child’s understanding of the expectations. USe positive feedback when your child displays the expected behavior after the social story is used, and don’t throw the stories out when you think you might be finished with them. Hang on to them and keep them accessible so you can reread and practice more as necessary.

8. Bonus Step – Have the Student Help When Possible!

Whenever possible, encourage the child to help you create his own social story. This will allow for more ownership and greater buy-in. You can guide the child with open-ended questions if necessary.

Who Are Social Stories Best For?

Social stories were first adapted for students with autism spectrum disorder. However, they can be useful for any student who might struggle with social skills, behavioral disorders, or any other similar problems with communication.

They can be used with individuals of all ages, particularly if you take the time to modify and adapt them to fit the students’ age and cognitive level. When they are customized to meet the needs of an individual student, they are no longer one-size-fits-all solutions but instead can be personally tailored to meet any need or desired skill set.

Social stories can even be used for students who struggle with emotional regulation . They can help decrease anxiety, teach rules, or even demonstrate tough social cues.

How to Adapt Social Stories for Students Who Are Nonverbal

Believe it or not, you can use social stories for children who are nonverbal. You will need to make some accommodations and adaptations, though.

For starters, make sure the stories contain simplified language. Use single words rather than long phrases and try to encourage nonverbal communication in the stories (you might point to pictures in the story rather than focusing on long chunks of text).

It’s even more important when crafting these social stories that they attune to a child’s unique interests. These social stories should contain visual supports with lots of pictures (in some cases, a social story for a nonverbal child might contain no text and be composed solely of visual aids). You might even use musically-adapted social stories to help get a point across.

Another helpful tip for creating a social story for a nonverbal child is to make sure the story contains pictures of the child himself whenever possible. This will make the story more relevant and is a good way to involve the child in the creation of the social story when having them write their own sentences might not be possible.

Social Story Templates To Try

If you are an educator working with children with unique learning needs, there’s a good chance that you don’t have time to craft a brand-new social story for every single situation you need to teach. That’s where templates can come in handy.

One thing you can do is to create a reusable “Mad Libs”-style social story template that you can use again and again. You can simply fill in the blanks with the sentences and terms you need to include to make an impact on your student.

A fill in the blank social story template is helpful because you can read the social narrative and have the student circle the best answer or fill in the text and images with his own answer. This is a great way to allow the student to choose his or her own solution and feelings based on the narratives. You can also use it to review parts of speech! Ultimately, these kinds of social story templates will give more ownership to the student.

You can use computer programs like Microsoft Word, Publisher, or PowerPoint to create your own social stories, but if you want to grab a quick social story template that you can use with your kids ASAP, check out our template below by entering your email.

You can also view some of Carol Gray’s original examples and social story samplers here .

Ultimately, crafting a social story to fit your child’s unique needs is not difficult. With some practice, you’ll be able to whip up tons of stories in no time!

Further Reading

• Carol Gray: The New Social Story Book
• Carol Gray: Comic Strip Conversations
• Carol Gray: A Social Story for the Rest of Us
• All titles by Carol Gray
• Carol Gray: What is a Social Story ?
• Carol Gray: Social Stories 10.2
• Pandemic Social Stories Direct Access by Carol Gray
• Mike D. Brownell: Musically Adapted Social Stories to Modify Behaviors in Students with Autism: Four Case Studies
• Kylie Rymanowicz: Once upon a social story: Advantages, writing and presenting social stories
• Life Skills Advocate: Using Social Stories to Teach Internet Safety Skills to Teens

About The Author

Rebekah pierce.

Rebekah is a New York writer and teacher who specializes in writing in the education, gardening, health, and natural food niches. In addition to teaching and writing, she also owns a farm and is the author of the blog J&R Pierce Family Farm .

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Life Skills Advocate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Some of the links in this post may be Amazon.com affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, Life Skills Advocate will earn a commission. However, we only promote products we actually use or those which have been vetted by the greater community of families and professionals who support individuals with diverse learning needs.

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas Video Presentations: A Guide for Engaging Content

Video Presentations: A Guide for Engaging Content

In a time when the Millennials’ attention span can be measured as little as 12 seconds, how can we create genuinely engaging presentations? Is continuously changing slides the answer these days?

A skilled presenter has to master different techniques; therefore, we will examine the potential for video presentations. Join us to discover what video presentations are, the reasons why you should use them amongst your presentation tools, and exciting tips on how to drive engagement from them. 

Table of Contents

What video presentations are

Video presentation stats to consider, different types of video presentations, why should you use video presentations, what are the components of a winning video presentation, the role of accessibility: advanced research on video presentations, 5 tips on how to make your video presentations engaging.

• How to create a video presentation

Do you need special software to create video presentations?

Closing thoughts.

Presentations are a crucial part of business and academic environments. Thousands of presentations are delivered each day in different environments; still, many are doomed to fail. Although we can blame this on a lack of proper presentation skills , reality tells us there’s a change in how people prefer to see the content.

As a general rule, consider 10 minutes the Goldilocks Zone for traditional presentations in what comes to audience engagement . Inspirational presentations like the ones we see on TEDx don’t follow this rule, as the objective here is to share a compelling story as detailed as possible so the audience can relate. In some cases, academic presentations of the thesis defense style remain loyal to a specific format. Still, trends are also changing, and video presentations have much to offer in terms of exposing complex concepts more plainly.

A video presentation can be represented in multiple formats: as a compendium of animated slides in video format, video files and audio sources packed on a single video file, a video recording made in interview format, a video documentary, etc. Although this definition may sound redundant, the concept behind a video presentation is that they don’t require a presenter to change between slides or windows to browse different assets . Hence, the importance to create a story behind the video presentation, so the various elements don’t feel segregated without logic.

We can say people use the video format to convey information in courses, job training, edutainment, conferences, and any kind of message-sharing purpose that requires connecting with the audience for engagement.

Before dwelling on the specifics of building a video presentation, here we share some video presentation stats that speak about the importance of video presentations these days from a marketing perspective.

• Online search continues to be the most common way (45%) for users to find instructional and informational video content. ( source )
• The most commonly-created types of videos are explainer videos (72%) , presentation videos (49%), testimonial videos (48%), sales videos (42%), and video ads (42%). ( source )
• 57% of consumers said that product videos make them more confident in a purchase and less likely to return an item ( source )
• Millennials’ attention span can be measured as little as 12 seconds ( source )
• A minute of video is worth 1.8 million words in terms of information retention ( source )

As you can see, the effort of building a video presentation is well-paid in terms of consumption and content information retention from the audience.

Depending on the requirements of the presentation itself, we can classify video presentations as follows:

In-Company Video Presentations

These video presentations belong to the business and corporate world, but their purpose is to distribute information among coworkers or to coach the personnel for a specific requirement. In-company video presentations are used in workspace training, as part of internal recruitment processes, or other kinds of internal presentations.

In-company video presentations usually carry the company branding; they have restricted access for people outside the organization, so their distribution methods happen in meeting rooms dedicated to these purposes. 

Business Video Presentations

Business video presentations are used for a variety of business purposes: business pitches, workspace training, advertisement, product releases, recruitment, and more. Business video presentations also include the ones dedicated to  B2B or B2C relationships. 

Like In-Company Video Presentations, they carry branding to identify the video presentation’s author quickly. They are shared through official mediums for the company (like a brand’s social media channels and website), during corporate meetings with investors or potential business partners, and through 3rd. party channels.

Examples of these kinds of videos are product launch sessions, much like what tech giants like Xiaomi do.

Another kind of business video presentation is the explainer video. Explainer videos can be defined as short online marketing videos that are used to explain the company’s product or service. Explainer videos are commonly used for sales, marketing, and training purposes. Here is a real example of a 1-minute video presentation introducing SlideModel.com.

Another application of business video presentations is when sponsorship deals are involved, as brands can present their value to influencers through short reels.

Resume Video Presentations

This is a relatively recent but incredible turn of resume presentations. In resume video presentations , the candidate offers a detailed introduction of their capabilities, skills, interests, and potential value to the employer in a visually engaging format.

Unlike traditional CV presentations, the video format gives little room for anxiety, answering most of the interviewer’s questions or even driving admiration for the effort and dedication to this job-hunting adventure. 

We recommend the usage of resume presentation templates for this purpose, as they save tons of time in crafting a high-quality resume video presentation. 

Educational Video Presentations

This category can be divided into three different sub-categories:

Academic Video Presentations

Intended for University-level presentations or post-Doctorate work, these presentations follow strict format guidelines. They are mainly designed to distribute data comprehensively, with proper documentation backup. Animations usually don’t take part in these video presentations.

Despite being commonly associated with business events, conferences also belong to the academic video presentations category, as the live sessions are recorded to spread the message about important research discoveries. 

Teaching & Training Video Presentations

Teachers introduce the presentations to their students on various topics to understand abstract issues better. Chemistry, Physics, and Geography are typical examples of subjects that use video presentations. However, subjects like History and Philosophy can save countless hours of whiteboard sessions by using educational video presentations. 

Webinars fall under this category, either being released to the public or in-company webinars, as they share common aspects in their structure. Do keep in mind that educational content recorded as video presentations is not the same as a webinar, as the latter requires the presence of a live audience, a moderator, and usually a Q&A session at the end of it. If we talk about educational content being recorded and released as a course platform, then we can say it is a workshop.

According to recent studies, visualizations through video presentations and video-based learning can enhance understanding. It is demonstrated that students who watched learning videos on Statistics, influenced engagement and motivation positively .

Student Video Presentations

Finally, students also make video presentations as requested by their teachers to present a lesson or project exhibition. These presentations vary as the students grow older, becoming less dependent on animated effects, setting the bases for future work or academic presentation formats.

Informal Video Presentations

If you remember seeing videos in situations like 50th birthday parties, baptisms, wedding anniversaries, etc., then you have already experienced informal video presentations. 

These informal presentations are free from any format restriction. As the term implies, they are used for any kind of meetup, making it simpler to share a story rather than to tell a lengthy story.

Inspirational & Motivational Video Presentations

The final category belongs to the video presentations with a strong emotional component. They are built to connect, to empathize with the audience in specific situations or problems. Examples of this are TEDx , Evan Carmichael, or similar influencing platforms.

In general lines, motivational video presentations are recordings of live events shared with the purpose of getting the message to the biggest audience possible (internet consumers). Another possible format for these presentations is recorded interviews or testimonials intended to speak about a person’s contributions to society. An example of this, from an organization’s point of view, are the videos produced by the UK’s NHS to highlight and thank their medical personnel for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Inspirational video presentations share common aspects with motivational speeches. A list of requirements for these video presentations would be:

• Have a clear purpose
• Make it personal
• Get the message tailored for the target audience
• A strong conclusion

Compared with traditional presentation methods, such as presentation slides or speaking in front of an audience, video presentations can offer a series of advantages. 

For starters, as you write the “ story ,” you are also rehearsing the points to be covered. In that way, anxiety or shyness won’t trigger you to forget about essential points or lose track of time. The length of the presentation can be predetermined, depending on the external requirements of the organization party, or how comprehensive or concise you need it to be. 

In the case of people struggling with camera shyness , an animated video presentation with voiceover is the answer to deliver quality work. Since psychologists and doctors agree the common point on fear of public speaking is the delivery of the presentation itself, video presentations shall reduce work-induced anxiety to a great degree. Since psychologists and doctors agree the common point on fear of public speaking is the delivery of the presentation itself, video presentations shall reduce work-induced anxiety to a great degree. You can also convert images to video online using video editor platforms to easily create video from images and voiceover on video.

Video presentations can be persuasive thanks to the usage of graphics and audio. It is far easier to convey emotions through video presentations than to put them in the presentation design. Also, research by Dr. James McQuivey proved that a minute of video is worth 1.8 million words in terms of information retention.

Regarding engagement, the popularity that both TikTok and YouTube gained among the younger generations reflects the behavioral changes in content consumption . It has come to the point that even professionals use TikTok to demystify health hoaxes and help users worldwide. Therefore, using video format for presentations can help to boost your presentation performance, making it attractive for your audience and less effort-demanding. 

The most significant factor in delivering a successful video presentation is keeping the audience engaged. To ensure this, make sure the presentation doesn’t feel robotic-like but that it conveys a personal message. Don’t get this point wrong if we talk strictly about business or academic scenarios; making video presentations to deliver your personal touch can become as simple as selecting the proper color combination to enforce your message . Other solutions come from watching your voice tone not to make it too monotonous. 

Structure your presentation accordingly. In business or academic video presentations is a good idea to introduce a slide in the fashion of a table of contents . It is an extra touch that brings the audience closer to the topics due to be discussed. 

Consider the audience’s perspective as a vital element in video presentations. Check relevant examples of the topic discussed on platforms such as YouTube or DailyMotion. Compare their approach to yours and assert if you would watch your presentation as a spectator or not. This simple test gives insights into which aspects you should work on.

Winning video presentations never miss the usage of CTAs. It’s a good method to direct the audience’s interest to a specific goal.

Video presentations can become an incredible tool for driving engagement, yet there is a problem that not so many presenters address: accessibility. Think about how many times a presenter ends a phrase like “over here,” assuming the audience is watching the item being shown. But what if members of the target audience have visual impairments?

Much like we consider the importance of adding Closed Captioning (CC) to our videos, accessibility in terms of the narrative is a must. On this behalf, we want to introduce an interesting research that led to the production of a tool named Slidecho . Using state-of-the-art technology like video scene detection, AI, and OCR, Slideshow follows these very steps:

• Step 1: Extract slide frames
• Step 2: Selecting slide elements
• Step 3: Detecting described elements from the slide elements
• Step 4: Aligning slides with the speech

Therefore, Slidecho uses an algorithmic methodology to extract the visual elements from the slides, converting them to an audio reading format whilst aligning it with the original speaker’s narration. Moreover, its interface instantiates new interactions that augment the plain video interface with synchronized slide information and audio notifications to alert users to undescribed elements.

This technological advance helps the audience better understand what is being presented, regardless of the context of the presentation. Imagine an award ceremony where many references apply to visual cues. People with visual impairments get half of the message, with luck, when presenters fall into colloquial language usage, not understanding the context or having to ask for clarification. If instead, the synced narration is available, we then talk about making presentations available for everyone. This is an accurate definition of enriching an event experience.

If we talk about attending to the needs of people with hearing impairments, we have to consider the social factor as a motivator in presentations. It is a common mistake to leave slides filled with text and voiceover narration in the background providing detailed information. A study made by Stanford University speaks about the value of having the presenter’s face available through these slides, as it delivers both social cues plus helps users through lip reading. The human factor also reduces distractions since the audience must check the presenter’s input on written slides.

Tip #1 – Be mindful of the presentation topic

It’s not the same to create a presentation for a business audience as an inspirational presentation. The category of the presentation shall determine items like

• Background music
• Color theme
• Visual hierarchy
• Videos to include

Tip #2 – Limit the number of words to include

The whole idea behind the video presentation is to make a dynamic presentation, not having to pause every 5 seconds to allow the spectator to read.

Instead, use words to transmit powerful messages, such as quotes relevant to the presented topic, key information, or CTAs. Use the 7×7 rule: no slide should have more than 7 lines of text, and no sentence should have more than 7 words. 

Tip #3 – Voiceovers can become your best friends

The whole point behind a video presentation is not to create a boring one-person video speaking in front of the camera. Use voiceovers effectively to introduce charts, data feedback, etc., with your voice connecting the points of the entire presentation.

Be mindful of the tone. A monotonous or flat tone can divert attention and induce people to ignore your work. Your voice skills should articulate the importance of the point being discussed as well as your interest in it.

Tip #4 – The power of transitions

Adding suitable transitions and animations makes the presentation more engaging . However, this isn’t equal to adding countless effects. Less is more.

Ask a professional for guidance if you don’t have experience with animation effects. The transition can be part of the conversation, being subtle if the presentation is flowing between data sets or similar topics, or contrasting and powerful to deliver a persuasive message. You may also want to insert a transition when you’ve used a video cutter to remove an unwanted part to smooth out the video flow. Don’t abuse any of the two extremes, or the audience may find it uncomfortable.

Tip #5 – Make video presentations accessible

As we mentioned before, quite often presenters assume the audience can understand every part of a video presentation. Reality tells us to attend to the needs of people with visual and auditory impairments by making audio and video media accessible .

Subtitles or translator screen-over using sign language is a perfect opportunity to help people with auditory impairments feel part of the presentation, making the message available to them as well. 

For people with visual impairments, be mindful about how you create the narrative for your presentation, in particular, avoiding visual cues like: “over here,” “this,” and “there” and gesticulating over an object or person, assuming everyone can get the same reference information. Instead, opt to be descriptive in your speech; software solutions can help a great deal, but you can also use native PowerPoint or Google Slides tools such as voiceovers .

How to create a video presentation & recommended video presentation templates

You can create your own video presentations as easily as using Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynotes, or Google Slides.

Check these links for relevant information on how to create a video presentation:

• How to Convert a Google Slides Presentation to a Video
• How to Convert a PowerPoint Presentation to a Video
• How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint

In case you feel stuck about which content to input or how to make your video presentation outstanding, a brainstorming technique can do wonders for interactive presentations and creative thinking. It is known as the SCAMPER technique .

Since video presentation templates make our life easier, we also recommend you check the following product categories to access extremely visually appealing designs created by professionals to help you deliver your message in style:

• Animated PowerPoint Templates
• Animated Text Banner Templates
• Academic PowerPoint Templates
• Business PowerPoint Templates
• Marketing PowerPoint Templates

Additionally, here you can preview some of our presentation templates that you can use to create a video presentation in PowerPoint.

1. Animated PowerPoint Charts Collection Template

Present data in a visually appealing format by using this collection of animated charts in PowerPoint. Fully customizable, this template brings ease to speak about data-driven presentations; hence becoming a vital asset for any presenter in the corporate world.

Use This Template

2. Animated Network Diagram PowerPoint Template

Simplify the different streams that take part in your project or product release with the help of this animated template design. This Animated Network Diagram template can help you expose the processes that, with integrated effort, evolve into a successful outcome. It has animations applied to the objects, plus transitions to make the presentation more fluid.

Fully editable with any version of PowerPoint.

3. Free Animated Editable Professional Infographics PowerPoint Template

Infographics are a powerful tool that every presenter must consider for their work. This Free Animated Infographics template allows presenters to communicate complex data pieces, build marketing strategies, or prepare professional-looking reports. 

You can find a broad variety of charts and graphs. These are fully editable by using the chart filter option to edit on a spreadsheet.

4. Free Animated Editable Infographic PowerPoint Slides

If you intend to present financial data or KPIs for your marketing projects, look no further: this Free Animated Editable Infographic Template for PowerPoint has it all. 

Arranged in an 8-slide deck, we find a compendium of graphic elements to represent complex data in a visually compelling manner. Fully editable in all versions of PowerPoint

5. Free Animated Business PowerPoint Template

This versatile free presentation template for PowerPoint makes the perfect tool for more than business presentations: it works perfectly for educational video presentations and even inspirational video presentations.

With 9 fully editable slides, you can build your video presentation by using a unique combination of graphic elements, animations, and transitions. The graphics elements on this template are oriented to highlight leadership concepts.

6. Free Animated Business Infographics PowerPoint Template

Use this free template to create powerful statements backed by data in your video presentations. With a broad selection of graphs, diagrams, and charts, this fully editable template can help presenters to discuss topics ranging from demographics, economy, marketing indicators, or other relevant research results in an easy-to-understand format.

Compatible with all versions of PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Keynote.

You also need to consider the output format of your video presentations. For maximum compatibility, you can use  MP4 or MOV. Other alternatives include:

• MKV : The native format of most 4K videos due to being able to store multiple audio tracks. Ideal for presentations with different voiceover languages that presenters can pick from.
• WMV : It’s a quality format for rendering videos to be shared via e-mail, although not compatible with some devices. Installing codecs is advised. 
• WebM : This format is one of the preferred choices for online video libraries or live streaming services, but it can present compatibility issues. 

The answer to this question entirely depends on your aim for creating video presentations. For most presenters, PowerPoint and Google Slides will do a good job, allowing them to use features such as voiceovers, transitions, animations, and high-quality graphics.

If instead, you desire to make advanced effects, screen recordings, or toon-like animations with voiceovers, then you should check the following list of solutions:

• Camtasia (Techsmith) : It is a professional video editing software, much lighter and easier to use than Adobe Premiere or Sony Vegas. You can create professional transition or animation effects, work with layers to add multiple sounds or video sources and create screen recordings.
• Adobe Premiere Pro : The industry-leading software in video editing. This often intimidating software by Adobe has all the requirements for professional video editing, plus full integration with third-party plugins or other software from the Adobe suite to enhance the video result.
• Sony Vegas Pro : It is considered a direct competitor to Adobe Premiere Pro, less demanding in hardware requirements, and somewhat more user-friendly.
• Final Cut Pro : For Mac users, this is the option to consider if we talk about video editing. Powerful and tailored for the hardware the Mac device has.

As we have seen in this article, video presentations are far from obsolete. It is a truly engaging method to divulge our ideas, especially if we target a younger audience. 

Take your time to write a compelling story to tell rather than spilling animations and transitions along the way. Professional-made video presentations always care about details and the takeaway message for the spectator. 

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To Connect with Your Audience, Share Personal Stories

Leaders often shy away from sharing personal stories in their talks and presentations, because they’re afraid of revealing their struggles or appearing unprofessional. But this is a missed opportunity to connect with your audience: Stories that expose our human flaws and vulnerabilities are often what inspire people. To unearth your inspiring stories, think through the […]

Leaders often shy away from sharing personal stories in their talks and presentations, because they’re afraid of revealing their struggles or appearing unprofessional. But this is a missed opportunity to connect with your audience: Stories that expose our human flaws and vulnerabilities are often what inspire people. To unearth your inspiring stories, think through the nouns that are important to you — the people, places, and things that have shaped your life. Some of your experiences may be too personal to share, but you may uncover anecdotes that will become the basis of a great story. Write one-line summaries of your best anecdotes, and catalog them; you could sort them by situation, theme, mood, or moral. When you’re planning your next talk, look through your catalog of stories and consider who’s in your audience and what they care about. Choose a story that fits their values, goals, and interests, and that will send the message you want to convey.

Source: Adapted from “How to Identify and Tell Your Most Powerful Stories,” by Nancy Duarte

Partner Center

Lesson | 60 Minutes

What makes a good video story.

What makes a video story good isn’t just about the topic, it’s how you tell the story. In this lesson, you will focus on key elements that make for great nonfiction stories like news packages, video profiles, explainers, and short documentaries.

Central Questions

• What are the essential elements that make up a good story?
• What are the differences between news packages, video profiles, explainer videos, and short documentaries?

Learning Outcomes

• Help students establish the difference between different types of nonfiction video stories .
• Help students understand the essential elements that make a good video story.
• Help students strengthen their own story ideas.

When Would You Use This Lesson?

• At the start of a project to help students figure out what kind of story they want to tell and ensure that they have the elements necessary to produce a successful story.
• In a unit on Media Literacy to help students understand the essential elements of a successful news story.
• As a discussion starter on the difference between different types of nonfiction stories.

Media Literacy Connection

This activity will help students think critically about news media and understand how media narratives are constructed.

Civics Connection

Knowing the elements of good video storytelling can help creators understand how to craft compelling narratives about civic issues, helping viewers learn and understand those issues.

• Jamboard Activity , which could be substituted with classroom whiteboard and markers/stickies.
• Six Essential Elements Rubric
• Google doc version of lesson

When violence strikes or when people argue about actions, events, ideas or policies, we care. Conflict and controversy attract our attention by highlighting problems or differences within the community or between groups. Sometimes conflict can be subtle and manifest as tension.

The term “empathy” is used to describe a wide range of experiences. A generally definition is the ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling. In media-making, creators can have empathy for their subjects and the audience can empathize with the characters.

News package

Video stories about newsworthy issues and topics, factual information, balanced reporting, research, voice overs, soundbites, b-roll footage, infographics, reporter standup, nats (natural sound bites).

Video profile

The story of one person, has voiceover (VO), b-roll, pictures, nats (natural sound), interviews of family members or peers of that one person.

Explainer video

Narration and/or voiceover (VO) with a host, commentary, research, personal experiences, explanations, infographics, nats (natural sound), music, entertainment.

Short documentary

Narration and/or voiceover (VO), scene reconstructions, archival footage, nats (natural sound), b-roll, images, research, lengthy interviews, soundbites.

When a television reporter appears in front of the camera to narrate part of a story – most often at the beginning to set up the story, in the middle as a transition or if there is no good b-roll to cover voiceover, or at the very end.

Source: Berkeley Advanced Media Institute

Narration done by a broadcast reporter, usually reading from a script. The reporter's voice is recorded over a sequence of video clips that tell a story.

• Natural sound

Sounds produced in their actual setting. Natural sound, commonly known as NAT sound, puts the viewer in the place the story was told by enhancing the scene(s) with video containing rich audio such as a musician singing at a train station, a storm approaching, or the sound of a tractor plowing the field.

Speaking and Listening - Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6

Describe the diversity and variety of functions within the Journalism & Broadcasting Career Pathway.

CCTC - AR-JB 1.1-AR-JB 1.5

Digital Citizenship

Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical. ( ISTE )

Knowledge Constructor

Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others. ( ISTE )

Reading - Craft and Structure

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.6

Writing - Text Types and Purposes

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3

Creative Communicator

Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals. ( ISTE )

Speaking and Listening - Comprehension and Collaboration

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.3

Video Production

Media Literacy

Digital Literacy/Citizenship

Intermediate

Post It Notes

White board, chalkboard or other visual board

Video Conference Software. IE: Zoom or Google Meet

Padlet, Jamboard or other app for group collaboration

Estimated Time

Introduction.

There are many types of video stories . In this lesson we will explore four different storytelling styles:

• News packages
• Video profiles
• Explainer videos
• Short documentaries

A good video story will have some or all of the following six essential elements :

• Powerful visuals
• Element of surprise
• Compelling characters who are comfortable on camera
• Conflict (tension or mystery)
• Emotion and empathy

Warm Up Activity

Estimated time to complete: 30 Minutes

Explain to students that they will watch four different types of stories: a news package, a video profile, an explainer video, and a short documentary. Play them in random order without revealing the type of video stories . The purpose of this exercise is to see if they could identify each type of story based on prior knowledge.

• News package Can West Virginia's pipeline jobs keep youth in the state?
• Video profile Darwin’s Journey
• Explainer video How sitting all day can lead to some serious health issues
• Short documentary Four Years Later

After watching all the stories, have students IDENTIFY what type of story they are.

Using this JAMBOARD , have students place sticky notes in the box with the corresponding story type on SLIDE 2.

Note: Jamboard activity could be substituted with classroom whiteboard and markers/stickies.

Boxes (story types): Explainer, News Package, Documentary, and Profile

Sticky note (labels): DACA, PIPELINE, HEALTH, SCHOOL SAFETY

Have students place sticky notes with video and storytelling elements they recognize. Examples include b-roll, photos, narration, statistics, interviews, music, etc.

Possible characteristics. Please note there could be a combination of some or all in each category:

• News packages: Newsworthy issues/topics, factual information, balanced reporting, research, voice overs, soundbites, b-roll footage, infographics, reporter standup, nats.
• Video profiles: The story of one person, it could include voiceover (VO) or the person narrating, b-roll, pictures, nats (natural sound), interviews of family members or peers of that one person.
• Explainer videos: Narration and/or voiceover (VO) with a host, commentary, research, personal experiences, explanations, infographics, nats (natural sound), music, entertainment.
• Short documentary: Narration and/or voiceover (VO), scene reconstructions, archival footage, nats (natural sound), b-roll, images, research, lengthy interviews, soundbites.

Main Activity

EXPLAIN each of the six essential elements of a good video story by using the definitions below. Then, WATCH each video example again and have students fill out the SIX ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS RUBRIC . Students will use a five-star rating and list elements that were present in each video.

Example: Powerful Visuals: aerial shot of the pipeline, workers welding, map of the pipeline.

SIX ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS:

• Powerful visuals could be supplemental video (b-roll), motion graphics, and info charts that help the viewer understand the information presented.
• Element of surprise will reveal unexpected information. You want your audience to experience curiosity.
• Natural sounds put the viewer in the place the story was told by enhancing the scene(s) with video-containing rich audio such as a coach giving an inspirational speech in the locker room, a musician singing at a train station, a storm approaching, or the sound of a tractor plowing the field.
• Compelling characters who are comfortable on camera will be able to share their experiences, knowledge, and give you the details that are essential for the story.
• Conflict includes a character overcoming an obstacle, facing an opposition, wanting change, etc. Many stories are born out of conflict.
• Emotion and empathy connect the character in the story with the audience. You feel a connection to the emotions that the characters are feeling.

After identifying what makes a good video story, students will now be able to apply the essential elements to their own story. They may use the rubric as a guide to plan each element in their own stories. Ask students: Which element do you think would be the most challenging for you to capture?

Exit Ticket

Write down the six essential elements of a good story. Explain which one you think is most important and why.

Improve your practice.

Enhance your soft skills with a range of award-winning courses.

How to Tell a Story in a Presentation, with Examples

July 26, 2018 - Dom Barnard

Keeping your audience engaged whilst trying to clearly deliver your key messages can be difficult. A helpful way of doing this is by telling stories where you take your audience on a journey and appeal to their emotions. In this article we discuss storytelling techniques you can incorporate into presentations.

The benefits of storytelling

Storytelling is used in every culture, passed down through generations, to help with understanding because  humans like narrative structures . It’s now becoming more popular for business presentations – this is the case for Cisco Systems who switched from fact-heavy presentations to presentations incorporating stories and consequently became more successful in promoting their products.

Research suggests that humans are hardwired to listen to stories, for example, after conducting a fMRI study, neuroscientist Uri Hasson concluded that storytelling causes the neurons of an audience to sync with the storyteller’s brain. This suggests that your brain in responding like the storyteller’s so you are experiencing the same emotions.

Storytelling has multiple benefits:

• Grabs attention
• Evokes emotion, especially empathy
• Uses the audience’s imagination
• Relatable e.g. humanises a person, company etc
• Maintains attention because stories are so engaging
• Builds anticipation by having heroes, challenges, adventures and journeys
• Changes beliefs
• Very persuasive

Different ways of storytelling

Monomyth (the hero’s the journey).

In a monomyth, a hero goes on a difficult journey or takes on a challenge – they move from the familiar into the unknown. After facing obstacles and ultimately succeeding the hero returns home, transformed and with newfound wisdom.

Using a monomyth is a useful way of showing the audience how you obtained the knowledge/wisdom that you will be sharing in your presentation. When you deliver your presentation you can hold the audience as the hero – they can come on the journey, you encourage them to walk through it and get passed the obstacles. Your ideas delivered in the presentation can guide them to the rewards/wisdom they seek.

An example of a monomyth: professional snowboarder  Amy Purdy delivered a speech  where she talks about losing her legs to meningitis, re-learning snowboarding and finally receiving a medal in the Paralympics.

• Engages the audience by accessing their imagination and taking them a journey
• Universal appeal – has a recognisable and simple structure
• Demonstrates the benefits of taking risks
• Quickly evokes empathy
• Shows how you learned a lesson and how you got your wisdom
• Your audience sees the value of your product, service etc

Rags to riches

This essentially is a story where the main character has various hardships in their life, usually hits rock bottom but then achieves great success.

• Relatable as we have all faced difficult times
• Provides hope

In medias res (into the middle of things)

In this type of story you launch right into the action – providing a snippet/teaser of what’s happening and then you start explaining the events that led to that event. You’ll be familiar with TV shows frequently using this technique.

This is engaging because you’re starting your story at the most exciting part which will make the audience curious – they’ll want to know how you got there.

Don’t give away too much of the action when you start the story; you’ll want to explain it in more detail when you reach it chronologically. Consider hinting at something unexpected or strange occurring – just provide the audience with enough information to get them interested.

• Attention grabbing
• Creates suspense
• Focuses attention on the fundamental moment of the story

False start

When delivering a false start, you begin by telling a supposedly predictable story and then unexpectedly reveal something before starting the story again with an altered perspective. This can be used to surprise the audience and it will get them engaged as it disrupted their predictions.

It’s useful for talking about times where you experienced a failure and then you consequently had to start again and what you learnt from this, including whether you had a special way of solving the problem.

• Changes the audience’s perspective
• Relates to the audience by sharing a failure
• Displays problem-solving

The mountain

This is similar to the monomyth – the mountain initially starts by setting the scene, it goes on to include a series of small challenges and a build-up of action, finally ending with a climatic finish. Typically something else will be introduced to the story to overcome the final challenge.

• Highlights how you overcame a series of challenges
• Builds suspense gradually – used in a lot of films
• Provides a satisfying conclusion

Practice Impromptu Storytelling

Practice telling a story with plot twists along the way. Learn More

Sparklines are when you contrast this world to an ideal world. You highlight the problems this world has and suggest what it could be like. It’s very persuasive because it gets the audience to want to make changes. A well-known example is Martin Luther’s “ I have a dream ” speech.

• Emotional appeal
• Evokes hope
• Often leads to action

Your whole presentation could follow the structure of a sparklines story:

1. Presentation beginning  – describe current life as this helps create a connection between yourself and the audience because they will agree with what you’re saying. Go on to introduce what the future can be, for example:

• What is: Our competitors have eaten up 30% of our revenue this year
• What could be: But what if we could fight back with a completely new product line in the same market? We’ve got the in-house expertise and resources to do just this.

2. Presentation middle  – now you have shown what the issues is continue to reflect on the contrast between the present and what the future could be like, for example:

• What is: We missed our revenue target by 30%.
• What could be: We’ve got to perform better next year otherwise we’ll have to start letting people go.
• What is: We’ve conducted early product trials with some of our customers.
• What could be: Over 90% said they would purchase the product when developed.

As you keep switching from what is and what could be the audience will find the possible future more appealing.

3. Presentation ending  – You want a call to action that is motivating, you want to show the audience the benefits of taking on your ideas. For example:

• Call to action: It will take additional work from several of our departments to get the new product line built in time for the launch date and to make up the revenue number for next year.
• The result of adopting your ideas: I know everyone’s working incredibly long hours, we really appreciate it. This is our opportunity to work together and give the company a massive boost. We’ll fight back against the competitors and you’ll all earn bonuses after a successful launch.

This makes it clear to the audience that everyone will benefit from your plan.

Nested loops

In nested loops, three of more stories are layered within each other. An example would be a character in your first story tells another story and a character in that story tells another story etc. The core of your message is in the centre and the stories around it explain this message or elaborate on it.

Each nested story should end in the order it was introduced, for example, the story you begin with is the last story you finish with, the second story you start is the second to last story you finish etc.

• Shows how your wisdom was obtained through a series of interactions/showing how wisdom was passed to you
• Explains how you came to a conclusion

Converging ideas

Converging ideas shows the audience how different people’s thinking came together to produce one idea. This is a good way of showing how a movement started or how an idea was created from various people working towards the same thing.

Converging ideas are similar to nested loops but with converging ideas you can show how stories with equal importance came to one significant conclusion.

• Demonstrates collaborations between people
• Can show how relationships formed
• Demonstrates how a development occurred

Petal structure

The petal structure consists of telling multiple stories from multiple speakers that relate to the main message. This is useful if you have unconnected stories that relate back to the central concept. You can overlap the stories as one story, after it has been completed, introduces the next story.

• In showing the audience how these stories are related they understand the significance of your message
• Provides the voice of multiple speakers
• Provides lots of evidence or emotional appeal around a central idea
• Shows how multiple situations lead back to one concept
• Allows a group of speakers to discuss a main message

Example of captive storytelling

Donald Blake from the Scottish Storytelling Centre tells a tale about being hungry for stories. Great example of how to tell a story during a presentation.

Watch the full video here:  ICH for Everyone: The importance of storytelling

Storytelling tips

Storytelling is used by the  top public speakers , here are their tips:

Understand your audience

You first need to find out who you’re presenting to:

• Know their pain points, values and opinions
• Topics of interest
• Try to find similarities, including any shared experiences, you have with the audience because they can relate and empathise with you. Consequently they will care about what you say.

Frame your story

Think about taking the audience on a journey and work out where to start and finish.

To find a place to start ask:

• What do audience already know about the topic?
• How much do the audience care about the topic?

If a speech is received poorly it’s usually because it was not framed well – the speaker misunderstood the level of audience interest or they didn’t tell a story.

Know your message

Ensure that you understand what you’re trying to tell the audience and how your story is linked to your call for action.

• Think about how you want the audience to feel about your message.
• For example, you might need to share facts and figures but try to deliver this is an engaging way so they will be remembered.

Ensure that you choose a story relevant to the idea you want to support or the point you want to make. The story must be  tailored to your audience  so it relates to them and meets their needs.

Be authentic

• Tell real-life stories to garner trust.
• If your story is not genuine this will work against you and the audience will judge you as dishonest.

Use a conversational tone

When telling your story speak in a conversational tone as this will sound more natural and friendly. To help with this pretend that you’re telling the story to friends or family and avoid technical terminology.

Remember that the audience is the hero

• The audience often needs to view themselves as the hero.
• Let people see and feel what the journey of achieving the goal will be like.

Visual aids increase engagement  and memory retention. Use relevant images, videos, props etc as supplements to your story.

Evoke emotions

By evoking certain emotions in the audience, they will feel more connected to the story which will help with their engagement and persuading them. Emotions also increase memory retention.

Sell your story not your product

Focus your story on the outcome that the audience is looking for and not on your product.

There needs to be conflict, contrast or action in the story; in traditional tales there would be a villain. In a  business presentation  there might be a problem that the characters must overcome. This ensures audience engagement because they want to know what happens next. To increase suspense:

• Tell a story chronologically so you can build to a climactic conclusion
• Consider telling a predictable story and then shock the audience by going a different direction to what was predicted (false start).
• Consider using in media res.

Stories need a beginning, middle and end to create drama and anticipation. Sometimes you don’t have to complete the story as this can be a useful way of making a point in the presentation.

Tell personal stories because the audience will enjoy seeing your human side. Consider telling a story about a mistake you made, for example, perhaps you froze up during an important presentation when you were 25, or maybe life wasn’t going well for you in the past – if relevant to your presentation’s aim.

People will empathise and relate to you as we have all experienced hardship. The more the audience relates to you, the more likely they will remain engaged. These stories can also be told in a humorous way if it makes you feel more comfortable.

Ensure that you plan the stories thoroughly beforehand and make sure they are not too long.

How you tell your story

The way you tell a story is important, if you do it effectively the audience won’t forget it. Consider:

• Using every word and image to help create a clear picture in their mind
• Using visuals to supplement the story
• Providing sensory details – using all five senses
• Using precise verbs and nouns and vivid adjectives.
• Providing short but effective descriptions

Imaginable characters

Create characters that the audience can imagine easily. Characters are significant because it’s their struggles that make the audience react. You must provide enough detail on the main character and identify their unique characteristic, such, as, perseverance.

A common technique for presenting characters in business presentations is to start with “This is…” followed by the character’s name and their job role and their important characteristics/backstory. For example, “This is Sally, a hard-working but over-worked marketing manager etc.”

Shock the audience

Build up to a dramatic event that they won’t forget – this can be a provoking image, shocking statistics etc. For example, in a  2009 speech  Bill Gates, after providing statistics on the issues of malaria, opened a jar of mosquitoes in the presentation room and said “There’s no reason only poor people should have the experience.”

Satisfying resolution

End with a resolution – this can be a piece of advice or wisdom that will help the audience.

Telling stories is a compelling way of presenting because humans relate to them. Stories engage the audience, evoke empathy, increase trust and motivate action. By working on your storytelling skills you will be more effective at persuading the audience the value of your ideas. Make sure you spend the time refining these skills so you can set your company apart from the rest.

Behavior Social Stories

Social stories are a learning tool. They provide information in a concrete way using the support of visuals. They tell individuals what they should do (as opposed to only saying what they shouldn’t do). Children with autism benefit from direct instruction and training for social skills. Social stories and other visual aides provide a structure for that instruction. These resources are not magic wands. You still need to teach them and utilize them in a purposeful way. It’s my pet peeve when people suggest, “oh just use a social story” or “make a visual schedule” and they do the hard work of prepping the material, plop it in front of the child, and are frustrated when there are no changes. Social stories, just like other visual resources, need to be taught. 

Read on a regular basis.

Review relevant social stories on regular basis. Incorporate it in your daily routine by reading it with your student every morning or before direct instruction. If there are particular triggers for students, review the social story when those triggers before. I had a student who really struggled with the loud noises in gym class, so we read the Loud Noises social story every week before gym. The paraprofessional took the story with in case he had to review again during gym class. She used the same language as in the social story when giving him verbal prompts. 

• Using TAH Curriculum for Homeschooling from a Homeschooling Parent - September 10, 2022
• Using The Autism Helper Curriculum for Homeschool - August 8, 2022
• Literacy Subject Overview in The Autism Helper Curriculum - August 2, 2022

12 Comments

So Creative & Useful

I am trying to increase my knowledge as my caseload is growing with regards to the amount of students diagnosed with Autism. I have been wanting to learn about social stories and how to incorporate them in classroom to assist my little friends. Thank you!

I wanted to print out the changes are OK poster, but I didn’t see it.

Hi Olga, you can find that worksheet in this resource: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Visual-Social-Story-Packet-for-Children-with-Autism-Behavior-Set-293770

Thanks for reading 🙂

Hi there. Am looking for a social story focusing on head butting. I have a student with ASD who head butts other children to communicate his frustration when they are in his personal space particularly at playtime when he is highly engaged with a toy or play activity (and they try to join in when he doesn’t want to share).

Thanks, Melissa

Hi Melissa! I don’t have something specific for that but would suggest making an individualized one using real photos maybe!

Is there a social story to help a friend being comfortable riding the train and flying in an airplane? Where can I look for? Thank you.

Hi! Unfortunately, we don’t have any social stories related to travel!

Would you have a social story for a student that walks out of school? He typically does it cause he wants to gone home……

Hi Holly! I’m sorry- I don’t have any addressing that!

I am looking for visual aids that focus on impulsively, hyperactivity, and peer relationships. Managing frustration, rigid thinking, keeping respectful distance from peers

Hi Amanda! My new Social Skills Leveled Daily Curriculum hits on all of those topics (with the exception of hyperactivity). https://shop.theautismhelper.com/collections/social-skills-leveled-daily-curriculum-1

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Presentation Storytelling Examples & Techniques (2024)

Learn techniques for telling a story in a presentation . Get narrative presentation examples and learn to apply storytelling in business presentations .

Joanne Camarce

8 minute read

Short answer

What should a presentation storytelling structure include?

Introduction

Rising Action

Falling Action

Storytelling in business presentations matters (a lot)

Stories convey a deeper meaning, idea, or lesson. They make us feel, experience, identify, and understand.

Most importantly for storytelling in business presentations, telling a story in a presentation makes people more likely to remember the message.

Researchers Dean and Chip Heath found that after a presentation, 63% of attendees could remember the story told by the presenter.

However, only 5% could recall specific statistics from the event.

Because stories allow audiences to visualize and imagine an idea or message, stories also make them better able to make decisions.

In other words, stories bring buyers, stakeholders, and decision-makers to better understand and remember your message. Which in turn enables them to make a decision and increases the chance they’ll act on it.

What is presentation storytelling?

Presentation storytelling is the art of using a narrative structure to convey information instead of dry facts. It delivers a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end that aligns with the presentation's objectives, making the content more relatable and memorable.

Storytelling in business presentations involves 2 complementing aspects: (1) textual presentation narrative, and (2) visual storytelling.

What is a narrative presentation?

A narrative presentation is a style of delivering information where the content is structured as a relatable story. It typically includes characters, a setting, a conflict, and a resolution, and weaves complex ideas, processes, and metrics into the narrative.

What is a visual storytelling presentation?

A visual storytelling presentation tells a story or multiple anecdotes using visual elements like videos, animations, and interactive content.

Modern storytelling presentations apply scrollytelling design which combines visuals and text seamlessly to let readers interact with the presentation as they scroll down the content.

How to use the 4 storytelling archetypes

Storytelling is the art of describing vivid ideas, beliefs, experiences, and life lessons through stories and narratives.

These stories stimulate a listener's imagination as you take them on an emotional journey. There are many ways to tell a story.

These story structures have been shown to work for narrative presentations and corporate storytelling, and they will work for you.

The Hero's Journey: Communicates a transformation from struggle to success

The Story Mountain: Builds tension and anticipation

Story loop: Joins multiple perspectives into a single narrative

In-Media Res: Grabs attention quickly

There are timeless narrative frameworks that have worked for storytellers throughout the ages from the methodologies of old, through Shakespearian plays to Apple commercials.

1) Hero's Journey

The hero's journey narrative archetype involves a hero who goes on a journey and returns as a changed person.

This storytelling template consists of three distinct parts, or "acts," that include a setup, confrontation, and resolution. It makes for a well-structured and engaging narrative.

2) The Mountain

The mountain storytelling structure strategically maps the tension and drama in a story. This archetype is represented visually as a mountain, with each section building to a complex obstacle that characters need to overcome.

Think of the protagonist at the bottom of the mountain. They must climb the mountain to reach their goal (your business goals in this case). They face obstacles along the way, and they must overcome those obstacles before they can reach the top.

3) Story loop

The story loop structure contains stories within another story. However, they aren't standalone stories.

Your first story is the most important. It's the core of your message, and you use the other stories to elaborate or explain your central point.

But you stop some of the way through it, leaving the audience in suspense. Then, you share part of the second story before moving on to the last.

Eventually, in the end, you bring it all together to make one cohesive point. The purpose of this storytelling technique is to provide context, background, or a different perspective to a central narrative.

Types of anecdotes you can use in your story loop presentation

• Customer success stories
• Personal experiences by clients
• Inspirational stories
• Fictional or hypothetical stories
• Historical or factual stories

Here's a short video explaining how to use a story loop:

4) In medias res (begin from the middle)

In medias res is Latin for "in the middle of things." With this storytelling archetype, the narrative begins in the middle of a scene. It skips over the background of the story and gets straight to the action.

To choose the right type of story for your presentation, consider your audience, the purpose of the presentation, and the emotional impact you want to create.

No matter what narrative structure you choose, include visuals, sensory details, and precise language to bolster your message.

If you want to learn more about this storytelling archetype, check out the video below:

Effective presentation storytelling structure

A well-structured story can engage and persuade your audience, making your corporate presentation much more effective and memorable.

Stories can be applied in any type of business presentation, such as a pitch deck, sales presentation, white paper, report, or business proposal.

A single document can include multiple stories that make up a joint narrative.

5 basic elements of a story structure:

1. Introduction

• Sets a relevant context with background information.
• Introduces the protagonist (business or product) and the current problem or challenge.

2. Rising Action

• Builds tension by detailing the obstacles and complications faced.
• Engages the audience with the steps taken to address the challenge.
• The turning point where the main tension or conflict peaks.
• Highlights the moment of greatest challenge and the decisive action taken.

4. Falling Action

• Shows the aftermath of the climax.
• Begins to lead towards the resolution, detailing the business solution and results of actions taken.

5. Resolution

• Wraps up the story with the outcome of all actions.
• Provides a clear ending, showing how the challenge was overcome and what was learned.

After developing your story structure, be sure to connect it to your core message by creating parallels and reinforcing it with examples.

Most importantly, don’t leave your audience with the realization that they need to take action without offering them an immediate way to act.

Effective storytelling techniques for presentations

The beauty of storytelling is that the possibilities are endless. There are so many ways to tell a story in presentations. It's just a matter of finding the right one for your unique needs and goals.

1) Build your stories around your audience’s pain points

Stories establish connections. But don’t confuse your story with your audience’s story.

Your audience doesn’t care about your story, and they don’t care about your product.

But they will care if they feel you care about them.

Understanding the audience's pain points, values, and opinions can help you weave a story into a narrative that aligns with their interests. It gives you the chance to be part of THEIR story.

Stop talking about yourself. Do this and see engagement blow up, conversions increase, and greater brand loyalty .

2) Establish common ground with your prospects

One effective presentation storytelling technique is to find common ground and share experiences with your audience to establish a connection and make them care about what you say.

These commonalities are what resonate strongest with your target audience.

Common-ground stories tell your audience a satisfied client of yours overcame a particular challenge they are experiencing themselves, and offer the lessons learned while overcoming it.

3) Tell stories that foster peer envy

Peer envy is one of the strongest motivators you can flame in sales presentation storytelling.

Simply put it just means telling the story of a known industry player that achieved remarkable results with the help of your product or service.

A peer envy story should present the initial challenge, the journey to overcome it, and the final enviable outcomes. Yet the reader should feel they can attain similar or better results by following a similar journey.

Here's a fragment of a podcast where Michael Bosworth touches on this very topic:

Business presentation storytelling examples

Here are some examples of famous brands that incorporated personal stories to convey a powerful message in their business presentations.

Zuora sales deck

The Zuora sales deck was aptly named the best sales deck ever . It is truly a best-in-class example of a transformation narrative set within the story mountain framework.

It masterfully narrates the shift to a subscription economy, emphasizing evolving consumer behavior.

And by highlighting the challenges businesses face in this new economy, Zuora positions itself as the essential solution.

The deck's use of data, visuals, and testimonials weaves a compelling story of transformation, urging businesses to adapt and thrive with Zuora or stay behind and decline.

Mign sales deck

Mign’s sales deck highlights the digital shift in musculoskeletal injury recovery, emphasizing the transformation from mass production to personalized care.

Mign applies the hero’s journey story framework and positions itself as the trusted guide in this transformation.

The deck contrasts "winners," who embrace new technologies like additive manufacturing and virtual care, with "losers," traditional manufacturers stuck in outdated processes.

Tinder pitch deck

Tinder's pitch deck effectively narrates the universal challenge of meeting new people and the fear of rejection.

By introducing a hypothetical user named "Matt," Tinder gives the reader a peek into the mind of their target user - an everyday nice guy scared to approach a girl he's interested in.

This concrete personal experience gives life to a basic human need that investors can understand intuitively and even relate to.

Tinder leverages this emotional understanding to make a compelling case for its solution - a platform that eliminates the fear of rejection.

The deck also applied great data storytelling showcasing Tinder's impressive statistics, emphasizing its global reach and popularity among Gen Z.

They also nail the one-liner. Their slogan "It Starts With A Swipe™" encapsulates the simplicity and effectiveness of the app, positioning Tinder as the modern solution to traditional dating challenges.

Brothers Pub restaurant pitch deck

Brothers Pub's pitch deck presents a captivating local business story, emphasizing the need for a fresh, community-focused social pub venue.

The deck tells the story of the owners’ journey, from the initial concept to securing a prime location in Northampton, highlighting their dedication and vision for the future.

The deck outlines the challenges faced by traditional pubs, with 7000 closures in the last decade, and positions Brothers Pub as the innovative solution.

LKE proposal

Legends Kratom Co. (LKE) creates a narrative around the origins and benefits of kratom. By telling the exotic tale of the medicinal tropical evergreen tree and its transformation into a beneficial supplement, the deck creates a vivid backdrop.

They take the reader on their discovery journey to Indonesia to find a supplier for the coveted plant.

This adds authenticity and allure, while their commitment to education and community showcases a heartfelt mission.

Testimonials provide real-world validation, making LKE's story relatable and positioning them as a trusted leader in the supplement industry.

Genius Workshop Event pitch deck

Genius's pitch deck for their storytelling workshop is a masterclass in selling an experience. The deck introduces Gabrielle Dolan's expertise, setting a foundation of trust.

The workshop's structure is presented as a narrative journey, guiding attendees from novice to storyteller.

The deck mixes video, scrollytelling, and vivid language to give rich detail to the experience it promises to provide.

The 90-day follow-up program adds an element of continued growth, while alumni testimonials serve as real-world success stories.

By framing the workshop as a transformative experience, the deck engages and entices potential attendees, showcasing the power of storytelling in action.

Barbie recruitment pitch deck

Barbie's recruitment deck immerses candidates into Barbie's vibrant world. With playful greetings and whimsical descriptions, it sets a creative tone.

The deck focuses on Barbie’s story as a human being (doll in her case), her values, and her experience, instead of focusing on the recruiting company.

The deck lists attributes and responsibilities that align with Barbie's ethos, such as "spreading positivity" and "rocking a pink wardrobe."

Nokia brand guidelines

Nokia's brand guidelines deck uses visual storytelling to effectively communicate the essence of the brand. It lets the visuals tell the story since they speak louder than words.

The deck begins by anchoring the audience in Nokia's mission and values, creating a narrative foundation.

It then unfolds the brand's visual identity, from color schemes to typography, weaving a cohesive story of what Nokia represents.

By providing clear dos and don'ts, Nokia ensures that its brand story remains consistent and impactful across all touchpoints.

This storytelling approach not only educates but also engages, making it easier for stakeholders to internalize and adhere to the guidelines.

nSure one-pager

nSure's one-pager effectively uses visual data storytelling to convey the benefits of their AI fraud protection for digital gift card purchases.

Introducing the challenge of ambiguous transactions, nSure lets the numbers tell the story.

With impressive numbers like their AI solution’s 98% approval rate. They can afford to.

The deck's visuals, combined with endorsements from industry leaders like AXA, make a compelling narrative that instills confidence in nSure's expertise.

Healthy.io proposal

Healthy.io's proposal uses video storytelling with real practitioners who tell the story of their experiences using Healthy.io’s solution.

The video testimonial from a practice nurse adds a personal touch, showing the positive impact on patient care. This brings the user's experience to the front and adds credibility to the proposal’s claims.

The proposal uses a transformation narrative to showcase Healthy.io’s remote kidney screening solution.

They highlight the challenges of legacy ACR testing against their modern home-based test using a smartphone app.

Principles of visual storytelling in business presentations

Storytelling allows you to simplify complex or abstract information and address any objections or resistance. As a result, listeners can better retain and remember the message, which improves the decision-making process.

Here are the main principles that can transform your narrative:

Authenticity

Authentic visuals resonate more with audiences. In an era where people are bombarded with staged and polished images, authentic, candid photos that reflect the reality of your work can make your message stand out and be memorable.

Your visuals should evoke a sensory experience. The goal is to cut through the noise and trigger a stronger emotional response.

For example, you can make the experience more immersive by adding interactive clickable elements, embedding videos, or images that highlight details or visual textures.

Scrollytelling can also play a crucial role here, allowing the story to unfold through interaction, as the audience scrolls through the narrative, engaging them in a multi-sensory journey.

You can see the difference that interactivity makes below. Which presentation would you rather read?

The stories told by your images must be relevant to your audience. Personalized visual storytelling, supported by data to understand what motivates your audience, can turn your story into an experience that resonates deeply.

Every story has characters that fit certain archetypes, such as the caregiver, the explorer, and the creator. Identifying with these archetypes helps your audience connect with the story on a deeper level, making your organization's mission more relatable and memorable.

Make your own storytelling presentation

We've curated an extensive collection of templates to help you achieve effective storytelling for whatever business presentation you need to make.

The business storytelling presentation templates below have been rigorously tested across various devices and refined with insights gleaned from real-world feedback.

They were designed with interactive storytelling at their core. They’ll serve you as handy visual storytelling aids to make your presentations engaging, memorable, and highly converting.

Grab a template!

Why the human brain loves storytelling presentations

According to neuroscientist Uri Hasson , storytelling fosters deep social interactions through brain-to-brain connections.

He found that when we hear stories, our brains mirror each other, helping us understand what the storyteller is feeling.

Called neurocoupling or mirroring, this process occurs across many areas of the brain, including the ones that are responsible for processing and understanding narratives.

So the human brain loves stories. But why?

The short answer is that ‌neural activity in the brain increases when we hear a captivating story. Our brains are made up of neurons, which are nerve cells that send messages throughout the body.

These neurons release neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that transmit signals from nerve cells to target cells.

The most common neurotransmitters in the brain include:

When we hear a story, the neurons in our brain light up with activity. And according to neuroscientists, "neurons that fire together wire together."

This means that as we hear stories, the neurons in our brains are wiring together. As a result, we're more likely to remember the information we receive from a story.

Storytelling also triggers the release of dopamine ("the brain's form of candy") and oxytocin ("the love drug"). In other words, stories make us feel good.

Here's an infographic showing how storytelling affects the brain:

This can influence buying behavior because it helps to create an emotional connection with potential customers or buyers.

Telling a story, instead of making a sales pitch , is less intimidating to an audience.

The company or product you're describing is easier to understand, seems less complex, and provides relevant information in a format that's easy to digest and remember.

As a result, the buyer can relate to the product or service and will eventually want to purchase it.

Joanne Camarce grows and strategizes B2B marketing and PR efforts @ codeless.io . She loves slaying outreach campaigns and connecting with brands like G2, Wordstream, Process Street, and others. When she's not wearing her marketing hat, you'll find Joanne admiring Japanese music and art or just being a dog mom.

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Aug. 31, 2023

9 Rules of Social Media Etiquette You Should Follow

Social media is no longer just a playground for personal connections—it’s also a critical space for professional interactions. But the line between successful online engagement and a digital faux pas is often drawn by something quite simple: etiquette. 

This isn’t about adhering to a rigid set of outdated rules—it’s about understanding the norms that guide online behavior. Whether you’re connecting with friends or working in social media marketing, these nine universal social media rules will help you navigate the digital landscape with ease. 

In this article:

1. Be respectful 2. Mind the frequency of your posts 3. Avoid oversharing personal information 4. Shorten your links before sharing them 5. Focus on constructive and positive interactions 6. Refrain from engaging with instigators 7. Respect each platform’s norms 8. Tag and use hashtags wisely 9. Be selective in your posts and prioritize meaningful content

1. Be respectful

Let’s start with the golden rule of any interaction, whether online or offline: respect. In the rapid-fire world of social media, where opinions clash and keyboards can sizzle, maintaining respect might seem challenging. But it’s worth the effort.

Being disrespectful on social media is like shouting in a crowded room—it’s not only rude, but often counterproductive. It can lead to misunderstandings, heated arguments, and damaged relationships. 

Whether you’re a brand trying to reach out to potential customers or an individual connecting with friends, a disrespectful tone can tarnish your image and undermine your goals.

On the flip side, being respectful opens doors. It builds trust, fosters positive engagement, and encourages meaningful connections. When you approach social media with courtesy and consideration, you’re laying the groundwork for fruitful interactions. 

Just as you would hold the door for someone in person, leaving space for differing opinions and being gracious in your online conversations can make all the difference.

2. Mind the frequency of your posts

We all have that friend or influencer who floods our feed with posts, turning a delightful stream of content into a never-ending deluge. 

Posting too much on social media is a bit like talking non-stop in a conversation. It drowns out others and can lead to annoyance or even the dreaded “unfollow.” Finding a balance in your posting frequency ensures that your audience stays engaged—without feeling overwhelmed.

Best practices for posting frequency vary depending on the platform and your audience’s preferences. Some might appreciate daily updates, while others might prefer a more curated selection a few times a week. 

Tools like Bitly’s Link Management can help you share your content smartly and effectively, letting you measure and connect with your audience in the most meaningful way. Think of it as knowing when to chime in with just the right anecdote at a dinner party—not too often, not too scarce, but always on point.

3. Avoid oversharing personal information

Social media offers an inviting space to share our lives, but there’s a fine line between sharing and oversharing. Like that relative who insists on telling everyone about their entire medical history at family gatherings, deeply personal information usually doesn’t belong on social platforms. 

Oversharing on your social media accounts can lead to uncomfortable situations for your followers, and it might even expose you to risks like identity theft or targeted scams.

The key is to strike a balance between openness and privacy. Share what enhances connection and understanding, but leave out the details that might be too personal or sensitive. Consider your audience and context, and remember, some stories are best saved for close friends or a personal journal—not the unforgiving landscape of social media.

4. Shorten your links before sharing them

Long links on social media are like those winding, endless stories that seem to go on forever. They take up too much space and can quickly derail an otherwise engaging post. 

Lengthy URLs not only make your posts look cluttered but can also lead to mistrust. If a link is too cumbersome or looks suspicious, social media users may hesitate to click on it, leading to missed opportunities for engagement or sales.

Shortening your links, on the other hand, offers a cleaner and more appealing visual presentation. It allows you to keep your message concise and ensures that the focus remains on your content. 

Short links are also easier to track, providing valuable insights into user behavior and interaction. Whether you’re promoting a product or sharing a fascinating article, a short link makes the connection more seamless and inviting.

The best way to get started with link shortening is with Bitly. Using Bitly’s link shortener and management tools, you can transform your links into compact, effective, and trustworthy bridges to your content. 

Why settle for a jumbled mess when you can have elegance? Give Bitly’s Link Management a try and let your links shine with simplicity and style! 

Boost your marketing game with Bitly!

Get started with custom short links, QR Codes, and Bitly Link-in-bios.

5. Focus on constructive and positive interactions

In the vast universe of social networks, it’s easy to stumble into negativity or get tangled in toxic debates. But choosing the path of constructive and positive interactions can set you apart and elevate your online experience. 

Engaging positively encourages open dialogue, fosters community, and often leads to more meaningful connections. It reflects well on your personal or brand image, creating an environment where others feel welcome to join the conversation without fear of hostility.

Being constructive doesn’t mean avoiding all disagreement—rather, it’s about how you approach differing opinions. A respectful, thoughtful response can turn a potential conflict into an opportunity for growth and learning. 

Whether you’re interacting with customers or friends, focusing on the positive aspects can enhance your reputation and make your digital space a more inviting place to be. It’s a win-win approach that nourishes relationships, allowing the true essence of connection to shine through.

6. Refrain from engaging with instigators

We’ve all seen them lurking in the comment sections with snide remarks and inflammatory statements—the infamous trolls. Engaging with instigators on social media is a lot like playing a game you can’t win. It’s counterproductive and only fuels the fire of negativity. 

Responding to a troll’s provocations rarely leads to a productive conversation and can spiral into a draining and disruptive experience. By choosing to ignore or block these instigators, you maintain the integrity and positivity of your online space, ensuring that your energy is spent on connections that truly matter. 

Think of it as sidestepping a puddle on a rainy day—it keeps your journey clean and focused.

7. Respect each platform’s norms

Social media channels are like different countries, each with its own culture, language, and etiquette. What flies in one might not be well-received in another. 

Recognizing and adapting to the unique norms of each platform ensures you’re communicating effectively and respectfully. Let’s take a quick tour of some popular social media landscapes and their specific customs.

On Facebook, it’s all about community and connections. Sharing personal stories and photos, as well as engaging in friendly discussions are the norm. Think of your brand’s Facebook page as a virtual backyard barbecue where friends and family gather. Asking for likes or shares is generally acceptable, but maintaining a friendly, conversational tone is key.

LinkedIn is the boardroom of social media. It’s a professional networking site where formal language, industry insights, and career achievements are the standard. 

So use LinkedIn to connect with colleagues, share your professional milestones, and engage in industry-specific discussions. Here, a tailored suit is more appropriate than casual wear.

X (formerly Twitter)

X, formerly known as Twitter , is like a bustling city square where rapid-fire conversations take place. The rules of thumb here include concise thoughts, real-time updates, and engaging with trending topics. 

Using hashtags and mentioning others is common, but remember, brevity and relevance are your allies on this platform.

Instagram is the art gallery of social media. High-quality images, compelling visuals, and creative storytelling are expected. Whether you’re a brand or an individual, focusing on aesthetics and visual appeal helps you stand out. And don’t forget to utilize hashtags and geotags to reach a broader audience.

Threads offers an intimate, text-based conversational space distinct from platforms like Instagram. This app prioritizes close connections, emphasizing text exchanges with friends. Posts disappear after 24 hours , fostering a pressure-free sharing environment. 

Though it’s still evolving, Threads holds promise as a preferred platform for personal and close-knit social media encounters. Authenticity is encouraged, so Threads is your canvas to express thoughts, feelings, and experiences genuinely. 

8. Tag and use hashtags wisely

Tagging and using hashtags are like the spices of social media platforms—they can add flavor and help your content reach your target audience , but too much can overwhelm the dish. 

When tagging, think of relevance and context. Tagging people or brands directly related to your content encourages engagement and broadens reach, but over-tagging can look spammy and insincere. 

For hashtags, it’s all about being specific yet broad enough to capture interest. Utilizing popular, relevant hashtags can boost visibility and enhance your social media strategy , but using too many or overly generic ones can dilute your message. 

The art is in finding that sweet spot where your tags and hashtags serve as bridges to the right audience—without turning into noisy distractions.

9. Be selective in your posts and prioritize meaningful content

In a world where social media feeds are flooded with content, being selective and prioritizing meaningful posts is akin to being the wise sage in a bustling market. Quality trumps quantity, and a well-thought-out, relevant post can resonate more deeply with your audience than a barrage of random, disconnected content. 

Think of your posts as chapters in a book. Each one should contribute to the overall narrative, whether it’s a marketing strategy or a personal journey. Posting anything and everything can lead to a disjointed feed and a surplus of notifications, making it harder for followers to connect with you. 

Choosing content that aligns with your purpose and values allows for a more coherent and engaging social media presence, turning casual scrollers into devoted readers.

Shorten your links seamlessly with Bitly

Navigating social media with grace is all about understanding the rules, respecting your audience, and delivering meaningful content. Whether it’s choosing the right tone for LinkedIn or finding the perfect hashtag for Instagram, each detail matters. 

And when it comes to links, why let them sprawl when Bitly can make them sleek? Start engaging more effectively and authentically with your audience. Let the Bitly Connections Platform help you build those bridges with ease. 

Ready to take your links to the next level? Get started with Bitly today and embark on a journey toward cleaner, more impactful connections.

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Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Video

How this document was created, six: quoting in order to recombine elements to make a new work that depends for its meaning on (often unlikely) relationships between the elements, common fair use myths, getting to know your code of best practices.

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Introduction

What this is.

This document is a code of best practices that helps creators, online providers, copyright holders, and others interested in the making of online video interpret the copyright doctrine of fair use. Fair use is the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment under some circumstances.

This is a guide to current acceptable practices, drawing on the actual activities of creators, as discussed among other places in the study  Recut, Reframe, Recycle: Quoting Copyrighted Material in User-Generated Video   and backed by the judgment of a national panel of experts. It also draws, by way of analogy, upon the professional judgment and experience of documentary filmmakers, whose own  code of best practices  has been recognized throughout the film and television businesses.

What This Isn't

This code of best practices does not tell you the limits of fair use rights.

It’s not a guide to using material people give permission to use, such as works using  Creative Commons licenses . Anyone can use those works the way the owners say that you can.

It’s not a guide to material that is already free to use without considering copyright. For instance, all federal government works are in the public domain, as are many older works. In most cases, trademarks are not an issue. For more information on “free use,” consult the document  “Yes, You Can!”  and  copyright.cornell.edu .

It’s not a guide to using material that someone wants to license but cannot trace back to an owner–the so-called “orphan works” problem. However, orphan works are also eligible for fair use consideration, according to the principles detailed below.

A distinguished panel of experts, drawn from cultural scholarship, legal scholarship, and legal practice, developed this code of best practices, informed by research into current personal and nonprofessional video practices (“user-generated video”) and on fair use. Full identification of panelists is on the back cover of this document.

Video is increasingly becoming a central part of our everyday landscape of communication, and it is becoming more visible as people share it on digital platforms. People make and share videos to tell stories about their personal lives, remixing home videos with popular music and images. Video remix has become a core component of political discourse, as the video “George Bush Don’t Like Black People” and the “Yes We Can” parodies demonstrated. Both amateur and professional editors are creating new forms of viral popular culture, as the “Dramatic Chipmunk” meme and the “Brokeback to the Future” mashup illustrate. The circulation of these videos is an emerging part of the business landscape, as the sale of YouTube to Google demonstrated.

More and more, video creation and sharing depend on the ability to use and circulate existing copyrighted work. Until now, that fact has been almost irrelevant in business and law, because broad distribution of nonprofessional video was relatively rare. Often people circulated their work within a small group of family and friends. But digital platforms make work far more public than it has ever been, and cultural habits and business models are developing. As practices spread and financial stakes are raised, the legal status of inserting copyrighted work into new work will become important for everyone.

It is important for video makers, online service providers, and content providers to understand the legal rights of makers of new culture, as policies and practices evolve. Only then will efforts to fight copyright “piracy” in the online environment be able to make necessary space for lawful, value-added uses.

Mashups, remixes, subs, and online parodies are new and refreshing online phenomena, but they partake of an ancient tradition: the recycling of old culture to make new. In spite of our romantic cliches about the anguished lone creator, the entire history of cultural production from Aeschylus through Shakespeare to  Clueless  has shown that all creators stand, as Isaac Newton (and so many others) put it, “on the shoulders of giants.”

In fact, the cultural value of copying is so well established that it is written into the social bargain at the heart of copyright law. The bargain is this: we as a society give limited property rights to creators, to reward them for producing culture; at the same time, we give other creators the chance to use that same copyrighted material without permission or payment, in some circumstances. Without the second half of the bargain, we could all lose important new cultural work just because one person is arbitrary or greedy.

Copyright law has several features that permit quotations from copyrighted works without permission or payment, under certain conditions. Fair use is the most important of these features. It has been an important part of copyright law for more than 150 years. Where it applies, fair use is a right, not a mere privilege. In fact, as the Supreme Court has pointed out, fair use keeps copyright from violating the First Amendment. As copyright protects more works for longer periods than ever before, it makes new creation harder. As a result, fair use is more important today than ever before.

Copyright law does not exactly specify how to apply fair use, and that is to creators’ advantage. Creative needs and practices differ with the field, with technology, and with time. Rather than following a specific formula, lawyers and judges decide whether an unlicensed use of copyrighted material is “fair” according to a “rule of reason.” This means taking all the facts and circumstances into account to decide if an unlicensed use of copyright material generates social or cultural benefits that are greater than the costs it imposes on the copyright owner.

Fair use is flexible; it is not uncertain or unreliable. In fact, for any particular field of critical or creative activity, lawyers and judges consider expectations and practice in assessing what is “fair” within the field. In weighing the balance at the heart of fair use analysis, judges refer to four types of considerations mentioned in the law: the nature of the use, the nature of the work used, the extent of the use and its economic effect. This still leaves much room for interpretation, especially since the law is clear that these are not the only necessary considerations. In reviewing the history of fair use litigation, we find that judges return again and again to two key questions:

•   Did the unlicensed use “transform” the material taken from the copyrighted work by using it for a different purpose than that of the original, or did it just repeat the work for the same intent and value as the original?

•   Was the material taken appropriate in kind and amount, considering the nature of the copyrighted work and of the use?

Both questions touch on, among other things, the question of whether the use will cause excessive economic harm to the copyright owner.

If the answers to these two questions are “yes,” a court is likely to find a use fair. Because that is true, such a use is unlikely to be challenged in the first place.

Another consideration underlies and influences the way in which these questions are analyzed: whether the user acted reasonably and in good faith, in light of general practice in his or her particular field. Online video makers’ ability to rely on fair use will be enhanced by the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use that follows. This code of best practices serves as evidence of commonly held understandings–some drawn from the experience of other creative communities (including documentary filmmakers) and supported by legal precedents, and all grounded in current practice of online video. Thus, the code helps to demonstrate the reasonableness of uses that fall within its principles.

Video makers can take heart from other creator groups’ reliance on fair use. For instance, historians regularly quote both other historians’ writings and textual sources; filmmakers and visual artists reinterpret and critique existing work; scholars illustrate cultural commentary with textual, visual, and musical examples. Equally important is the example of commercial news media. Fair use is healthy and vigorous in daily broadcast television news, where references to popular films, classic TV programs, archival images, and popular songs are constant and routinely unlicensed.

Unlike many traditional creator groups, nonprofessional and personal video makers often create and circulate their videos outside the marketplace. Such works, especially if they are circulated within a delimited network, do enjoy certain copyright advantages. Not only are they less likely to attract the attention of rights holders, but if noticed they are more likely to receive special consideration under the fair use doctrine. That said, our goal here is to define the widely accepted contours of fair use that apply with equal force across a range of commercial and noncommercial activities, without regard to how video maker communities’ markets may evolve. Thus, the principles articulated below are rooted squarely in the concept of “transformativeness.”

In fact, a transformative purpose often underlies an individual creator’s investment of substantial time and creative energy in producing a mashup, a personal video, or other new work. Images and sounds can be building blocks for new meaning, just as quotations of written texts can be. Emerging cultural expression deserves recognition for transformative value as much as more established expression.

Best Practices

This code of practices is organized, for ease of understanding, around common situations that come up for online video makers. These situations do not, of course, exhaust the possible applications of fair use to tomorrow’s media-making techniques.

But first, one general comment: Inevitably, considerations of good faith come into play in fair use analysis. One way to show good faith is to provide credit or attribution, where possible, to the owners of the material being used.

ONE: Commenting on or Critiquing of Copyrighted Material

Video makers often take as their raw material an example of popular culture, which they comment on in some way. They may add unlikely subtitles. They may create a fan tribute (positive commentary) or ridicule a cultural object (negative commentary). They may comment or criticize indirectly (by way of parody, for example), as well as directly. They may solicit critique by others, who provide the commentary or add to it.

PRINCIPLE : Video makers have the right to use as much of the original work as they need to in order to put it under some kind of scrutiny. Comment and critique are at the very core of the fair use doctrine as a safeguard for freedom of expression. So long as the maker analyzes, comments on, or responds to the work itself, the means may vary. Commentary may be explicit (as might be achieved, for example, by the addition of narration) or implicit (accomplished by means of recasting or recontextualizing the original). In the case of negative commentary, the fact that the critique itself may do economic damage to the market for the quoted work (as a negative review or a scathing piece of ridicule might) is irrelevant.

LIMITATION : The use should not be so extensive or pervasive that it ceases to function as critique and becomes, instead, a way of satisfying the audience’s taste for the thing (or the kind of thing) that is being quoted. In other words, the new use should not become a market substitute for the work (or other works like it).

TWO: Using copyrighted material for illustration or example

Sometimes video makers quote copyrighted material (for instance, music, video, photographs, animation, text) not in order to comment upon it, but because it aptly illustrates an argument or a point. For example, clips from Hollywood films might be used to demonstrate changing American attitudes toward race; a succession of photos of the same celebrity may represent the stages in the star’s career; a news clip of a politician speaking may reinforce an assertion.

PRINCIPLE : This sort of quotation generally should be considered fair use and is widely recognized as such in other creative communities. For instance, writers in print media do not hesitate to use illustrative quotations of both words and images. The possibility that the quotes might entertain and engage an audience as well as illustrate a video maker’s argument takes nothing away from the fair use claim. Works of popular culture typically have illustrative power precisely because they are popular. This kind of use is fair when it is important to the larger purpose of the work but also subordinate to it. It is fair when video makers are not presenting the quoted material for its original purpose but to harness it for a new one. This kind of use is, thus, creating new value.

LIMITATIONS : To the extent possible and appropriate, illustrative quotations should be drawn from a range of different sources; and each quotation (however many may be employed to create an overall pattern of illustrations) should be no longer than is necessary to achieve the intended effect. Properly attributing material, whether in the body of the text, in credits, or in associated material will often reduce the likelihood of complaints or legal action and may bolster a maker’s fair use claim.

THREE: Capturing copyrighted material incidentally or accidentally

Video makers often record copyrighted sounds and images when they are recording sequences in everyday settings. For instance, they may be filming a wedding dance where copyrighted music is playing, capturing the sight of a child learning to walk with a favorite tune playing in the background, or recording their own thoughts in a bedroom with copyrighted posters on the walls. Such copyrighted material is an audio-visual found object. In order to eliminate this incidentally or accidentally captured material, makers would have to avoid, alter, or falsify reality.

PRINCIPLE : Fair use protects the creative choices of video makers who seek their material in real life. Where a sound or image has been captured incidentally and without pre-arrangement, as part of an unstaged scene, it is permissible to use it, to a reasonable extent, as part of the final version of the video. Otherwise, one of the fundamental purposes of copyright–to encourage new creativity–would be betrayed.

LIMITATION : In order to take advantage of fair use in this context, the video maker should be sure that the particular media content played or displayed was not requested or directed; that the material is integral to the scene or its action; that the use is not so extensive that it calls attention to itself as the primary focus of interest; and that where possible, the material used is properly attributed.

FOUR: Reproducing, reposting, or quoting in order to memorialize, preserve, or rescue an experience, an event, or a cultural phenomenon

Repurposed copyrighted material is central to this kind of video. For instance, someone may record their favorite performance or document their own presence at a rock concert. Someone may post a controversial or notorious moment from broadcast television or a public event (a Stephen Colbert speech, a presidential address, a celebrity blooper). Someone may reproduce portions of a work that has been taken out of circulation, unjustly in their opinion. Gamers may record their performances.

PRINCIPLE : Video makers are using new technology to accomplish culturally positive functions that are widely accepted–or even celebrated–in the analog information environment. In other media and platforms, creators regularly recollect, describe, catalog, and preserve cultural expression for public memory. Written memoirs for instance are valued for the specificity and accuracy of their recollections; collectors of ephemeral material are valued for creating archives for future users. Such memorializing transforms the original in various ways–perhaps by putting the original work in a different context, perhaps by putting it in juxtaposition with other such works, perhaps by preserving it. This use also does not impair the legitimate market for the original work.

LIMITATION : Fair use reaches its limits when the entertainment content is reproduced in amounts that are disproportionate to purposes of documentation, or in the case of archiving, when the material is readily available from authorized sources.

FIVE: Copying, restoring, and recirculating a work or part of a work for purposes of launching a discussion

Online video contributors often copy and post a work or part of it because they love or hate it, or find it exemplary of something they love or hate, or see it as the center of an existing debate. They want to share that work or portion of a work because they have a connection to it and want to spur a discussion about it based on that connection. These works can be, among other things, cultural (Worst Music Video Ever!, a controversial comedian’s performance), political (a campaign appearance or ad), social or educational (a public service announcement, a presentation on a school’s drug policy).

PRINCIPLE : Such uses are at the heart of freedom of expression and demonstrate the importance of fair use to maintain this freedom. When content that originally was offered to entertain or inform or instruct is offered up with the distinct purpose of launching an online conversation, its use has been transformed. When protected works are selectively repurposed in this way, a fundamental goal of the copyright system–to promote the republican ideal of robust social discourse–is served.

LIMITATIONS : The purpose of the copying and posting needs to be clear; the viewer needs to know that the intent of the poster is to spur discussion. The mere fact that a site permits comments is not enough to indicate intent. The poster might title a work appropriately so that it encourages comment, or provide context or a spur to discussion with an initial comment on a site, or seek out a site that encourages commentary.

Video makers often create new works entirely out of existing ones, just as in the past artists have made collages and pastiches. Sometimes there is a critical purpose, sometimes a celebratory one, sometimes a humorous or other motive, in which new makers may easily see their uses as fair under category one. Sometimes, however, juxtaposition creates new meaning in other ways. Mashups (the combining of different materials to compose a new work), remixes (the re-editing of an existing work), and music videos all use this technique of recombining existing material. Other makers achieve similar effects by adding their own new expression (subtitles, images, dialog, sound effects or animation, for example) to existing works.

PRINCIPLE : This kind of activity is covered by fair use to the extent that the reuse of copyrighted works creates new meaning by juxtaposition. Combining the speeches by two politicians and a love song, for example, as in “Bush Blair Endless Love,” changes the meaning of all three pieces of copyrighted material. Combining the image of an innocent prairie dog and three ominous chords from a movie soundtrack, as in “Dramatic Chipmunk,” creates an ironic third meaning out of the original materials. The recombinant new work has a cultural identity of its own and addresses an audience different from those for which its components were intended.

LIMITATIONS : If a work is merely reused without significant change of context or meaning, then its reuse goes beyond the limits of fair use. Similarly, where the juxtaposition is a pretext to exploit the popularity or appeal of the copyrighted work employed, or where the amount of material used is excessive, fair use should not apply. For example, fair use will not apply when a copyrighted song is used in its entirety as a sound track for a newly created video simply because the music evokes a desired mood rather than to change its meaning; when someone sings or dances to recorded popular music without comment, thus using it for its original purpose; or when newlyweds decorate or embellish a wedding video with favorite songs simply because they like those songs or think they express the emotion of the moment.

These principles don’t exhaust the possibilities of fair use for online video. They merely address the most common situations today. Inevitably, online video makers will find themselves in situations that are hybrids of those described above or will develop new practices. Then, they can be guided by the same basic values of fairness, proportionality, and reasonableness that inform this code of practices. As community practices develop and become more public, the norms that emerge from these practices will themselves provide additional information on what is fair use

Authoring Organizations

The Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property , led by Professor Peter Jaszi, promotes social justice in law governing information dissemination and intellectual property through research, scholarship, public events, advocacy, and provision of legal and consulting services. The program is a project of the Washington College of Law at American University in Washington, D.C., led by Dean Claudio Grossman.

The Center for Media & Social Impact , led by Professor Patricia Aufderheide, showcases and analyzes media for social justice, civil society, and democracy, and the public environment that nurtures them. The center is a project of the School of Communication, led by Dean Larry Kirkman, at American University in Washington, D.C.

Code of Best Practices Committee

Peter Jaszi , Professor of Law, Faculty Director of the Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Clinic, Washington College of Law, American University

Pat Aufderheide , Professor, Co-Director of the Center for Media & Social Impact, School of Communication, American University

Michael C. Donaldson, Esq. , Los Angeles

Anthony Falzone , Lecturer, Executive Director, Fair Use Project, Stanford Law School

Lewis Hyde , Richard L. Thomas Professor of Creative Writing, Kenyon College; Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University

Mizuko Ito , Research Scientist, School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California

Henry Jenkins , Professor, Program Head, Comparative Media Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Michael Madison , Associate Dean for Research, Associate Professor of Law, University of Pittsburgh School of Law

Pamela Samuelson , Richard M. Sherman Distinguished Professor of Law and Information, University of California, Berkeley

Rebecca Tushnet , Professor, Georgetown University Law Center, Georgetown University

Jennifer Urban , Clinical Associate Professor of Law, Director of the Intellectual Property and Technology Law Clinic, University of Southern California

Feel free to reproduce this work in its entirety. For excerpts and quotations, depend upon fair use. 

IF I’M NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF IT, IT’S FAIR USE.

Noncommercial use is indeed one of the considerations for fair use, but it is hard to define. If people want to share their work only with a defined closed-circle group, they are in a favorable legal position. But beyond that, in the digital online environment, wholesale copying can be unfair even if no money changes hands. So if work is going public, it is good to be able to rely on the rationale of transformativeness, which applies fully even in “commercial” settings.

IF I’M MAKING ANY MONEY OFF IT (OR TRYING TO), IT’S NOT FAIR USE.

Although nonprofit, personal, or academic uses often have good claims to be considered “fair,” they are not the only ones. A new work can be commercial–even highly commercial–in intent and effect and still invoke fair use. Most of the cases in which courts have found unlicensed uses of copyrighted works to be fair have involved projects designed to make money, including some that actually have.

FAIR USE CAN’T BE ENTERTAINING.

A use is no less likely to qualify as a fair one because the film in which it occurs is effective in attracting and holding an audience. If a use otherwise satisfies the principles and limitations described in this code, the fact that it is entertaining or emotionally engaging should be irrelevant.

IF I TRY TO LICENSE MATERIAL, I’VE GIVEN UP MY CHANCE TO USE FAIR USE.

Everyone likes to avoid conflict and reduce uncertainty, and a maker may choose to seek permissions even in situations where they may not be required. Later, a maker still may decide to employ fair use. The fact that a license was requested–or even denied–doesn’t undercut an otherwise valid fair use claim. If a rights holder denies a license unreasonably, this actually may strengthen the case for fair use.

I REALLY NEED A LAWYER TO MAKE THE CALL ON FAIR USE.

Fair use is a part of the law that belongs to everyone. A lawyer usually works for a client by reducing risk; in copyright law, that often means counseling purchase of rights for all uses of copyrighted material. If clients tell lawyers that they want to assert their rights (something that has a very low risk, if they understand what their rights are) then lawyers can recommend appropriate policies; but lawyers need to be told what their clients want.

And finally, a special note from the lawyers among us: Be careful not to draw too much from specific past court cases.

A good example of one decision that easily can be over-interpreted is the California District Court decision in  L.A. Times v. Free Republic , 56 U.S.P.Q.2D (BNA) 1862 (C.D. Cal. 2000), which ruled that a right-wing electronic bulletin board that invited reader comments on mainstream media content was not fair use. This anomalous case predates a Supreme Court decision (Eldred v. Ashcroft, 537 U.S. 186, 2003) that clearly asserted the link between fair use and free speech. Furthermore, decisions like  Bridgeport Music, Inc. v. Dimension Films , 410 F.3d 792 (6th Cir. 2005), dealing with infringement standards in music sampling, are widely cited for fair use principles when in fact they do not concern fair use at all. While case law is of essential importance in establishing legal norms, it is the  trend  in case law that determines such norms. The trend in case law about fair use has strongly been in the direction of supporting transformativeness as a core measure of fair use. This puts the judgment about fair use back squarely in the hands of the new creators and platform providers, who must look carefully at how videos repurpose copyrighted works.

by Peter Jaszi

The July 7 release of the new “Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Video” has given rise to an important question about how to interpret the document’s six “Principles” and their associated “Limitations.” So it may be worth noting that  all  the principles also are subject to some  general  limiting considerations. One of these is what might be called a “rule of proportionality.”  Read more here.

Fair Use in Online Video Discussion Clips Discussion clips for teaching purposes. For each video, consider the following questions: Why is this video fair use? What specific categories of fair use does the video employ? What arguments can you make for why this video is fair use?

Fair Use is Your Friend: Remix Culture A video that explains why the Code for Fair Use in Online Video was created, and how the Code can help you create online videos that employ fair use of copyrighted material.

Fair Use Videos of the Month Elisa Kreisinger is “a feminist video remixer making better stories about women that don’t revolve around men (or babies!) through remix storytelling.”  You can check out her work, including her most popular remix work of Sex and the City at her  website  . Here, she offers her choices for fair use video of the month. If you love them and feel inspired to make your own video, check out our  Code of Best Practices in Online Video  and  Elisa’s resources   and start remixing!

Remix Culture: The Early Years When is it fair and legal to use other people’s copyrighted work to make your own? What’s the line between infringement and fair use? Take this tour of remix culture classics, and use the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Video to make your own decisions. Please share your thoughts with us on our  blog . To download a quicktime version of this video right click  here. 

Untold Stories: Videos on Copyright and Fair Use Check out videos on Copyright and Fair Use on our  YouTube channel . These videos are part of the Untold Stories study conducted by the Center in conjunction with Washington College of Law.

Look out for more videos on Fair Use & Online Video at  bit.ly/fairvid !

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Always Up-to-Date Guide to Social Media Video Specs [Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat]

Written by by Mary Keutelian

Published on  November 21, 2023

Reading time  15 minutes

Last Updated: January 4, 2024

Staying relevant and capturing your audience’s attention is a constant challenge for marketers. And now that brands rely on video content more than ever , it’s critical to use the correct social media video specs and advertising video sizes.

To simplify marketers’ efforts, we created a complete guide of every single social media video spec and advertising video dimension.

Before we start, here are some additional resources that keep the information in one place:

• Easily reference our social media video specs in our always up-to-date Google Doc .
• Looking for image sizes? Check out our social media image sizes guide for help.
• Want to get better results with video? Download our social media video content workbook .

Social Media Video Specs & Ad Sizes By Network

We’ve gathered data on each social network’s specific video sizes and specs. Simply click the links below to jump to your desired network:

Start your free trial

Facebook Video Specs

Facebook video is consumed at higher rates each year, so it’s no wonder why so many marketers search for the correct Facebook video specs.

There are simply so many types of videos you can share on Facebook and the platform updates its design frequently. Each video format has different dimensions and specs, which can make it confusing to know whether or not you’re uploading the correct format for organic or paid posts. Follow the specs below to optimize your posts.

In-Feed Shared Post Video (Landscape & Portrait)

The most common type of video on Facebook comes from shared posts. This type of video lives in your Facebook Feed, and can be shared by brands or your friends. While it’s not as easy to get organic reach on Facebook , it’s still a viable way to share video.

You can choose between two video orientations: Landscape and Portrait . Here’s a look at the video specs for both .

Video Guidelines

• Resolution : 1280×720, 720×1280
• Minimum width : 1200 pixels
• Aspect ratio : 16:9, 9:16
• Max file size : 10GB (3GB max in Sprout)
• Recommended video formats : MP4, MOV
• Video length : 1 second to 240 minutes (45 minutes max, if uploading in Sprout)
• Bitrate : 256kbps
• Frame rate : 30fps

Facebook’s 360 Video allows users to get a complete 360-degree view by scrolling with a cursor on the web, by touch or turning the device on mobile.

• Monoscopic : 5120×2560 maximum
• Stereoscopic : 5120×5120 maximum
• Monoscopic : 2:1
• Stereoscopic : 1:1
• Max file size : 10GB
• Video length : 1 second to 30 minutes
• Frame rate : 30fp

Facebook Reels

The convenience of cross-posting your Instagram Reels to Facebook expands the reach of your videos. This format appears organically in feeds but often gets priority on Facebook feeds.

• Resolution : 1080p
• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Max file size: No file size limit
• Recommended video formats : MP4
• Video length : 3 seconds to 90 seconds
• Frame rate : 24fps – 60fps (30fp recommended in Sprout)

Facebook Stories

Similar to Instagram Stories, you can post Facebook Stories to extend the reach of your posts. Users who may not follow you on Instagram will be able to view and interact with your Stories.

• Minimum width : 500 pixels
• Aspect ratio : 9:16 and 4:5 to 1.91:1
• Max file size : 4GB
• Recommended video formats : MP4 or MOV
• Video length: 1 second to 60 seconds

Facebook Video Ad Specs

There are more than 10 million advertisers now on Facebook and having the right specs for your ads can be tricky. Each type of Facebook video ad is different, so let’s break down the specs for each type of video you can produce.

In-Feed Video Ads

These Facebook video ads are the sponsored equivalent of in-feed posts, and they follow similar guidelines to in-feed video posts.

Video guidelines

• Resolution : 1080×1080 minimum
• Minimum width : 120 pixels
• Minimum heigh t: 120 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 1:1 (for desktop or mobile) or 4:5 (for mobile only)
• Recommended video formats : MP4, MOV or GIF
• Video length : 1 seconds to 240 minutes

Character limits

• Primary text: 125 characters
• Headline : 27 characters
• Description : 27 characters

Carousel Video Ads

Facebook Carousel Video ads allow brands to showcase multiple videos (or images) and a landing page link within a user’s Facebook feed. It has grown in popularity because its unique scrolling feature allows users to see more content before clicking. In fact, Digiday estimated Carousel Ads to be 10x more effective than standard social media ads.

• Aspect ratio : 1:1
• Primary text : 125 characters
• Headline : 32 characters
• Description : 18 characters
• Landing Page URL : Required

Collection Video Ads (Mobile)

The Facebook Collection ads showcase multiple images and a main video above it. This is perfect for displaying multiple products (or various colors of a single product) plus a video. The ad type has been popular so far with retailers and clothing companies as an instant storefront or lookbook.

• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
• Video length: 1 seconds to 240 minutes
• Frame rate: 30fps

Character Limits

• Headline max : 40 characters
• Landing Page URL: Required

Instant Experience Video Ads

Facebook Instant Experience ads open up a full-screen experience after the first click, which can be further customized with a variety of interactive features. This can include multiple video experiences, including features to auto-play on loop.

• Minimum width : 720 pixels
• Video length : Up to 2 minutes

Slideshow Video Ad

Facebook’s Slideshow videos were built for advertisers wanting to reach audiences with slower internet connections. Instead of a regular video, slideshows are just that–a slideshow of images or video in an ad display.

• Resolution : 1080×1080
• Aspect ratio : 16:9 or 1:1
• Recommended video formats : MP4 or MPV
• Slideshow duration length : 15 seconds

Facebook Stories Ads

Facebook added the Stories feature – photo or short video posts that are only available for 24 hours. In addition to user-generated organic posts, Stories ads are available to run between sets of posted Stories. While most users will be sharing immediate and organic updates from their phone’s camera, the guidelines for this format are similar for both paid and organic ad posts.

• Aspect ratio : 9:16
• Max file size: 4GB
• Recommended video formats : MP4, MPV and GIF
• Video length: 1 second to 2 minutes
• Headline: 40 characters

For more information on the video specs for Facebook, visit the Facebook Help Center .

Instagram Video Specs

Instagram launched video capabilities in 2013 and quickly saw enough success to start advertising on the platform in 2015. Since then, video only continues to grow as an engaging social format. Needless to say, Instagram videos are absolutely worth the investment.

Carousel Video

Since 2015, Instagram crafted its video formats to allow three different styles: landscape, square and vertical. However, like the app, Instagram and how video is presented has evolve. Gone are the days of IGTV and Instagram Video. Video can be natively included as a post or carousel post, or they can be uploaded as Reels, but more on Reels later.

• Resolution : 1080×1080, 1080×1350
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
• Video length: 3 seconds to 60 minutes
• Frame rate : 23-60 fps

Instagram Reels

Introduced in 2020, Instagram Reels are another option for your video strategy on Instagram. These short-form, easily digestible videos are becoming the preferred type of content in Instagram feeds.

Fortunately for social content creators looking to easily generate a lot of content for Instagram, most of the video specs for Instagram Reels are fairly similar to other formats on the platform.

As Instagram has started to add separate tabs for different content types, thumbnails will be cropped differently on each view. If the viewer is on the first tab that has all content types, the thumbnail will be cropped to the traditional square post size of 1:1–center your subjects and plan to avoid undesirable vertical cropping.

Video Guidelines:

• Resolution: 720p minimum
• Aspect ratio: 0.01:1 to 10:1; 9:16 recommended
• Max file size : 4GB max (1GB in Sprout)
• Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
• Recording in-app is limited to 90 seconds; users can upload videos up to 15 minutes

Cover Photo Size:

• Size : 420p x 654p
• Aspect ratio : 1:1.55

Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories are short-form videos that display for 24-hours on your profile. Followers and users can access your Stories directly from your profile; followers have the luxury of accessing your Stories directly from their feed, where Stories for accounts they follow display directly at the top of their screen.

• Video length : 1 second to 90 seconds

Consider leaving roughly 250 pixels of the top of the video free from text to avoid covering them with the profile icon.

Instagram Video Ad Specs

Instagram’s advertising revenue has significantly increased over the last year. In fact, Instagram reportedly earned $43.2 billion in ad revenue in 2022. The push for Instagram advertising is real and marketers have to be ready to take advantage with engaging videos.

Carousel Video Ad

Much like Facebook’s Carousel Ads, Instagram offers a similar feature. Carousel ads allow users to see more of a product or feature than a single image or video. With Instagram, your carousel video ads can have 2-10 cards with a full-width call to action below the ad.

• Max file size : 4GB (video) 30MB (image)
• Number of Carousel cards : 2 (minimum) to 10 (maximum)

Instagram Stories Ads

It didn’t take long for Instagram Stories to feature ads within users’ story feeds. Brands can seamlessly integrate their video content between other Instagram users’ Stories.

• Video length: 1 second to 60 minutes
• Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Consider leaving roughly 250 pixels of the top of the video free from text to avoid covering them with the profile icon

If you’re looking for further information including images, check out our complete guide to all the Instagram ad sizes .

For more information on the video specs for Instagram, visit the Facebook Help Center .

TikTok Video Specs

TikTok has quickly gained attention in the social space. Fortunately, TikTok’s focus on easy to create and share videos means it’s not hard to start producing video content for the platform, and there are plenty of trends to inspire TikTok content creation .

TikTok In-Feed Videos

TikTok videos are all about the ease of creation, editing and sharing, so it makes sense that specs are more or less oriented around typical mobile phone dimensions. One key trait to keep in mind if you’re trying to repurpose video content across platforms is that videos uploaded from another file source, rather than recorded on the app, can be longer than 60 seconds.

• Resolution : 1080×1920
• 1GB maximum in Sprout
• Video length : Up to 3 minutes recorded in-app or 10 minutes when uploaded from another source
• Frame rate: 23-60fps

TikTok Feed Ads

TikTok ads are a rapidly evolving opportunity for brands. The in-feed option for paid TikTok content is fairly similar to the formatting for existing organic content. To fine-tune paid content for the best performance, be sure to consult TikTok’s business center for the latest tips.

• Resolution : 540×960, 640×640 or 960×540
• Aspect ratio : 9:16, 1:1 or 16:9
• Max file size : Up to 500MB
• Recommended video formats : MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3PG or AVI
• Video length : 5 seconds to 60 seconds
• Bitrate : 516 kbps minimum
• Ad description : 1-100 Latin alphabet letters and 1-50 Asian characters

Twitter Video Specs

X (formerly Twitter) is a popular space to share and interact with different social media videos. For marketers, it’s all about keeping a user’s attention with enthralling and click-worthy video content . In the sports and entertainment industry, Twitter is often the go-to for sharing video content, so it’s critical to learn the correct Twitter video specs.

Twitter Landscape & Portrait Videos

Twitter provides two formats of in-feed video content to share with your followers: landscape and portrait. These specific formats are only available for uploading video directly to Twitter, rather than sharing YouTube or other links.

• Resolution : 1280×720 (landscape), 720×1280 (portrait), 720×720 (square)
• Aspect ratio : 16:9 (landscape or portrait), 1:1 (square)
• Max file size: 512MB*
• Video length : 0.5 seconds to 140 seconds*
• Frame rate : 30fps or 60fps

*Twitter Pro Media users can upload files up to 1GB and videos up to 10 minutes.

• Maximum count: 280 characters.

Twitter Videos Ad Specs

Looking to promote your video through paid ads on Twitter? Luckily, you can use the same exact formats from Twitter organic videos. Stick to the same specs for both organic and paid video to ensure maximum visibility.

• Max file size : 512MB
• Video length: 0.5 seconds to 140 seconds
• Frame rate: 30fps or 60fps

For more information on the video specs for Twitter, visit the Twitter Help Center .

YouTube Video Specs

As the second-largest search engine behind Google, YouTube is an essential network for video content. For marketers, YouTube is a great space to promote, educate and share video content around your brand.

As YouTube continues to grow as a destination for video content, it hosts everything from short-form promotional videos to full-length movies and TV. This means users are streaming content on all sorts of devices, which could have different levels of zoom or overscan.

While there’s no hard and fast rules from the platform on how to approach the video editing concept of “title safe” areas where text like titles and subtitles aren’t cut off, you do want to avoid placing these types of visual elements right at the edges of your video area. Read on for more specifics on each format available on YouTube.

Video Player (Standard YouTube Video)

While YouTube allows users to upload various types of media formats and use plenty of different dimensions, organically, there’s truly only one format for the video player. Organic videos should all follow a 16:9 ratio, but can be uploaded 4:3. However, the smaller ratio will automatically pillarbox the sides to still make it fit in the player.

YouTube has seven recommended dimensions and ratios for standard YouTube videos:

• 4320p (8k): 7680×4320
• 2160p (4K): 3840×2160
• 1440p (2k): 2560×1440
• 1080p (HD): 1920×1080
• 720p (HD): 1280×720
• 480p (SD): 854×480
• 360p (SD): 640×360
• 240p (SD): 426×240
• Aspect ratio : 16:9 default
• Max file size: 256GB or 12 hours, whichever is less (5GB max in Sprout )
• Recommended video formats: MOV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4, MP4, MPG, AVI, WMV, MPEGPS, FLV, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm, HEVC (h265)
• Video length: Up to 12 hours, dependent on file size
• Frame rate: 24, 25 or 30fps

YouTube Shorts

Introduced late 2020, YouTube Shorts have recently made its debut as another short-form video feature. These videos are a new way to watch, create and discover short-form content. Because people are watching more short-form videos globally, using Shorts is a new way to reach wider audiences to entertain or educate.

• 4320p (8k): 4320×7680
• 2160p (4K): 2160×3840
• 1440p (2k): 1440×2560
• 1080p (HD): 1080×1920
• 720p (HD): 720×1280
• 480p (SD): 480×854
• 360p (SD): 360×640
• 240p (SD): 240×426
• Aspect ratio: 9:16 or 1:1
• Video length: Up to 60 seconds

For more information on the video specs for YouTube, visit the Google Help Center .

YouTube Video Ad Specs

Standard YouTube videos are pretty straightforward, but there are a few video ad formats to learn if you want to advertise on the network. According to data from Google , brands advertising on YouTube with Discovery ads see incremental conversions.

Skippable, Non-Skippable, Mid-Roll, Bumper Video, In-Feed Display Ads

We’ve put these five YouTube video ads specs together because in the end, they all play through the standard YouTube video player. That means all of these ad types follow the same dimensions as the non-ad videos, but only differ in video length. Let’s look at each ad type:

• Skippable Video Ad: This YouTube ad type is played before, during or after the content and becomes skippable after 5 seconds. This ad format is the only one allowing advertisers to monetize views from any viewing device.
• Non-Skippable Video Ad: This YouTube ad type is played before the content and users must watch the full 15 seconds maximum ad (can also be added during or after video).
• Mid-roll Video Ad: This YouTube ad type is played mid-view (like TV commercials) and is only available for videos 8 minutes or longer. Ads are added either manually or automatically. Mid-rolls can be skippable, but users must watch 30 seconds or the entire ad (whichever is shorter).
• Bumper Video Ads: This YouTube ad type is played before the content. This short 6-second max video cannot be skipped and is usually optimized for mobile views.
• Display Ads: These ads are shown in users’ search queries and sometimes appear in the right video column when watching a video. These ads are static, which means they don’t automatically play. However, once the video is clicked, the type of content displayed can simply follow the standard video player guidelines.
• Resolution : 1920 x 1080 (horizontal), 1080 x 1920 (vertical), 1080 x 1080 (square)
• Aspect ratio : 16:9 (horizontal), 9:16 (vertical), 1:1 (square)
• Max file size: 256GB
• Recommended video formats : MPG
• Skippable Video Ad : No maximum, but recommended 15 – 20 seconds for awareness, 2 – 3 minutes for consideration, and 15 – 20 seconds for action.
• Non-Skippable Video Ad: 15 or 20 seconds, depending on marketing
• Mid-roll Video Ad: 30 seconds minimum
• Bumper Video Ad: 6 seconds maximum
• In-Feed (Display) Video Ad: 15-20 seconds for awareness, 2-3 minutes for consideration

LinkedIn Video Specs

With 66% of consumers finding short-form video the most engaging type of in-feed social content, LinkedIn adopted the use of video on the platform. If you’re looking to incorporate video into your LinkedIn marketing strategy , then it’s important to do it with the right specs. While some technical requirements may match other networks, there are some specs that are specific to LinkedIn.

LinkedIn In-Feed Video

While before the only video format you were able to upload was a shared video, LinkedIn has expanded its capabilities to upload your own videos into the platform.

• Resolution : 256×144 (min) and 4096×2304 (max)
• Aspect ratio: 1:2.4, 2.4:1
• Max file size: 5GB (5GB max in Sprout for Company and Personal Pages)
• Recommended video formats: AAC, ASF, FLV, MP3, MP4, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, MKV, WebM, H264/AVC, Vorbis, VP8, VP9, WMV2, WMV3
• Video length: Up to 10 minutes
• Frame rate : 60fps
• Bitrate: Up to 30mbps

For more information on the video specs for LinkedIn, visit the LinkedIn Help Center .

LinkedIn Video Ads

As of 2018, LinkedIn now offers video ads . The requirements are a little bit different than in-feed video, so be sure to consider them when developing ads for your paid campaign.

• Vertical (4:5): Min 360 x 450 pixels, Max 1536 x 1920 pixels
• Vertical (9:16): Min 360 x 640 pixels, Max 1080 x 1920 pixels
• Landscape (16:9): Min 640 x 360 pixels, Max 1920 x 1080 pixels
• Square (1:1): Min 360 x 360 pixels, Max 1920 x 1920 pixels
• Vertical : 4:5, 9:16
• Landscape : 16:9
• Square : 1:1
• Max file size: 200MB
• Recommended video formats: MP4
• Video length: 3 seconds to 30 minutes
• Ad name: 255 characters
• Headline: 70 characters recommended; 200 characters maximum
• Introductory text: 150 characters recommended; 600 characters maximum

For more information on the video specs for LinkedIn ads, visit LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Help .

Pinterest Promoted Video Specs

Pinterest allows video upload for business accounts only, so they have specs designed for brands to get the most out of the highly visual and inspirational lifestyle content frequently shared on the platform.

Shared Video Pins and Standard Width Video Ads

In addition to ads, Pinterest Business Accounts can upload organic video content. There are two formats: standard and max width video. Below are the dimensions for standard width video ads and standard Pins.

• Aspect ratio: 1:1, 2:3, 4:5, 9:16
• Max file size : 2GB
• Recommended video formats : MP4, MOV or M4V
• Video length : 4 seconds to 15 minutes
• Title : Up to 100 characters
• Description : Up to 500 characters

Max Width Video Ads

Pinterest allows you to publish standard width and maximum width video ads. Maximum width videos expand across mobile users’ entire screens. These specs apply only to maximum width video ads; standard video ad specs can be found above. Note that maximum width video ads are only paid ads.

• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or M4V
• Video length: 4 seconds to 15 minutes

For more information on the video specs for Pinterest ads, visit Pinterest Business Help .

Snapchat Video Specs

Snapchat is still an active network for younger generations to share video content. Whether it’s through FOMO-inducing filters, Snapchat is a hotbed for video sharing.

Single Videos and Single Video Ad

This video format is the most common across the channel and is the main way users communicate back and forth through the app. However, your business can post videos to its story so others can see what your business is up to. Just follow these specs:

• Max file size: 1GB
• Video length: 3 seconds to 180 seconds
• Brand : 25 characters
• Headline : 34 characters

Long-Form Story Video Ad

Snapchat currently offers one main video format for ads, which is known as the Story Ad. However, the Snapchat Story Video Ad is what users see in between viewing users’ Stories.

For more information on the video specs for Snapchat, visit the Snapchat Ads Help Center .

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Blog Business How to Present a Case Study like a Pro (With Examples)

How to Present a Case Study like a Pro (With Examples)

Written by: Danesh Ramuthi Sep 07, 2023

Okay, let’s get real: case studies can be kinda snooze-worthy. But guess what? They don’t have to be!

In this article, I will cover every element that transforms a mere report into a compelling case study, from selecting the right metrics to using persuasive narrative techniques.

And if you’re feeling a little lost, don’t worry! There are cool tools like Venngage’s Case Study Creator to help you whip up something awesome, even if you’re short on time. Plus, the pre-designed case study templates are like instant polish because let’s be honest, everyone loves a shortcut.

Click to jump ahead: 

What is a case study presentation?

What is the purpose of presenting a case study, how to structure a case study presentation, how long should a case study presentation be, 5 case study presentation examples with templates, 6 tips for delivering an effective case study presentation, 5 common mistakes to avoid in a case study presentation, how to present a case study faqs.

A case study presentation involves a comprehensive examination of a specific subject, which could range from an individual, group, location, event, organization or phenomenon.

They’re like puzzles you get to solve with the audience, all while making you think outside the box.

Unlike a basic report or whitepaper, the purpose of a case study presentation is to stimulate critical thinking among the viewers. 

The primary objective of a case study is to provide an extensive and profound comprehension of the chosen topic. You don’t just throw numbers at your audience. You use examples and real-life cases to make you think and see things from different angles.

The primary purpose of presenting a case study is to offer a comprehensive, evidence-based argument that informs, persuades and engages your audience.

Here’s the juicy part: presenting that case study can be your secret weapon. Whether you’re pitching a groundbreaking idea to a room full of suits or trying to impress your professor with your A-game, a well-crafted case study can be the magic dust that sprinkles brilliance over your words.

Think of it like digging into a puzzle you can’t quite crack . A case study lets you explore every piece, turn it over and see how it fits together. This close-up look helps you understand the whole picture, not just a blurry snapshot.

It’s also your chance to showcase how you analyze things, step by step, until you reach a conclusion. It’s all about being open and honest about how you got there.

Besides, presenting a case study gives you an opportunity to connect data and real-world scenarios in a compelling narrative. It helps to make your argument more relatable and accessible, increasing its impact on your audience.

One of the contexts where case studies can be very helpful is during the job interview. In some job interviews, you as candidates may be asked to present a case study as part of the selection process.

Having a case study presentation prepared allows the candidate to demonstrate their ability to understand complex issues, formulate strategies and communicate their ideas effectively.

The way you present a case study can make all the difference in how it’s received. A well-structured presentation not only holds the attention of your audience but also ensures that your key points are communicated clearly and effectively.

In this section, let’s go through the key steps that’ll help you structure your case study presentation for maximum impact.

Let’s get into it. 

Open with an introductory overview 

Start by introducing the subject of your case study and its relevance. Explain why this case study is important and who would benefit from the insights gained. This is your opportunity to grab your audience’s attention.

Explain the problem in question

Dive into the problem or challenge that the case study focuses on. Provide enough background information for the audience to understand the issue. If possible, quantify the problem using data or metrics to show the magnitude or severity.

Detail the solutions to solve the problem

After outlining the problem, describe the steps taken to find a solution. This could include the methodology, any experiments or tests performed and the options that were considered. Make sure to elaborate on why the final solution was chosen over the others.

Key stakeholders Involved

Talk about the individuals, groups or organizations that were directly impacted by or involved in the problem and its solution. 

Stakeholders may experience a range of outcomes—some may benefit, while others could face setbacks.

For example, in a business transformation case study, employees could face job relocations or changes in work culture, while shareholders might be looking at potential gains or losses.

Discuss the key results & outcomes

Discuss the results of implementing the solution. Use data and metrics to back up your statements. Did the solution meet its objectives? What impact did it have on the stakeholders? Be honest about any setbacks or areas for improvement as well.

Include visuals to support your analysis

Visual aids can be incredibly effective in helping your audience grasp complex issues. Utilize charts, graphs, images or video clips to supplement your points. Make sure to explain each visual and how it contributes to your overall argument.

Pie charts illustrate the proportion of different components within a whole, useful for visualizing market share, budget allocation or user demographics.

This is particularly useful especially if you’re displaying survey results in your case study presentation.

Stacked charts on the other hand are perfect for visualizing composition and trends. This is great for analyzing things like customer demographics, product breakdowns or budget allocation in your case study.

Consider this example of a stacked bar chart template. It provides a straightforward summary of the top-selling cake flavors across various locations, offering a quick and comprehensive view of the data.

Not the chart you’re looking for? Browse Venngage’s gallery of chart templates to find the perfect one that’ll captivate your audience and level up your data storytelling.

Recommendations and next steps

Wrap up by providing recommendations based on the case study findings. Outline the next steps that stakeholders should take to either expand on the success of the project or address any remaining challenges.

Acknowledgments and references

Thank the people who contributed to the case study and helped in the problem-solving process. Cite any external resources, reports or data sets that contributed to your analysis.

Feedback & Q&A session

Open the floor for questions and feedback from your audience. This allows for further discussion and can provide additional insights that may not have been considered previously.

Closing remarks

Conclude the presentation by summarizing the key points and emphasizing the takeaways. Thank your audience for their time and participation and express your willingness to engage in further discussions or collaborations on the subject.

Well, the length of a case study presentation can vary depending on the complexity of the topic and the needs of your audience. However, a typical business or academic presentation often lasts between 15 to 30 minutes. 

This time frame usually allows for a thorough explanation of the case while maintaining audience engagement. However, always consider leaving a few minutes at the end for a Q&A session to address any questions or clarify points made during the presentation.

When it comes to presenting a compelling case study, having a well-structured template can be a game-changer. 

It helps you organize your thoughts, data and findings in a coherent and visually pleasing manner. 

Not all case studies are created equal and different scenarios require distinct approaches for maximum impact. 

To save you time and effort, I have curated a list of 5 versatile case study presentation templates, each designed for specific needs and audiences. 

Here are some best case study presentation examples that showcase effective strategies for engaging your audience and conveying complex information clearly.

1 . Lab report case study template

Ever feel like your research gets lost in a world of endless numbers and jargon? Lab case studies are your way out!

Think of it as building a bridge between your cool experiment and everyone else. It’s more than just reporting results – it’s explaining the “why” and “how” in a way that grabs attention and makes sense.

This lap report template acts as a blueprint for your report, guiding you through each essential section (introduction, methods, results, etc.) in a logical order.

Want to present your research like a pro? Browse our research presentation template gallery for creative inspiration!

2. Product case study template

It’s time you ditch those boring slideshows and bullet points because I’ve got a better way to win over clients: product case study templates.

Instead of just listing features and benefits, you get to create a clear and concise story that shows potential clients exactly what your product can do for them. It’s like painting a picture they can easily visualize, helping them understand the value your product brings to the table.

Grab the template below, fill in the details, and watch as your product’s impact comes to life!

3. Content marketing case study template

In digital marketing, showcasing your accomplishments is as vital as achieving them. 

A well-crafted case study not only acts as a testament to your successes but can also serve as an instructional tool for others. 

With this coral content marketing case study template—a perfect blend of vibrant design and structured documentation, you can narrate your marketing triumphs effectively.

4. Case study psychology template

Understanding how people tick is one of psychology’s biggest quests and case studies are like magnifying glasses for the mind. They offer in-depth looks at real-life behaviors, emotions and thought processes, revealing fascinating insights into what makes us human.

Writing a top-notch case study, though, can be a challenge. It requires careful organization, clear presentation and meticulous attention to detail. That’s where a good case study psychology template comes in handy.

Think of it as a helpful guide, taking care of formatting and structure while you focus on the juicy content. No more wrestling with layouts or margins – just pour your research magic into crafting a compelling narrative.

5. Lead generation case study template

Lead generation can be a real head-scratcher. But here’s a little help: a lead generation case study.

Think of it like a friendly handshake and a confident resume all rolled into one. It’s your chance to showcase your expertise, share real-world successes and offer valuable insights. Potential clients get to see your track record, understand your approach and decide if you’re the right fit.

No need to start from scratch, though. This lead generation case study template guides you step-by-step through crafting a clear, compelling narrative that highlights your wins and offers actionable tips for others. Fill in the gaps with your specific data and strategies, and voilà! You’ve got a powerful tool to attract new customers.

Related: 15+ Professional Case Study Examples [Design Tips + Templates]

So, you’ve spent hours crafting the perfect case study and are now tasked with presenting it. Crafting the case study is only half the battle; delivering it effectively is equally important. 

Whether you’re facing a room of executives, academics or potential clients, how you present your findings can make a significant difference in how your work is received. 

Forget boring reports and snooze-inducing presentations! Let’s make your case study sing. Here are some key pointers to turn information into an engaging and persuasive performance:

• Know your audience : Tailor your presentation to the knowledge level and interests of your audience. Remember to use language and examples that resonate with them.
• Rehearse : Rehearsing your case study presentation is the key to a smooth delivery and for ensuring that you stay within the allotted time. Practice helps you fine-tune your pacing, hone your speaking skills with good word pronunciations and become comfortable with the material, leading to a more confident, conversational and effective presentation.
• Start strong : Open with a compelling introduction that grabs your audience’s attention. You might want to use an interesting statistic, a provocative question or a brief story that sets the stage for your case study.
• Be clear and concise : Avoid jargon and overly complex sentences. Get to the point quickly and stay focused on your objectives.
• Use visual aids : Incorporate slides with graphics, charts or videos to supplement your verbal presentation. Make sure they are easy to read and understand.
• Tell a story : Use storytelling techniques to make the case study more engaging. A well-told narrative can help you make complex data more relatable and easier to digest.

Ditching the dry reports and slide decks? Venngage’s case study templates let you wow customers with your solutions and gain insights to improve your business plan. Pre-built templates, visual magic and customer captivation – all just a click away. Go tell your story and watch them say “wow!”

Nailed your case study, but want to make your presentation even stronger? Avoid these common mistakes to ensure your audience gets the most out of it:

Overloading with information

A case study is not an encyclopedia. Overloading your presentation with excessive data, text or jargon can make it cumbersome and difficult for the audience to digest the key points. Stick to what’s essential and impactful. Need help making your data clear and impactful? Our data presentation templates can help! Find clear and engaging visuals to showcase your findings.

Lack of structure

Jumping haphazardly between points or topics can confuse your audience. A well-structured presentation, with a logical flow from introduction to conclusion, is crucial for effective communication.

Ignoring the audience

Different audiences have different needs and levels of understanding. Failing to adapt your presentation to your audience can result in a disconnect and a less impactful presentation.

Poor visual elements

While content is king, poor design or lack of visual elements can make your case study dull or hard to follow. Make sure you use high-quality images, graphs and other visual aids to support your narrative.

Not focusing on results

A case study aims to showcase a problem and its solution, but what most people care about are the results. Failing to highlight or adequately explain the outcomes can make your presentation fall flat.

How to start a case study presentation?

Starting a case study presentation effectively involves a few key steps:

• Grab attention : Open with a hook—an intriguing statistic, a provocative question or a compelling visual—to engage your audience from the get-go.
• Set the stage : Briefly introduce the subject, context and relevance of the case study to give your audience an idea of what to expect.
• Outline objectives : Clearly state what the case study aims to achieve. Are you solving a problem, proving a point or showcasing a success?
• Agenda : Give a quick outline of the key sections or topics you’ll cover to help the audience follow along.
• Set expectations : Let your audience know what you want them to take away from the presentation, whether it’s knowledge, inspiration or a call to action.

How to present a case study on PowerPoint and on Google Slides?

Presenting a case study on PowerPoint and Google Slides involves a structured approach for clarity and impact using presentation slides :

• Title slide : Start with a title slide that includes the name of the case study, your name and any relevant institutional affiliations.
• Introduction : Follow with a slide that outlines the problem or situation your case study addresses. Include a hook to engage the audience.
• Objectives : Clearly state the goals of the case study in a dedicated slide.
• Findings : Use charts, graphs and bullet points to present your findings succinctly.
• Analysis : Discuss what the findings mean, drawing on supporting data or secondary research as necessary.
• Conclusion : Summarize key takeaways and results.
• Q&A : End with a slide inviting questions from the audience.

What’s the role of analysis in a case study presentation?

The role of analysis in a case study presentation is to interpret the data and findings, providing context and meaning to them. 

It helps your audience understand the implications of the case study, connects the dots between the problem and the solution and may offer recommendations for future action.

Is it important to include real data and results in the presentation?

Yes, including real data and results in a case study presentation is crucial to show experience,  credibility and impact. Authentic data lends weight to your findings and conclusions, enabling the audience to trust your analysis and take your recommendations more seriously

How do I conclude a case study presentation effectively?

To conclude a case study presentation effectively, summarize the key findings, insights and recommendations in a clear and concise manner. 

End with a strong call-to-action or a thought-provoking question to leave a lasting impression on your audience.

What’s the best way to showcase data in a case study presentation ?

The best way to showcase data in a case study presentation is through visual aids like charts, graphs and infographics which make complex information easily digestible, engaging and creative. 

Don’t just report results, visualize them! This template for example lets you transform your social media case study into a captivating infographic that sparks conversation.

Choose the type of visual that best represents the data you’re showing; for example, use bar charts for comparisons or pie charts for parts of a whole. 

Ensure that the visuals are high-quality and clearly labeled, so the audience can quickly grasp the key points. 

Keep the design consistent and simple, avoiding clutter or overly complex visuals that could distract from the message.

Choose a template that perfectly suits your case study where you can utilize different visual aids for maximum impact. 

Need more inspiration on how to turn numbers into impact with the help of infographics? Our ready-to-use infographic templates take the guesswork out of creating visual impact for your case studies with just a few clicks.

Related: 10+ Case Study Infographic Templates That Convert

Congrats on mastering the art of compelling case study presentations! This guide has equipped you with all the essentials, from structure and nuances to avoiding common pitfalls. You’re ready to impress any audience, whether in the boardroom, the classroom or beyond.

And remember, you’re not alone in this journey. Venngage’s Case Study Creator is your trusty companion, ready to elevate your presentations from ordinary to extraordinary. So, let your confidence shine, leverage your newly acquired skills and prepare to deliver presentations that truly resonate.

Go forth and make a lasting impact!

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