best powerpoint resources

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Our Favorite PowerPoint Resources

• PowerPoint Tutorials
• Miscellaneous
• October 30, 2017

Here is our list of our favorite PowerPoint resources from around the web, including top-notch equipment that we use.

Note:  Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. That means that if make a purchase using them, we will earn a small commission. W e link to these companies and products because of their quality and not because of the commission we receive from your purchases.

PowerPoint assets

Our favorite websites for (almost all) free downloadable assets for your slides.

PowerPoint pictures

Our favorite sources of free, high-quality, and unique (no more same old shaking hands images, please!) photos that belong to the public domain (licensed CC0), meaning they are copyright-free and attribution-free:

• Pixabay  – Awesome site for 100% free and Creative Commons CC0 licensed images, illustrations, vectors, and videos.
• Pexels  – We love this site. It’s a compilation of 100% copyright-free images from around the web. They also have a section of their site dedicated to  videos .  Note: They have a super-handy free unofficial add-in for PowerPoint and Word add-in that you can download and install  here .
• Gratisography  – All kinds of great photos that are anything but stock. Typically features conceptual images and funny images too!
• Negative Space  – This is one of our favorite sites for 100% free and Creative Commons CC0 licensed images, with everything from landscapes, to conceptual images, to product images…all around great!
• Jay Mantri  and  Unsplash  – Typically these are photos of landscapes and cityscapes, but it often features conceptual images and photos of patterns or textures (great for backgrounds).
• Camarama  – Wide range of high-quality photos, from closeups of laptops, to images of nature.
• Startup Stock Photos  – Closeups of computers, people working in casual clothing, open-plan offices, etc.
• DesignersPics  – High-quality photos, tend to be zoom-ins of objects, or concepts.
• Morguefile  – High-quality photos that look more like traditional stock photos (a tiny bit cheesy), but may be easier to match with a corporate deck’s content.
• Pikwizard  – High-quality images that cover a range of topics and subjects, including business meetings, presentations, and more. The site also has a picture editing app that allows you to edit the images and create graphics from those images.
• Free Nature Stock  – As its name suggests, these are beautiful images of nature.
• New Old Stock  – Black & white and vintage photographs.
• FreeFoto  – A place to find ‘real’ looking images, categorized.
• Why JPEG is like a photocopier  – Explains why you definitely need to insert your logo into PowerPoint as a PNG, not a JPEG.
• Hero Patterns  – Another free creation by Steve Schoger, this site allows you to fully customize the colors and opacity of his custom-made patterns and use them in your presentations, under the Creative Commons license.
• Subtle Patterns  – A source of, you guessed it!, subtle patterns, that you can use for backgrounds in your slides. Please not that their Creative Commons license requires attribution and share alike.
• The Pattern Library  – An amazing bank of super cool patterns, created for fun by designers.

Another option, though it can be quite a bit more time-consuming, is to search  Flickr.com  and use the advanced search to find Creative Commons licensed photos (or use  Compfight ‘s better search engine – make sure to select the Creative Commons license).

For more sites with stock photos, check out this comprehensive post on Canva:  74 Best Sites to Find Awesome Free Images .

And for an insanely comprehensive list of free stock photo sites (with pros & cons), check out  The 27 Best Free Stock Photo Sites .

And if you’d like a robust & free alternative to Adobe Photoshop, check out  Editor by Pixlr.com . Thanks to Jude for the recommendation!

PowerPoint graphics

By far the easiest way to get new & unique graphics onto your slides (especially now that ClipArt is gone) is to use a service like  Build-a-Graphic . They are custom-built graphics designed for PowerPoint. All you need to do is download and insert them onto your slide and then tweak them like you would SmartArt.

Although this is a paid service, we’ve found that we’ve reused these graphics again and again, so we see it as a good investment in sharper looking slides.

If you want free PowerPoint graphics, you can check out these websites too:

• Freepik  – Great database with tons of very high-quality and modern icons, flat icons, vectors, and PSD files to use. Freepik does require you to give them credit if you use their material, but they make it very easy with a simple html code.

PowerPoint icons & vectors

Our favorite sources of free icons and vectors. Please note that some of these require attribution, so please use them appropriately:

• Icon Speed Challenge  – Learn how to create vector icons from any icon font! Plus download our Nuts & Bolts Jackpot Resource, with 886 free icon set + the Icon Cutter Tool.
• iconmonstr  – Simple icons & easy to use interface (you can even pick the color of your icon before you download it).
• IcoMoon  – Crisp and simple icons available for free download and use in many filetypes (SVG, PNG, and iconfont).
• flaticon  – A large database of simple icons available for in many filetypes (iconfont, PNG, SVG, EPS and PSD).
• FindIcons  – A large database of thousands of icons and vectors. A standard search will almost always point you to paid sites like Shutterstock, but there are options on the left that will allow you to filter by license, and thereby find some free ones. Most are available in various filetypes.
• Zondicons  – Free SVG icon list created by Steve Schoger, that is regularly updated and just plain awesome.
• Glyphyx One NF  and  Glyphyx Two NF  – These two free icon fonts can be installed onto your computer and used to create new icons (see the Speed Challenge link above for how to cut them out into customizable PowerPoint shapes).

If you have Office 365, you can now insert SVG (vector) images directly onto slides in PowerPoint, and edit them like regular shapes.

If you don’t have this functionality, you’ll need to convert the SVGs in order to import them into PowerPoint. For a really good tutorial on how to convert vectors into usable PowerPoint objects without Adobe software, check out Microsoft MVP Dave Paradi’s post on  finding and using vector images in PowerPoint .

Note:  You can turn existing objects into PowerPoint graphics by using these tools:

• Text-to-Outline  by YouPresent – Allows you to convert text into vectors/shapes, which you can then format any way you like in PowerPoint…add gradients, stamp it onto a picture, and more.
• Vector Magic  – Creates a vector out of any image.

PowerPoint music & videos

If you’re looking to add some pizazz to a live presentation, check out these sites for truly free multimedia:

• Pexels Videos  – Great resource for gorgeous professional looking 100% copyright videos. Has a helpful search feature and category organization.
• Mazwai  – Beautiful copyright-free videos that are easy to download.
• Mixkit  – A new (feb. 2019) site with entirely free HD stock video footage for your work – all of it commercially licensed
• Free Stock Music  – You will have to create an account, but the assets are still mostly free.
• Stock Footage for Free  – You will have to create an account, but the assets are still mostly free.
• Motion Backgrounds for Free  – You will have to create an account, but the assets are still mostly free.

And if you use a lot of video and motion backgrounds, check out the paid parent version of the sites above,  Storyblocks Video .

PowerPoint fonts

Everything you need to know about Office safe fonts, as well as custom fonts and how to embed them.

• YouTube tutorial:  What are the best fonts for PowerPoint, and which fonts you should avoid
• 100FreeFonts  (please check the licensing for each font to make sure you can use it)
• Free Fonts on Urban Fonts  (please check the licensing for each font to make sure you can use it)
• DaFont  (please check the licensing for each font to make sure you can use it)
• Article: “The Best 100 Free Fonts”
• Update (06.2018) on the “safe fonts” in PowerPoint  by Julie Terberg
• This  awesome post by Johanna Rehnvall  details the 44 safe fonts and how they look.
• This  other awesome post by Johanna Rehnvall  details 74 safe font combinations and how they look together.
• This  PPTFAQ article by Steve Rindsberg  goes into super-depth into embedding custom fonts.
• This  Office Blog post  explains simply how to embed fonts in PPT 2010 and 2007, as well a handy feature for replacing fonts.
• This  “Inspired by Design” webinar , hosted by PowerPoint MVPs Julie Terberg and Nolan Haims, explains why you should never embed fonts.
• MyScriptFont  will turn your own handwriting into a font, like every other font installed on your computer.
• Fonts In Use  shares insights about font trends based on what fonts and font combinations are being used in the world of graphic design (including logos) today.

PowerPoint colors

Finding the right colors for your slides is more an art than a science. So here are some places that make choosing the right PowerPoint color palette easier:

• Adobe Color CC  – A free tool that can help you generate color pairings and variations on your current colors.
• Color Lisa  – This site has compiled color palettes from the world’s greatest artists. Use these as inspirations for your templates.
• Canva Colors  –  Their Design Wiki on colors teaches you everything you need to know about colors and their meanings, and offers matching color combinations to inspire your next design.
• Material Design Color Palette  – This awesome site will create a beautiful color palette based on the combination of any colors.
• Pantone’s color of the year  – Each year, Pantone chooses a new color and color palette based on design trends.

PowerPoint templates

WARNING:  Most pre-built PowerPoint templates you find online are not real PowerPoint templates. Instead, they are what we call ‘fake templates.’

If you are not sure whether your PowerPoint template is real or now,  see our guide here .

That being said, if you want to look through examples of pre-built slides to save yourself time or get inspiration, you can see the 3 sites we recommend for finding Professional PowerPoint templates  here

• SlideCow  (not free – but SO worth it!) is a design agency that creates the highest quality PowerPoint templates we’ve seen on the web, bar none. The founder, Yoyo, produces affordable templates that are gorgeous, fully editable, easy to use, and are based on an well-designed Slide Master. This means that you can use any template he creates seamlessly with other presentations. In particular, check out his latest creation, the  Reem Template .
• Envato Elements  (not free) is a large platform where designers can upload and sell their presentation templates. Many of them include hundreds of slides, as well as custom icons you can use. The popular PowerPoint templates are typically modern, stylish and trendy. Their simple $29/month fee gives you access to unlimited downloads.
• TemplateMonster  (not free) is a large platform where designers can share their presentation templates, some of which are quite nice. Most of them include hundreds of slides, as well as custom icons you can use. You can buy individual templates for around $20.
• Slides Carnival  (free) offers professional designs that cover all styles from playful and creative to formal and business presentations. You’ll find that all templates are completely customizable and easy-to-edit, even though most of them aren’t real PowerPoint templates.
• Canva  (partly free) is a site that provides a huge variety of design templates, including presentation templates. Do keep in mind that none of these are built in PowerPoint – they’re built using the Canva software – so you’ll need to export the design as images and paste them into PowerPoint (rendering them un-editable).

Note:  PowerPoint templates are different from PowerPoint themes. To learn all about PowerPoint themes,  see our guide here .

PowerPoint backgrounds

Typically, a PowerPoint background is simply a solid color, a pattern, or an image, which you can create on your own.

However, if you want a pre-built one, here are some places to get free PowerPoint backgrounds:

• Presentation Magazine  – These are by far the best pre-built PowerPoint backgrounds you’ll find on the web, with modern, stylish, and simple options to choose from.
• Free PPT Backgrounds  – As its name suggests, this site offers a wide variety of decent free PowerPoint backgrounds for download.
• SlideTeam  – While many are quite cheesy, there are a few gems here and there if you’re willing to search for them.

To learn more about this, check out our article on PowerPoint backgrounds  here .

PowerPoint tools

Some problems are just too big to solve on your own.

Our favorite PowerPoint add-ins

Have a command you use all the time, or a task you wish could be automated? Well chances are you’re not the only one, and that some of the Microsoft MVPs have gone and coded a solution for you! Check out some of our favorite free PPT add-ins:

• The Hammer Tool (part of the PPTools StarterSet) by Microsoft MVP, Steve Rindsberg – Allows you to copy/paste an object’s position on a slide onto any other object (to see how to download and install it, check out our Hammer Tool post ).
• Pexels  by OfficeConsult – Allows you to seamlessly search for and insert great-looking and free stock photos from Pexels directly within PowerPoint.
• BrightSlide  by BrightCarbon – An incredibly feature-rich and robust add-in that helps you create, polish, and edit presentations at speed. It draws on industry-standard shortcuts to boost your workflow and provides amazing, extra functionality PowerPoint users have only dreamed of. It’s the ULTIMATE productivity add-in to tackle many of the pitfalls of PowerPoint.
• Build-a-Graphic  by BillionDollarGraphics (not free) – This easy-to-use software automatically recommends the best graphics to represent keywords and keyphrases. It includes thousands of professional, 100% editable PowerPoint graphics including infographics, icons, isometric graphics, puzzles, gears and much more.
• YouTube Video Wizard  by Microsoft MVP, Shyam Pillai – Allows you to easily embed a YouTube video into your slide (to see how to download and install it, check out our  post on embedding YouTube videos in PowerPoint ).
• Text-to-Outline  by YouPresent – Allows you to convert text into vectors/shapes, which you can then format any way you like in PowerPoint…add gradients, stamp it onto a picture, and more. If you have PowerPoint 2013 or later, you can do this using the Merge Shapes tool, but for earlier versions (which P-Spice  demonstrates in Step 2 of her Morph Transition tutorial ), it’s impossible without an add-in like this one.
• MLC Addin  by Maurizio La Cava – Allows you to do some of the more annoying nitty-gritty stuff of PowerPoint in just 1 click, such as: swapping the positions of shapes, breaking a table into shapes, pasting an object onto all your slides, and easily moving an object closer/further from an object.
• iSlide  – A very comprehensive add-in that allows you to do many awesome things, including make uniform irregular fonts, paragraphs, colors, layouts and styles; use 4000+ well-designed vector diagrams automatically; use their own libraries with over 100, 400 diagrams, images and icons; combine images and slides; and more!
• Neo/Ipsum  by Justin Bretschneider – Makes it easy to populate PowerPoint placeholders with dummy text (Lorem Ipsum and other more ‘real life’ type text) for graphics, slides, or template mockups to clients. Fill the entire deck, the current slide, or a specific slide. The add-in even works in Word and Excel.
• Talk Time  by YOUpresent – Helps you manage and plan the timing of your delivery when you are physically present with your audience. This is a major upgrade to PowerPoint’s built-in Rehearse Timings feature.
• Motion Path Tools  by Microsoft MVP, Shyam Pillai – Allows you to copy/paste an objects end motion path onto another object (to see how to download and install it, check out Spicy Presentations’  Must-Have Tool for Serious Animators post ). [update: this add-in is no longer working]

Yes, these PowerPoint add-ins are all free but they’re SO AWESOME that we encourage you to donate something when you go to their site as a ‘thank you’.

Presentation technology & software

Although your slides should speak for themselves, sometimes you just need an extra little ‘je ne sais quoi’. These technologies will help you deliver a better presentation, and get your audience more engaged:

• Glisser  – This cool new start-up offers a presentation tool that allows you to integrate social interaction (like lide-by-slide ‘like’ voting, live audience questions, comments and Tweets) into your presentations to help keep your audience engaged, and then generates data that helps you make your presentations better.
• LeadDigits  – Have you ever given a presentation and wanted a smooth way to give the entire audience your slides, or have them all sign up for your newsletter? It’s easy-peazy lemon-squeezy with the LeadDigits function of LeadPages, a company we use and LOVE.
• PollEverywhere  – This polling software lets your audience vote on their own mobile device –  computers, tablets, phones (through both texting and web) – anything. There are many brands of such polling software out there (and a new one seems to come out each day), but this is our favorite one as it integrates seamlessly into PowerPoint.

And while PowerPoint is still the dominant presentation software out there, here are two cool new web-based software that let you build presentations, infographics, posters, and more. They’re both easy to use, are great for getting design inspiration, upload to the cloud, have lots of high-quality graphics and images, and are based on a ‘freemium’ model.

• Canva  – Check out Canva’s blog with highly stylized and trendy work to give you a few new ideas for your deck, or use it to create something too. We’ve used it to create posters and infographics and we love that so much of it is free (or just $1 per asset).
• Visme   – A newcomer to the scene, Visme does a great job of providing quality designs and images for its users. Create a free account, which allows you 3 projects, or upgrade to $7/mo or $16/mo, which may be more cost-effective than Canva depending on how much you’re using it.
• Piktochart  – An intuitive online platform that allows you to create beautiful infographics, flyers, posters, presentations and reports easily with absolutely no design experience.

Slide & asset management

If you work in a big corporation or work with other people on hundreds of slides, it can be quite challenging to keep organized and make sure that all your digital assets are kept up-to-date. Here are some amazing services that will solve those problems in one go!

• Templafy  – Updated your logo and need that change to be reflected across your entire company’s “About Us” slides in thousands of presentations? No problem! With Templafy, you can manage your digital assets so they stay up-to-date across all of your corporate documents (what a relief!).
• SlideSource  – Ever have to manage 10,000+ slides for a SINGLE presentation and all of their iterations? I used to do this using a system of folders and naming conventions, but with SlideSource, the days of creating nested folders and V1, V2, V3…V78 are over!
• TeamSlide  – Helps your team find and manage all of your PowerPoint slides and resources (no small feat), giving you effortless access to the PowerPoint content your team needs to be productive.

Photo editors, color pickers, and other tools

Here are some awesome free tools we use to work with images and colors:

• Vector Magic  – Creates a vector out of any image. WE LOVE THIS TOOL!
• GIFmaker.me  – Creates animated GIFs from your pictures. Easy to use and entirely free.
• Compressor  – A free compression tool that will take your large pictures (JPG and PNG) and reduce them without losing quality. Great for big decks with lots of images.
• ColorZilla  – A free add-in for Firefox and Chrome that allows you to pick colors from websites. This is super handy if you’re building a deck for a corporate client and don’t know their corporate colors.
• ColorCop  – A free multi-purpose color picker tool for Windows, that we recommend for anyone using PowerPoint 2010 and earlier (the Eyedropper was introduced in PPT 2013). An alternative is  Pixie , another free tool for up to Windows 2000. Thanks to Michael for the recommendation!
• iSpring Free  – This free software will convert your PowerPoint presentation into a Flash or HTML5 file, while keeping all the animations, transitions, and hyperlinks. Great for training and educational decks.
• Plot Digitizer  – Ever receive a slide with a chart that was not actually a chart… but a picture of a chart? And maybe it was missing data labels? So how do you recreate this chart natively in PPT or Excel? Well this free piece of software allows you to do just that to 99.99% accuracy.
• TinEye  – If you ever need to find the source of an image you’re using that you found online but can’t remember where (don’t infringe on copyrights!)…simply upload your image and it will search the web for the original source. You can also download a plugin that does the magic directly within your browser. The plugin adds a context menu item that allows you to search for an image to find out where it came from, how it is being used, if modified versions of the image exist, or to find higher resolution versions.
• Nitro  – This free tool (if you want the software on your desktop, you will need to pay for it) will convert your PDF into Word if you’re not able to do it directly within Word (by going to File > Open, and selecting your PDF).

Presentation inspiration

Sometimes you simply run out of ideas. It happens to all of us. So here are some places you can go for more slide and presentation inspiration:

• Canva Design School Blog  – This blog consistently comes up with great blog posts about design that you can apply to your presentations…the entire website is like designer eye-candy.
• SlideShare  – Although you have to sift through a large amount of presentation – and there are some bad ones there – SlideShare is still a great place to get inspiration. Check out their ‘featured’ section too.
• TerbergDesigns  – Julie Terberg is the Design Maven and her site has some great examples of professional presentations to look at.
• Pinterest  – If you go to Pinterest and type ‘slide design’, you can find some pretty good and varied examples to pull from.
• Creative Market’s Templates  – Although this site sells templates and slide mock-ups, it’s a great place to get new ideas for presenting your content.
• Just look around you! Flip through magazines, look at advertising, book covers, movie posters, business journals, design magazines…these media can provide a wealth of juice to fuel your creativity.

Equipment for working in PowerPoint

Use the best equipment…because why use a match when you could use a blowtorch?

Important considerations

You’ve asked, so here it is! This is the exact computer equipment we use to work in PowerPoint and be  super-duper-quick , and why.

If you are using the full setup, mouse and keyboard (which I hope you are!), there are a number of different things to keep in mind when choosing your equipment, which we go into in each tab of this section.

Things to take into account when choosing a mouse:

1. Handling/Comfort

We find that the best mice are comfortable to hold and fit nicely in your palm. This also means that your fingers should be able to easily reach the different buttons on the mouse. The  MX  is THE most comfortable mouse we have found out there, and if you’re spending a lot of time on your computer, you don’t want to get a hand cramp.

 2. Extra buttons and options

Some mice have special added functions that, believe it or not, will make a big difference in the way you use your mouse. At a bare minimum, a scroll wheel is a MUST for PowerPoint to zoom in and out. Other buttons are worth looking at too, for example, if you have forward and backward buttons and install the software you can from your mouse:

• In PowerPoint –  Move forward or backward a slide
• In Excel –  Move forward or backward a sheet
• In Web Browsers –  Move forward or backward a slide

If you actually use the buttons they can be extremely helpful for getting stuff done!

3. Surface functionality

If you travel a lot, or like to take your computer to coffee shops and other venues, another thing that is super important for your mouse is its ability to recognize various surfaces.

Have you ever tried to use your mouse on a glass table? Doesn’t work for most mice. But no problem for the MX.

4. Cordless

It’s not a necessity, but we prefer mice that can move around more easily and aren’t limited in terms of mobility. It’s also nice to not have to get all tangled up in more cords.

5. Travel mice / small USB receivers

First of all it’s nice to have a small USB receiver rather than a large one sticking out of your computer. Secondly, if you are traveling or moving around a lot, it’s nice if that USB receiver can snap back into your mouse. That way you don’t have to worry about losing the receiver or having the receiver break when you are moving your computer around. Something to keep in mind as you are shopping the shelves.

Things to keep in mind when choosing a keyboard:

We personally hate the sound of noisy typists, particularly when it is us and it gives us away on a conference call…honestly, we are just taking thorough notes!

2. Unifying receiver

I only have so many USB jacks, having to insert a separate one for a keyboard is painful. This is a major advantage over our  diNovo Edge , the  Logitech Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800  uses the same unifying receiver as our mouse.

3. Full number pad

If you use PowerPoint and Excel, make sure you have a keypad…if you have never used one, learn now as it’s much faster for inputting data. The K800  has a keypad on it…we had to supplement our diNovo Edge with a keypad for crunching numbers. We use the  Logitech Wireless Number Pad N305 .

4. Keyboard trackpad

We personally feel that a mouse on the keyboard itself (one of those little swipe areas that acts like a mouse) is not very useful. I would advise against buying a keyboard specifically for this reason as our DiNovo Edge had one and we used it infrequently.

5. Battery life

Battery life counts and what you can or cannot do with your keyboard while it’s charging makes a big difference. Our diNovo Edge had awesome battery life, approximately 2 months! The K800 definitely has less at only 6 to 10 days on a single charge. That said, the K800 can charge from a USB port, while the DiNovo Edge had to sit in its own special stand to charge.

Presenter / laser pointer

Here is the presenter we use:   The Logitech Professional Presenter R800

Are you using your decks for live presentations? If so, we highly recommend the R800. We love this presenter because it has a huge range which allows you to walk around a room and not have to worry about reaching your content.

Update:  The latest we’ve heard is that the hot new presenter on the block is  Logitech’s Spotlight . We haven’t used it personally, but it was on full display at the 2017 Presentation Summit and everyone was LOVING IT!

PowerPoint & presentation design books

TJ Katopis has a great list of his favorite books, called “ The Presenter’s Bookshelf ,” in which he details some of his favorite books and other resources — on design theory and practice, data visualization, presentation design, layout, type, color, business writing, public speaking, inspiration, and more. 

Also, check out our student  David Benaim’s Vimeo channel , where he teaches cool things like how to filter google image results, how to identify & shrink bloated file sizes, how to type live in presentation mode, and various interesting data visualisation methods.

Other useful tools & presentation software

• PDFElement  – This PDF creator and editor allows you to do many things you can’t normally do with PDFs, such as edit and annotate PDFs quickly, create and convert PDFs from/to other file formats (such as Word and PPT), fill forms and sign contracts easily, and use OCR to transform scanned PDFs into editable text.
• Visme  – This online platform is incredibly easy to use and allows you to craft engaging presentations, infographics and other visual content with just a few clicks of the mouse.

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Best Free PowerPoint Resources & Tutorials

PowerPoint is an essential tool in almost all professional contexts, allowing users to create informative and memorable presentations for diverse purposes. Whether you're a seasoned professional looking to improve your skills or a beginner eager to learn, there are numerous free resources and comprehensive training courses available to aid in your PowerPoint journey.

Key Insights

• Microsoft PowerPoint is the most widely used presentation software across professional industries, used to create visually engaging and easy-to-understand presentations.
• PowerPoint is not just for presentations; it's also an excellent tool for organizing complex information, preparing sales pitches, and compiling workplace policies.
• Free tutorials and resources are available through Noble Desktop, Udemy, Coursera, and Microsoft, which are perfect for beginners wanting to grasp the basics of PowerPoint.
• Noble Desktop offers many free articles, seminars, and training resources at their Learn PowerPoint hub, making it an excellent resource for those wanting to get comfortable with the software.
• For comprehensive, hands-on training, consider enrolling in Noble Desktop's PowerPoint Bootcamp or PowerPoint Presentation Design course, which provide students with advanced skills training and design principles.
• Before purchasing PowerPoint, check with learning institutions, community centers, or workplaces for potential free licenses of Microsoft Office .

Many professionals are eager to learn PowerPoint but hesitate because of the perceived up-front costs. While users will need to acquire PowerPoint, which will cost them under ten dollars a month if they can’t find a free institutional license, there isn’t any other significant cost to learning PowerPoint outside of training costs. However, many free resources are available to help beginners get the hang of this exciting program. 

Read on to learn more about the different free resources and tutorials available to help you learn PowerPoint. 

What is PowerPoint?

Microsoft PowerPoint is the most commonly used presentation software across almost all professional industries. PowerPoint is one of the most important parts of Microsoft’s Office 365 programs, alongside Word and Excel . PowerPoint lets users easily create vibrant and memorable presentations that quickly communicate meaning in a professional setting. Users can add animations, transitions, graphics, and other imagery to their slides, ensuring they produce both communicative and impressive presentations for their audience.

PowerPoint is a slideshow editing tool built to give users the tools they need to organize information, communicate effectively, and produce presentations to deliver through live address or without a presenter. PowerPoint makes the job easier and more efficient, whether you manage important information in advance of a meeting, prepare a sales pitch to a potential client, or compile important workplace policies and procedures in a single place. This versatility has made PowerPoint an industry-standard tool in almost all professional contexts.

Read more about what PowerPoint is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with PowerPoint?

PowerPoint allows users to create vibrant and memorable visual presentations that can serve a wide variety of purposes. PowerPoint’s advanced features let users integrate dynamic animations and 3D modeled graphics into their designs, allowing them to create more complex presentations than simple text projected onto a screen. Whether you are attempting to keep an audience engaged during a critical seminar or make a sales pitch as memorable as possible, PowerPoint gives you the tools to wow your audience.

Some users will use PowerPoint to create informative slideshows that condense complicated information into a single, easy-to-digest presentation. This makes the program ideal for both instructors and professionals looking to host informational seminars regularly. In fact, many online classes you take will use PowerPoint to provide students with the main takeaways from a lecture. Some users, who need to persuade audiences, such as entrepreneurs meeting with potential investors, will use PowerPoint to create memorable and persuasive presentations that convince their audience to invest in their product.

Free Tutorials

For students who aren’t ready to enroll in a PowerPoint bootcamp or who just want to learn the basics of the program, free introductory resources may be an ideal place to start. Noble Desktop provides students with a free PowerPoint Presentation Design seminar in which students will learn the basic theories of design that go into creating evocative and memorable presentations. No one wants their presentations to bore audiences, and this seminar is designed to ensure that students have the skills required to keep audiences engaged.

Other service providers, such as Udemy and Coursera, offer additional free introductory courses teaching students how to use PowerPoint to design presentations. These courses won’t provide comprehensive skills training, but they are ideal places to start learning the basics of PowerPoint. In addition, Microsoft offers students with free training tutorials on subjects ranging from PowerPoint templates to using 3D models in a presentation.

Free Resources

Noble Desktop offers students many free articles, seminars, and training resources at their Learn PowerPoint hub. These articles will guide students through their options for learning PowerPoint, including links to free seminars and tutorials. This is an excellent resource for new learners who want to become comfortable with PowerPoint before considering more advanced training.

Microsoft also offers students free tutorials and templates for learning PowerPoint. These tutorials will teach students the basics of the program and give them tools to ease into the program's more advanced features. They also offer new users a free trial of the Microsoft Office suite of programs.

New PowerPoint users should also check in with any learning or business institution they have connections with to see if they can receive free copies of Microsoft Office. Many community centers, schools, libraries, and offices will provide patrons or employees with free licenses for many commonly used programs.

Learn PowerPoint with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Professionals looking to learn PowerPoint may consider skills development training through Noble Desktop. These courses, available in person at Noble’s Manhattan campus and through live online instruction, will give students hands-on training in designing and organizing information using PowerPoint. These courses, which expert instructors teach, will provide students with the experience needed to build evocative and memorable presentations. Even in online courses, class sizes are kept small, so students can interface directly with their instructor to receive assistance and feedback. Plus, Noble offers free retakes on all its courses, giving students more opportunities to practice building presentations in a professional environment.

Noble offers a PowerPoint Bootcamp , which teaches students, even those without prior PowerPoint experience, how to design compelling and evocative presentations. In this certificate-granting program, students will learn how to work with PowerPoint layouts, add animations and graphics, and work with layers, charts, graphs, and other objects. Then, students will receive advanced skills training, such as creating reusable PowerPoint templates, utilizing multimedia features in a presentation, and recording a presentation for later use. These skills will take students from novices to PowerPoint experts and prepare them to use the program professionally.

Since PowerPoint is a design program, Noble also offers students a PowerPoint Presentation Design course . This class focuses on the rhetorical and theoretical side of communicating through PowerPoint. In this class, students will learn design principles related to color, typography, graphic images, and other visual design elements. Whereas a bootcamp course teaches students how to use the tool to build presentations, this course will teach students how to design them, giving them the composition and design theories they need to make their presentations memorable and effective.

• Once students have acquired a copy of PowerPoint, they may wish to take advantage of free training resources before enrolling in further PowerPoint training courses.
• Students can take advantage of free video tutorials through service providers such as Noble Desktop or Microsoft.
• Students should also consider looking into free trial options for Microsoft Office or inquiring with local institutions to try and reduce the cost of licensing the program.
• Once students have taken advantage of these free resources, they should consider exploring their options for comprehensive PowerPoint training made in-person and live online with Noble Desktop.

How to Learn PowerPoint

Master PowerPoint with hands-on training. PowerPoint is a popular Microsoft Office application for designing and delivering slideshow presentations.

• PowerPoint Bootcamp at Noble Desktop : live, instructor-led course available in NYC or live online
• Find PowerPoint Classes Near You : Search & compare dozens of available courses in-person
• Attend a  PowerPoint class live online  (remote/virtual training) from anywhere
• Find & compare the  best online PowerPoint classes (on-demand)  from the top providers and platforms
• Train your staff with  corporate and onsite PowerPoint training

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How to make the best Powerpoint presentation + real examples!

July 1, 2023

Ever sat through a PowerPoint presentation and thought, "Wow, that was mind-blowing"? Yeah, us either. But, let's face it, we've all been there—either on the giving or receiving end of a less-than-stellar presentation. It's high time we changed that narrative. Creating your best PowerPoint presentation isn't just about throwing together a bunch of slides – it's an art. It’s about telling a story that captivates, informs, and even entertains your audience. 

A new age is upon us, and it’s time to explore the ins and outs of what makes a PowerPoint presentation not just good, but great. From nailing your content and story flow to the nuances of design and delivery, we've got you covered. So, whether you're gearing up for that crucial sales pitch or prepping for an all-important investor meeting, buckle up! Your presentation skills are about to go from mundane to magnificent.

Your Presentation Should Tell a Story

When it comes to creating a killer PowerPoint presentation, it all starts with the story. You heard that right! Not the fancy animations or the snazzy graphics (though they do have their place), but the story. It’s the backbone, the foundation, the heartbeat of your presentation.

Think about how you feel when you watch your favorite TV show or read a book you can’t put down. Good storytelling takes us to another place, where the rest of the world slips away and the story steps into the forefront. Great presentations can do the same thing if the presenter can harness the power of storytelling. 

There are also plenty of science-backed reasons to prioritize good storytelling. One article by Lani Peterson for Harvard Business Corporate Learning says, “Scientists are discovering that chemicals like cortisol and dopamine are released in the brain when we’re told a story. Why does that matter? If we are trying to make a point stick, cortisol assists with our formulating memories. Dopamine, which helps regulate our emotional responses, keeps us engaged.“ More engagement; more impactful presentations.

So, how do you nail down a storytelling strategy that sticks? Let’s break it down.

Craft Your Narrative

First, identify your core message. What’s the one thing you want your audience to remember when they walk out of the room? This is your North Star, guiding every aspect of your presentation. If you’re having trouble with this step, ask yourself, “Why am I giving this presentation?”

Understand Your Audience

Who is your audience? Tailor your story to resonate with them. Are they tech-savvy millennials or industry veterans? Your story should speak their language. Presentations that skip this step will miss out on a crucial opportunity to connect with the audience. And if you can’t connect with them, then what’s the point? One solution is to focus on understanding the needs, challenges, and aspirations of your audience. That way, you’ll be able to address their specific pain points and interests.

Create a Structured Flow

Like any good story, your presentation needs a beginning, middle, and end. Start with an introduction that hooks, follow with content that informs and engages, and conclude with a memorable takeaway. If you need ideas on how to start your presentation, see this guide with 12 ideas for hooking your audience from the very start .

Find Inspiration

Look to the pros! Ever read an article by Andy Raskin or April Dunford ? These folks know their stuff when it comes to strategic narratives. Dive into their work for some inspiration on how to weave a compelling story in your presentation. Just like we’ve all been through our fair share of boring presentations, most likely you’ve experienced a presentation that left an impression. Ask yourself why it was so impactful–you might be able to draw from their expertise!

Change the Narrative

Say you’re working on a sales deck. Instead of going with the typical problem-solution story structure, Andy Raskin has a different take on it:

Start with a big, relevant shift in the world. “We are living in a new era” type of statement. This will grab the attention, but also create some urgency for the prospect.

Then you move on to show that there will be winners and losers in this new era. The ones who act on this shift will have more probability of winning. In other words, “what I am about to offer you is crucial for winning in this new era.”

Now that you have set the stage, you can “tease the promise land” as Andy calls it. This is not where you show your product features. This is simply a teaser about this new future state and what to expect if you react to this shift in the market.

Then, you highlight the “Old world vs New world” to show the contrast, and how old methods do not work in this new era.

And finally, you provide real-life stories to support your claims. These could client case studies, article snippets, industry updates - anything that adds credibility to everything you just said.

Voilà, you’ve got yourself a story arc! This is a simple and straightforward way to craft a story that connects.

Nail Your Story First

Remember, at the end of the day, your presentation is more than just a collection of slides, but rather a vessel for storytelling. It’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. A well-crafted story can transform your presentation from a mere transfer of information to an impactful, memorable experience. So, take the time to nail your story, and you’re already halfway to creating your best PowerPoint presentation. Your audience will thank you!

Embracing Professional Design for Impactful Presentations

When you've nailed your narrative, the next crucial step in crafting your best PowerPoint presentation is design. This stage is where your story gets visually translated, elevating it from a mere script to an engaging, compelling experience.

The Role of a Presentation Agency

Not everyone possesses an innate talent for design, and that's perfectly fine. This is where a presentation design agency can become an invaluable asset. These presentation experts act as the alchemists of your PowerPoint, transforming basic slides into visually stunning and strategically aligned pieces of art. However, be selective when you choose who to work with. There is a big difference between a "meh" designer vs a “wow” designer when it comes to preparing well-crafted presentations.

Simplifying Complexity

One of the critical talents of a presentation design agency is their ability to distill complex concepts into simple, digestible visuals. An overcrowded slide can quickly lose your audience's attention, but a well-designed one can convey your message succinctly and effectively. Not only that, presentation experts can remove the complexity of creating great slides by designing the best presentation templates for your needs, making the process easier for you in the end.

"We have been using SLIDES™ services for our corporate PowerPoint template, and the PPT template is so well done and easy to use that we all feel like we now have PowerPoint superpowers creating new presentations in no time with stunning look!"

Jérôme neuvéglise, product owner qoqa, creating visual harmony.

Consistency in your presentation’s visual elements - such as color schemes, typography, and imagery - is essential. A presentation design agency ensures that these elements work in harmony, creating a unified and professional look that enhances your overall narrative. The best presentation layouts are those created by experts who know how to make your brand stand out.

Visualizing Ideas Effectively

Presentation agencies excel in translating your ideas into impactful visuals. They ensure that your graphics, charts, and images aren't just visually appealing but also contribute significantly to the telling of your story. After all, why spend so much time honing your story if your visuals fall flat?

When to Opt for Professional Presentation Design

We know that deciding to outsource is a tough call, and you want to make sure your resources are well spent. Here are a few things to consider before seeking out help from a presentation agency:

High-Stakes Presentations

For presentations that can have a significant impact on your business - such as those in sales, partnerships, or investment pitches - professional design isn't just a luxury, but a necessity. These are the scenarios where the expertise of a presentation design agency can make a substantial difference. 

Stripe’s CEO Patrick Collison said in a recent podcast:

 “My intuition is that more of Stripe's success than one would think is down to the fact that people like beautiful things and for rational reasons. Because, what does a beautiful thing tell you? It tells you the person who made it really cared, and you can observe some superficial details, but probably they didn’t only care about those and did everything else in a slapdash way. So, if you care about the infrastructure being holistically good, indexing on the superficial characteristics is not an irrational thing to do.“

Oftentimes in presentations, we ignore how we are making people feel with our slides. Think about this quote next time you’re preparing your slides.

Overcoming Skill and Time Constraints

If you're not well-versed in design or if time constraints are tight, opting for professional help is a wise decision. This not only ensures quality but also frees you up to concentrate on refining and rehearsing your presentation. This guide shows 18 of the most common presentation mistakes people make, and gives tips on how to avoid them.

In essence, professional design is about giving your presentation the visual edge it needs to not just capture but also maintain your audience's attention. By considering the services of a presentation design agency, you're ensuring that your presentation is not just seen, but also remembered and appreciated.

Mastering the Art of Delivery

Alright, you’ve got a gripping story and a set of stunning slides. But wait! There’s still a crucial piece of the puzzle left – your delivery. This is where the rubber meets the road. Remember, no matter how dazzling your slides are, they can’t rescue a lackluster delivery. 

More Than Just Slides

First things first, let’s get one thing straight: people aren’t just buying into your PowerPoint. They’re buying into you – your ideas, your enthusiasm, your conviction. Your slides are merely a tool to complement your narrative, not the other way around. Your slides are never the star of the show. It's you. It sure is harder to improve your delivery compared to your slides. But it will be the best investment of your life.

The Human Connection

At its core, a great presentation is about making a connection with your audience. It’s about storytelling, not just through words on a slide, but through the way you present them. Your tone, your body language, your ability to engage – all these elements combine to create a compelling delivery.

Know Your Story Inside Out

Your first step should be to know your story like the back of your hand. This doesn’t mean memorizing your script word for word but being familiar enough with your content to speak confidently and fluidly about it.

Rehearse, Then Rehearse Some More

Practice might not always make perfect, but it sure does make confidence. Rehearse your presentation multiple times. This will help you iron out any kinks in your delivery and help you manage those pesky nerves.

When our founder Damon gave his first keynote presentation, he experienced some technical issues that would throw off any professional speaker. But since he had rehearsed his speech so well, he knew it inside out. And he could handle the mishap with calm, make some jokes about it, and then get back to his talk when the tech decided to work again.

Engage With Your Audience

Remember, a presentation is a two-way street. Engage with your audience, ask questions, and encourage participation. This interaction makes your presentation more memorable and impactful. The former product manager at Netflix , Gibson Biddle, shared this great example:

“In a virtual setting you need to double-down on engagement tactics. Today, I use Google Slides plus Slido to do real-time polling, word clouds and to answer questions. It makes the experience incredibly interactive to the extent that I now have an equal NPS for virtual and in-person presentations.”

Body Language Matters

Your body language speaks volumes. Maintain eye contact, use gestures to emphasize points, and move around if possible. This non-verbal communication can significantly enhance the impact of your delivery.

In today’s increasingly digital world, we also have to think about virtual presentations and how to put our best foot forward through a screen. An awkward camera angle or a weird background can be a distraction to your audience, so shift your focus to a flattering camera angle, solid camera quality, and a neutral background. 

Authenticity is Key

Be yourself. Your audience can tell when you’re putting on a façade. Authenticity breeds trust and connection, which in turn makes your message more persuasive.

Investing in Yourself

Finally, investing in your delivery skills is investing in yourself. Whether it’s through public speaking courses, professional coaching, or simply seeking feedback from peers, improving your delivery skills is invaluable. Remember, a great delivery can elevate a good presentation to a great one. So, give your delivery the attention it deserves, and watch as you transform from a presenter to a storyteller, captivating your audience one slide at a time.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it – the roadmap to creating a PowerPoint presentation that’s not just good, but outstanding. It all starts with crafting a compelling story, enhanced by visually striking and well-thought-out design, and brought to life through engaging and authentic delivery. Remember, your best PowerPoint presentation will feel like more than just a collection of slides to your audience. This is a powerful storytelling tool, and you are the storyteller.

The key takeaway? Invest time and effort into each aspect of your presentation. Understand your narrative, collaborate with design professionals if needed, and hone your delivery skills. It’s this combination of content, design, and delivery that transforms a standard presentation into an unforgettable experience.

In the end, what sets a great PowerPoint presentation apart is the ability to not just share information but to tell a story that resonates, inspires, and persuades. Whether you’re pitching to potential clients, investors, or sharing insights with your team, remember that the most impactful presentations are those that connect with the audience on a deeper level. So go ahead, create, deliver, and captivate.

Your audience is waiting.

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Making better powerpoint presentations.

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Baddeley and Hitch’s model of working memory.

Research about student preferences for powerpoint, resources for making better powerpoint presentations, bibliography.

We have all experienced the pain of a bad PowerPoint presentation. And even though we promise ourselves never to make the same mistakes, we can still fall prey to common design pitfalls.  The good news is that your PowerPoint presentation doesn’t have to be ordinary. By keeping in mind a few guidelines, your classroom presentations can stand above the crowd!

“It is easy to dismiss design – to relegate it to mere ornament, the prettifying of places and objects to disguise their banality. But that is a serious misunderstanding of what design is and why it matters.” Daniel Pink

One framework that can be useful when making design decisions about your PowerPoint slide design is Baddeley and Hitch’s model of working memory .

As illustrated in the diagram above, the Central Executive coordinates the work of three systems by organizing the information we hear, see, and store into working memory.

The Phonological Loop deals with any auditory information. Students in a classroom are potentially listening to a variety of things: the instructor, questions from their peers, sound effects or audio from the PowerPoint presentation, and their own “inner voice.”

The Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad deals with information we see. This involves such aspects as form, color, size, space between objects, and their movement. For students this would include: the size and color of fonts, the relationship between images and text on the screen, the motion path of text animation and slide transitions, as well as any hand gestures, facial expressions, or classroom demonstrations made by the instructor.

The Episodic Buffer integrates the information across these sensory domains and communicates with long-term memory. All of these elements are being deposited into a holding tank called the “episodic buffer.” This buffer has a limited capacity and can become “overloaded” thereby, setting limits on how much information students can take in at once.

Laura Edelman and Kathleen Harring from Muhlenberg College , Allentown, Pennsylvania have developed an approach to PowerPoint design using Baddeley and Hitch’s model. During the course of their work, they conducted a survey of students at the college asking what they liked and didn’t like about their professor’s PowerPoint presentations. They discovered the following:

Characteristics students don’t like about professors’ PowerPoint slides

• Too many words on a slide
• Movement (slide transitions or word animations)
• Templates with too many colors

Characteristics students like like about professors’ PowerPoint slides

• Graphs increase understanding of content
• Bulleted lists help them organize ideas
• PowerPoint can help to structure lectures
• Verbal explanations of pictures/graphs help more than written clarifications

According to Edelman and Harring, some conclusions from the research at Muhlenberg are that students learn more when:

• material is presented in short phrases rather than full paragraphs.
• the professor talks about the information on the slide rather than having students read it on their own.
• relevant pictures are used. Irrelevant pictures decrease learning compared to PowerPoint slides with no picture
• they take notes (if the professor is not talking). But if the professor is lecturing, note-taking and listening decreased learning.
• they are given the PowerPoint slides before the class.

Advice from Edelman and Harring on leveraging the working memory with PowerPoint:

• Leverage the working memory by dividing the information between the visual and auditory modality.  Doing this reduces the likelihood of one system becoming overloaded. For instance, spoken words with pictures are better than pictures with text, as integrating an image and narration takes less cognitive effort than integrating an image and text.
• Minimize the opportunity for distraction by removing any irrelevant material such as music, sound effects, animations, and background images.
• Use simple cues to direct learners to important points or content. Using text size, bolding, italics, or placing content in a highlighted or shaded text box is all that is required to convey the significance of key ideas in your presentation.
• Don’t put every word you intend to speak on your PowerPoint slide. Instead, keep information displayed in short chunks that are easily read and comprehended.
• One of the mostly widely accessed websites about PowerPoint design is Garr Reynolds’ blog, Presentation Zen . In his blog entry:  “ What is Good PowerPoint Design? ” Reynolds explains how to keep the slide design simple, yet not simplistic, and includes a few slide examples that he has ‘made-over’ to demonstrate how to improve its readability and effectiveness. He also includes sample slides from his own presentation about PowerPoint slide design.
• Another presentation guru, David Paradi, author of “ The Visual Slide Revolution: Transforming Overloaded Text Slides into Persuasive Presentations ” maintains a video podcast series called “ Think Outside the Slide ” where he also demonstrates PowerPoint slide makeovers. Examples on this site are typically from the corporate perspective, but the process by which content decisions are made is still relevant for higher education. Paradi has also developed a five step method, called KWICK , that can be used as a simple guide when designing PowerPoint presentations.
• In the video clip below, Comedian Don McMillan talks about some of the common misuses of PowerPoint in his routine called “Life After Death by PowerPoint.”

• This article from The Chronicle of Higher Education highlights a blog moderated by Microsoft’s Doug Thomas that compiles practical PowerPoint advice gathered from presentation masters like Seth Godin , Guy Kawasaki , and Garr Reynolds .

Presenting to Win: The Art of Telling Your Story , by Jerry Weissman, Prentice Hall, 2006

Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery , by Garr Reynolds, New Riders Press, 2008

Solving the PowerPoint Predicament: using digital media for effective communication , by Tom Bunzel , Que, 2006

The Cognitive Style of Power Point , by Edward R. Tufte, Graphics Pr, 2003

The Visual Slide Revolution: Transforming Overloaded Text Slides into Persuasive Presentations , by Dave Paradi, Communications Skills Press, 2000

Why Most PowerPoint Presentations Suck: And How You Can Make Them Better , by Rick Altman, Harvest Books, 2007

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How to Learn PowerPoint: Boost Your Presentation Skills With These Online Courses

PowerPoint was first created by the software company Forethought. Microsoft then acquired PowerPoint for $14 million. Interestingly, PowerPoint was originally created for macOS as a way to design overhead transparencies. 

The first recognizable form of PowerPoint was designed to be used for graphics and visual presentations. However, today the possible applications of the program are much greater.

Find your bootcamp match

What is powerpoint.

PowerPoint is a program used by individuals and businesses to create presentations. In it, users can create slides featuring charts, images, and text. Together, these slides can convey a complete idea and provide the viewer with new information.

What Is PowerPoint Used For?

PowerPoint is used to create thoughtful presentations and has many tools and features to help the user achieve this goal. Below are some of the primary uses of the software.

• Present data. In PowerPoint, you can present information using text, diagrams, images, shapes, and transitional effects. This data is usually in the form of a series of slides.
• Edit pictures. You don’t have to use a third-party software to edit your pictures. Just head over to the picture editing tool in PowerPoint to make necessary changes.
• Collaborate. When working as part of a team, use the collaboration feature on PowerPoint to design slides simultaneously with your teammates. This will help streamline the process and save time. 
• Create a digital portfolio. PowerPoint can also be a cool way to present your portfolio of work. Once you have included the relevant graphics and images, you can publish your portfolio online at slideonline.com.
• Create a slideshow. When entering the main office building of a company or organization, you will sometimes see a photo slideshow providing information about the company. PowerPoint is great for creating these basic slideshows.
• Add audio/video files. If your presentation includes audio or video files, you can easily insert them into your slides. You can also create transitions so the slides change according to the audio.

Types of PowerPoint Slides

PowerPoint slides can be split into three main parts. Choosing the parts helps define the purpose of each slide.

Title Slides

The title slide is the first slide you will see in a presentation. It contains a title box, where you can write the name of your project, and a smaller box on the bottom where you can write the name of the presenter. Title slides only appear at the beginning of a presentation. You can also add a date or subtitle to the slide.

Standard Slides

Standard slides make up the meat of the presentation. Most of your slides will follow the standard format, which includes a title and body text to elaborate on the topic you are going to cover in that slide. You can also add images and graphics.

Miscellaneous Slides

These slides can be in the form of a table of contents, two-column comparisons, a video or audio clip, or a mixture of text, video, and other features. You can scroll through a whole library of miscellaneous slide layouts to choose the ones that fit your needs.

Learning PowerPoint

Learning PowerPoint is an exciting process. Whether you are planning a presentation for school, college, or work, PowerPoint is a great Microsoft Office tool.

Luckily, to learn PowerPoint, you don’t need to enroll in a formal college course. Taking short online or in-person PowerPoint courses will suffice. You can even learn this skill by watching a few hours of YouTube tutorials. 

How Long Does It Take to Learn PowerPoint?

If you are a beginner, it can take between three and four hours to learn the basics of PowerPoint. Then, you’ll be ready to create engaging presentations. 

How to Learn PowerPoint Presentations: Step-by-Step

This step-by-step guide will help you begin your journey toward mastering PowerPoint. 

• Purchase PowerPoint. The first step in learning PowerPoint is to download the program. You can either purchase it as part of the Microsoft 365 package if you want to learn Microsoft Office or purchase Microsoft PowerPoint as an individual program. 
• Choose a design. Once you download the program, open it to create your first presentation. Go to the design tab on top of the application and select from the provided themes.
• Create slides. Now you can start creating slides. Practice with title, standard and miscellaneous slides to get an understanding of how the program works.
• Add charts, images, and graphs . Go to the insert tab if you want to add photos, clip art, shapes, or charts. You can also apply animations to your graphics using the animations tab next to the design tab. 
• Save your file. After you are happy with what you have created, save your file as a .pptx file.
• Present. To review or present your slides, click on the slide show button at the top and select “from beginning” or “from current slide.” Alternatively, you can also click on the slide show icon on the left of the zoom bar in the bottom left corner of the screen.

The Best PowerPoint Courses and Training

Here are some of the best PowerPoint courses to help you get an overview of how the program works. Through these courses, you will gain a thorough understanding of PowerPoint.

Best Online PowerPoint Classes

Below are some online PowerPoint classes that you can enroll in at any time.

• Course: Effective Business Presentations with Powerpoint
• Where : Online
• Time : 11 hours
• Prerequisites : PowerPoint software
• Price : $39 to 79 per month

This course will teach you how to structure the information in your PowerPoint presentation. You will learn the principles of design behind effective visuals. It also includes hands-on exercises where you will be asked to create a presentation based on information provided about a client and a business problem.

• Course: Microsoft PowerPoint – PowerPoint from Beginner to Advanced
• Time : 13 hours
• Price : $116

This course will give you a complete overview of Microsoft PowerPoint from beginner to advanced concepts. You will learn tips that will help you create slides using shortcuts. Advanced animations, speaker notes, and image modifications are also covered in the course. Students will also learn how to record narrations, and how to record the presentation on your screen.

• Course: Ultimate Guide to Microsoft PowerPoint for All Levels
• Time : 6 hours
• Prerequisites : PowerPoint 2007 or later

This course will provide you with all the information you need to start making your own presentations. Students will learn how to design themes and styles for their slideshow. The class also teaches how to use a quick access toolbar and keyboard shortcuts. Transitions, animations, and video upload processes are also covered in this course.

Best Free PowerPoint Courses

Below are some of the best free PowerPoint courses offered online.

• Course: Powerpoint Presentation – design PowerPoint slides
• Time : 1 hour
• Price : Free

This quick and effective course will teach you how to create quality presentations. You will learn useful tips and tricks to organize your content into compelling slides.

• Course: PowerPoint
• Time : Self-paced
• Prerequisites : None

These free courses on LinkedIn are great for learning PowerPoint at the beginner or intermediate level. You will learn how to design engaging presentations and how to add and edit images. This series of courses will also teach you how to apply shortcuts and advanced techniques to make your work exceptional.

• Course: Microsoft PowerPoint 2010
• Time : 4-5 hours

This free online course will guide you through the features and tools of PowerPoint. You will learn how to create strong presentations using techniques such as chart customization, adding text to images, and keyboard shortcuts.

Bright Carbon

• Course: PowerPoint training
• Time : 4 weeks

This course will help you focus on visuals. For example, you will learn how to replace bullet points with visuals. This four-week course features tutorials that will help you make your presentations more visual. You will learn how to format shapes and use advanced animation techniques.

Best PowerPoint Books

The PowerPoint program has many unique features. Below, you will find a variety of books that will help you learn everything from beginner to advanced techniques.

Office 365 All-in-One For Dummies , Peter Weverka and Timothy L. Warner

This handbook offers tools and features to enhance your productivity while using PowerPoint. It will help you learn how to navigate through the program and make the most out of its features.

In addition to PowerPoint, this book also covers Microsoft Word and Excel. As an individual or a business owner, this can come in handy for all your Microsoft Office suite needs.

PowerPoint Basics In 30 Minutes , Angela Rose

"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"

Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot

This short guide will teach you all the basics of building a presentation. You will learn how to work with pre-made PowerPoint templates, and how to create custom layouts, fonts, and designs to fit your personal or corporate image.

In this book, you can also learn how to create animations, shapes, graphs, and smart art. As an added bonus, it also covers PowerPoint’s collaborative features and proofreading tools for peer review.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 Step by Step , Joan Lambert 

This guide is designed to help you practice the newer features of PowerPoint. This book covers content creation for both online and print presentations. Using the tips in the book, you will be able to incorporate professional design elements into your presentations. 

Furthermore, it also covers how to add video and audio elements to your slides. Diagrams, tables, smart art, and charts are essential in creating appealing presentations. This book covers all the important elements in a step-by-step guide.

Best PowerPoint Certifications

Getting certified will validate your expertise in a certain field. Below is a PowerPoint certification that will help you get hired.

Microsoft Office Specialist: PowerPoint Associate

This certification from Microsoft certifies your proficiency in PowerPoint. It demonstrates that you know how to use the software to create, edit, and produce presentations.  

To be eligible for this certificate, you must have at least 150 hours of hands-on experience with the program. In addition, you should be able to complete the required tasks independently and demonstrate the correct application of PowerPoint’s tools and features.

Best Online PowerPoint Resources

Many websites and organizations provide free and paid online resources on PowerPoint. Below are some of our top picks.

Specky boy offers some of the best PowerPoint tutorials, ranging from beginner to advanced levels. They cover concepts such as animation, funnel diagrams, and decision trees.

Other tutorials cover more unique functions, such as how to create a puzzle diagram or a poster in PowerPoint.

Besides offering a library of images, pictures, and animations, Envato also has useful advice on a variety of tech topics. This beginner’s guide to PowerPoint will help you get started. The guide includes a free ebook covering all aspects of PowerPoint.

In the guide, you will learn how to use PowerPoint ribbons, and other tips to make your presentations stand out.

HubSpot is one of the best tech resources around. In this PowerPoint guide, you can find creative ways to make your presentations unique. Don’t follow the norm. Instead, bring an edge to your work by showing your own innovative style. 

The website also offers access to three free templates that you can work with. 

Should You Study PowerPoint?

Knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 is an essential skill. According to a study on the use and evaluation of presentation software , Microsoft PowerPoint was considered the market leader among all presentation programs.

Many jobs require PowerPoint skills . Some of these include graphic designers, executive assistants, marketing assistants, teachers, and office managers. Even entrepreneurs use PowerPoint to pitch their ideas and proposals.

So, studying PowerPoint is a simple way to make your office skill set more well rounded. Choose one of the courses or resources above and get started presenting.

About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication .

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Learn Essential Powerpoint Skills

The PowerPoint courses listed enhance skills in presentation design, effective communication, and professional slide creation, targeting enhancement in business presentations and educational lectures. Explore modules from beginner to advanced, mastering Microsoft PowerPoint capabilities.

The language used throughout the course, in both instruction and assessments.

Choose the Powerpoint Course That Aligns Best With Your Educational Goals

Coursera Project Network

Designing and Formatting a Presentation in PowerPoint

Skills you'll gain : Business Communication, Graphic Design

(169 reviews)

Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

Getting Started with Microsoft PowerPoint

Skills you'll gain : Microsoft Excel

(147 reviews)

How To Visualize Your Data Using Microsoft Powerpoint

Skills you'll gain : Data Visualization, Microsoft Excel

(124 reviews)

Learn and design an attractive PowerPoint presentation

Skills you'll gain : Business Design

(91 reviews)

Work Smarter with Microsoft PowerPoint

Skills you'll gain : Communication, Computer Graphic Techniques, Interactive Data Visualization, Visual Design, Visualization (Computer Graphics), Business Communication, Data Visualization, Product Design, Statistical Visualization, User Experience, Computer Graphics, Graphic Design, Microsoft Excel

(620 reviews)

Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

Effective Business Presentations with Powerpoint

Skills you'll gain : Business Communication, Communication, Storytelling, Data Visualization, Interactive Data Visualization, Visual Design, Critical Thinking, Planning, Professional Development, Statistical Visualization

(1.1K reviews)

Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

Microsoft 365 Fundamentals

Skills you'll gain : Visual Design, Communication, Microsoft Excel, Data Visualization, Interactive Data Visualization, Spreadsheet Software, Computer Graphics, Critical Thinking, Data Analysis, Visualization (Computer Graphics), Business Communication, Collaboration, Data Model, User Experience, Computer Graphic Techniques, Research and Design, Statistical Visualization, User Experience Design, Writing, Data Analysis Software, Graphic Design, Operational Analysis, Databases, Product Design, Leadership and Management

(3.4K reviews)

Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

Create Informative Presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint

Skills you'll gain : Communication, Data Visualization

(27 reviews)

Intermediate · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

Using Animations and Transitions in Microsoft PowerPoint

(7 reviews)

Use Animations and Transitions in PowerPoint 365

Skills you'll gain : Business Communication, Communication, Graphic Design

(29 reviews)

Building Digital Media using Graphic Design in PowerPoint

Skills you'll gain : Graphic Design, Marketing

(51 reviews)

Data Visualization in Microsoft PowerPoint

Skills you'll gain : Data Visualization, Data Visualization Software, Interactive Data Visualization

(20 reviews)

Searches related to powerpoint

In summary, here are 10 of our most popular powerpoint courses.

• Designing and Formatting a Presentation in PowerPoint :   Coursera Project Network
• Getting Started with Microsoft PowerPoint :   Coursera Project Network
• How To Visualize Your Data Using Microsoft Powerpoint :   Coursera Project Network
• Learn and design an attractive PowerPoint presentation :   Coursera Project Network
• Work Smarter with Microsoft PowerPoint :   Microsoft
• Effective Business Presentations with Powerpoint :   PwC
• Microsoft 365 Fundamentals :   Microsoft
• Create Informative Presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint :   Coursera Project Network
• Using Animations and Transitions in Microsoft PowerPoint :   Coursera Project Network
• Use Animations and Transitions in PowerPoint 365 :   Coursera Project Network

Frequently Asked Questions about Powerpoint

What is microsoft powerpoint and why is it important to learn ‎.

Microsoft PowerPoint, part of the Microsoft Office software suite, is the most important slide presentation program to master. In business and other fields, good presentation design is critical for the effective communication of ideas with clarity and maximum impact. By combining text, graphics, and multimedia content, this powerful software tool helps you to convey information, report findings, and answer questions in a compelling way.

Eye-catching graphic design, attractive typography, and rich multimedia content are all important capabilities to learn. Moreover,, to meet the demand for smarter decision-making inputs in today’s age of big data, then you need to master data analysis and be able to visually present it. Incorporating charts and other data visualization tools from Microsoft Excel into your PowerPoint presentations can bring your client-facing communication to the next level. ‎

What careers can benefit from learning Powerpoint skills? ‎

Anyone who needs to present data to others in an engaging way will benefit from PowerPoint skills. Whether you are a software developer presenting an application, an environmentalist teaching conservation, or a hospital manager outlining pandemic protocols, you will be using presentations to deliver your message with confident professionalism.

One occupation that uses presentations extensively is management analysts. Known also as management consultants, these experts of efficiency uncover the areas of a business that are neglected, overvalued, or mismanaged and provide detailed solutions on what needs to be done for positive, profitable change. Although an entry-level position only requires a bachelor’s degree, it is often preferable to have a master’s degree in business administration (MBA).

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , management analysts make a median salary of $85,260 per year, and with a job outlook of 14% over the next decade, it is one of the fastest growing fields in business. ‎

Can I learn Powerpoint skills on Coursera? ‎

Yes. Whether you are looking to improve the look and flow of your presentations or take them to the next level by integrating data analysis, Coursera offers a variety of courses and Specializations on PowerPoint skills. These courses are offered by respected schools like the University of Colorado Boulder and companies like PwC - a leading management consulting firm.

And, with constructive feedback on your presentations and peer collaboration on capstone projects, you will have the opportunities to hone your PowerPoint skills with the same attention to detail as on-campus alternatives - but at a substantially lower cost. ‎

What skills or experience do I need to already have, before starting to learn PowerPoint? ‎

The skills or experience that you need to already have before starting to learn PowerPoint would likely include computer literacy, familiarity with Microsoft programs, a sense of creativity and design, and an interest in creating design-based presentations. As PowerPoint is the dominant presentation software available, many workplace professionals who have a need for online presentations already know about PowerPoint. This spreadsheet program is extremely useful for creating business presentations and laying out detailed plans in a creative, image-friendly manner. ‎

What kind of people are best suited for work that involves PowerPoint? ‎

The kind of people who are best suited for work that involves PowerPoint include creative marketing types and people who generally work well with images, words, and videos in connection with a presentation. If a person is creative, analytical, computer literate, and has a strong communications style, then this person has the right assets to do well with work that involves PowerPoint. Other kinds of people who are best suited for PowerPoint work may include teachers, students, business owners, and project managers. The simple fact is that with enough practice, anyone can learn PowerPoint, but people who have to create presentations using PowerPoint on a regular basis tend to get very good at this software application. ‎

How do I know if learning PowerPoint is right for me? ‎

If you are someone who enjoys creative work with computer programs, learning PowerPoint is likely a good fit for you. The ability to take a loose concept and some notes and turn it into a creative, image-packed PowerPoint presentation can give you a feeling of satisfaction that may be missing in other work. Since PowerPoint is used by many companies across many industries, understanding the fundamentals of PowerPoint and the rest of the Microsoft suite of products may also give you a career advantage that can make you more employable than your peers. ‎

What are the benefits of taking an online Powerpoint course? ‎

Online Powerpoint courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Powerpoint skills. Choose from a wide range of Powerpoint courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels. ‎

What Powerpoint courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce? ‎

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Powerpoint, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here . ‎

Other topics to explore

50 Best PowerPoint Presentations (2023 Update)

This is the most complete list of the best PowerPoint presentations on the Web. Period.

In fact, you’ll find 50 presentation slide decks on this page.

So whether you’re looking to…

✅ Learn how to create amazing presentations, step-by-step ✅ Understand the latest trends – about marketing, social media, AI and more – and grab actionable strategies to grow your business ✅ Discover the best pitch decks that have helped companies like Youtube or Airbnb raise hundred of millions of dollars…

You’ll really enjoy this list.

50 Best PowerPoint Presentations That Teach You Things

Here are the different categories in which the selected slide decks fall into:

Presentation Skills Copywriting & Sales Online Marketing Business Innovation Pitch Decks Productivity

Presentation Skills: Tips, Resources & Inspiration to Become a Real Pro

In this section, you will find a comprehensive selection of slide decks that will help you plan, structure and design irresistible presentations, step-by-step.

Let’s jump right in!

1. Quick & Dirty Tips for Better PowerPoint Presentations Faster

This deck will teach you 7 simple, effective tips to build presentations faster, from start to finish.

Now, if you’re not following any process when making your own presentations, make sure to check out tip #7 (it’s the one I personally use and if you stick to it, you’ll save a huge amount of time).

Quick & Dirty Tips for : Better PowerPoint Presentations Faster from Eugene Cheng

Quick side note : if you want to design gorgeous slides fast, you’d be crazy not to check out PPTPOP’s premium template pack. It’s a set of ready-to-use slides you can use right away to make your presentations look 10x better. See details here .

2. 8 Tips for an Awesome PowerPoint Presentation

In this deck, you’ll learn 8 simple effective slide design tips to make your presentations visually more appealing.

8 Tips for an Awesome Powerpoint Presentation from Damon Nofar

3. The Ultimate Freebies Guide for Presentations

Want to design more  creative presentations ? This deck will give you access to some of the best useful resources and tools to create better slide decks (icons, fonts, infographics and more).

The Ultimate Freebies Guide for Presentations  from Damon Nofar

4. Create Icons in PowerPoint

Icons are a great way to design presentations that are more appealing.

Wanna know the best part?

Designing your own icons.

This tutorial teaches you how to simply build your own, customized icons, step-by-step.

Create icons in PowerPoint from Presentitude

Pro Tip :  If you prefer using standard icons that ou can still customize, head over to this post where I’m sharing my favorite presentation graphics and shapes.

5. 10 Powerful Body Language Tips for Your Next Presentation

Public speaking is not only about making a corporate speech in front of your company’s board members once every six months.

In fact, we’re facing situations where we have persuade, inform, or motivate others all the time .

And guess what, each of those moments requires us to impact with our words, our voice and our posture.

So if you’ve been looking to learn how to speak with more confidence, the deck below will provide you 10 simple tips to grab – and keep – the attention of an audience (tips #1 and #5 are so simple and powerful that you’ll be glad you learnt them today).

10 Powerful Body Language Tips for your next Presentation from SOAP

6. The Art of Saying No: Kenny Nguyen at TEDxLSU

I got you…

This is not a presentation. But it’s a killer speak you must watch.

Kenny Nguyen, the CEO of Big Fish Presentations,  speaks about the power inherent in saying “no.” In this  TEDx,  he explains how “no” has affected him personally and professionally, but more importantly, how it can prepare one for the perfect time to say “yes”.

This speech will show you how to entertain an audience, grab their attention and tell powerful stories that stick.

The Art of Saying No  from Big Fish Presentations

Additional Resources

PPTPOP’s Best Templates

The Ultimate PPTPACK (35 editable, templates. FREE)

Powerful Presentation Tips (That Work FAST)

Creative Presentation Techniques You Can Use Now

How to Design Gorgeous Presentations When You Have No Time (And No Design Talent)

If you’re looking to crank out quality presentations without spending dozen of hours designing them or hiring an expensive designer, then you should consider investing in professional templates. Professional templates help busy people of all talent ranges create fantastic presentations at breakneck speed.

Top performers know that presentations can have a huge impact on their business. Because the truth is, when you start deliver top-tier business materials, you’re able to:

• Present clean slides that grab (and keep) people’s attention
• Confidently expressing ideas, concepts and messages with visual elements. Because, yes, you know that those who use visual aids are 43% more persuasive than those who don’t.
• Wow your prospects, get them to walk away knowing you’re the pros and eliminating other options.

Introducing Pre-Built Presentation Templates…

With pre-built templates , you get your hands on a massive stash of editable resources – slides, vector icons, graphics, timelines, maps and so on – to finally build result-getting presentations. At a fraction of the time it takes to others.

And the good news is, these templates cost as little as the price of a movie ticket.

So if you’ve looking to build winning presentations faster  then check out my two favorite templates below:

If you’ve been looking to create high-quality presentations faster (because you know that’s what will set you apart from everyone else), then check out one of my favorite templates below, and start saving time so you can focus on things that really matter to you.

Marketofy presentation theme is especially useful for:

Corporate presentations – for prospects, investors or stakeholders Marketing proposals or briefs Customer/data reports And more

Key Features

• Lots of unique slides (390 for  PowerPoint , 200 for  Keynote  and  Google slides ). Includes slides to present business objectives, company services, marketing strategy, product launch, process, maps, devices, apps, and much more
• 24 ready-made color themes (6 for the Keynote version)
• Dark & light versions (light background slides or dark background slides)
• Drag-and-drop photo placeholders (drag any visual from your folder, and it will take the exact shape of the placeholder)
• Dozen of graphs and charts (to concisely present data-rich information)
• 2,500 icons

See this business template

See a detailed review of my favorite templates

Copywriting & Sales: Everything You Need to Turn More Leads Into Buyers

Copywriting = getting information into someone’s brain so they want to open their wallet and give you the money.

In other words, it’s is about convincing people to buy from you  using your words .

And here we are:

What makes copywriting so powerfu l is the incredible number of things you can do with it. Write a sales page for your site, craft cold emails , presentations for prospects , or investors, or even put together  video scripts…

All of these are literally made of… words.

Those who master the power of copywriting know how to use the right words to rouse interest, crush objections, activate the purchasing triggers of their target customers.

7. 17 Copywriting Do’s and Don’ts: How To Write Persuasive Content

This great introduction to the topic lists down the most common mistakes people are making when writing sales copy.

You’ll also learn 17 great tips to start writing better sales copy right now. Every piece of advise comes with clear, real-world examples that make this presentation very practical.

How To Write Persuasive Content de Henneke Duistermaat

Did you like this deck about copywriting? Then make sure to check out this one as well (Top 10 copywriting mistakes + how to fix them)

8.  The 10 Best Copywriting Formulas for Social Media Headlines

The 10 Best Copywriting Formulas for Social Media Headlines from Buffer

Are you looking for proven advice that’ll help you turn more leads into customers? If so, I strongly recommend you to check out this course  (It’s one the best online copywriting course I’ve ever taken).

9. 125 Clickass Copywriting Tips

This practical, gigantic guide is loaded with simple tips to write better sales copy.

You’ll also learn the exact questions you need to answer to be more persuasive in front of any audience.

125 Clickass Copywriting Tips from Barry Feldman

10. 107 Mind-Blowing Sales Statistics That Will Help You Sell Smarter

17% of salespeople think they’re pushy, compared to 50% of prospects.

Ouchhh….

Even if numbers never tell you the whole story, this deck has done a great job at highlighting the most important aspects of it.

107 Mind-Blowing Sales Statistics That Will Help You Sell Smarter von Sidekick

11. Tips On Selling From Ogilvy

“You can’t bore people into buying your product. You can only interest them in buying it”.

This deck condenses some of the best selling secrets from advertising tycoon David Ogilvy . Highly recommended.

Some tips on selling from Ogilvy from OgilvyOne Worldwide

12.  Pitching Ideas: How to Sell Your Ideas to Others

This great deck explains you how to pitch ideas to others. It comes back to the fundamental questions you need to answer first – such as identifying your goal and the exact problems your idea is solving.

Pitching Ideas: How to sell your ideas to others from Jeroen van Geel

How to pitch an idea to any audience . Here are 21 research -backed strategies that’ll get you a YES! every time.

13. Your Sales Pitch Sucks!

Why most sales pitches don’t work  and what you can do to fix yours.

Your Sales Pitch Sucks! from Slides That Rock

14. How to Pitch B2B

How do you convince a prospective customer?

This slide deck will teach you 9 essential steps to crafting a winning pitch (if you want them all resumed, check out the slide 62).

How to Pitch B2B from Slides That Rock

15. Social Proof Tips to Boost Landing Page Conversions

This deck is brought to you by growth marketing advisor and speaker  Angie Schottmuller . It’s loaded with in-deep, social proof strategies you can use on your landing page.

Social Proof Tips to Boost Landing Page Conversions de Angie Schottmuller

Sugarman, Joseph. 2006. The Adweek Copywriting Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America’s Top Copywriters (One of the best copywriting books out there, period).

The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Sales Page

How to Write Ads

The Anatomy of a Perfect Sales Email

How to Make Your Sales Copy 10X More Persuasive

Online Marketing: The Best Strategies and Tools to Stand Out & Grow Your Business

In this section, you will get access to top presentations that will teach you how to become a sharper business individual.

From the latest SEO trends to marketing strategies, tools and techniques, you’ll learn how to…

Better sell your products or services Stand out in a crowded market Create and distribute valuable, relevant content designed to attract customers And much more !

16.  2023 Global Marketing Trends

A must-read for all marketers. In 2023, Deloitte expects a rebalance of digital ad spending to include more brand-building and less over-targeting:

17. The SEO World in 2018

(Don’t be fooled by the 2018 publication date, this document contains pure gold.)

SEO (search engine optimization) is basically getting free Google traffic to your site. And guess what, if you want to get organic traffic to your website and stay on top of your game, you need to understand the ever-changing landscape about SEO.

This deck made by Moz will provide you a great, precise overview of the state of SEO in 2018. Yes, it’s not a latest SEO deck – but it will teach you core principles of how people actually search online, how Google is using “predictive intend” along with useful tips to better rank your content in the long run.

The SEO World in 2018 from Rand Fishkin

Interested about learning how you can get more traffic from Google?  Backlinko is one of the best blogs on SEO out there.

18. The 150 Most Powerful Marketing & Sales Tools

These are the best tools available online to grow your business (everything about SEO, email, content marketing, social media, and more).

The 150 Most Powerful Marketing & Sales Tools from Brian Downard

19. Fast Track Your Content Marketing Plan

This deck breaks down the exact steps you needs to take to drive successful content marketing  programs that’ll help you resonate in your market.

No fluff. No B.S.

Fast Track Your Content Marketing Plan de Barry Feldman

20. The Ultimate Guide to Startup Marketing

This deck wraps up what you need to do when starting a business – including the fundamental steps you should to take to kickstart your online marketing game.

The Ultimate Guide to Startup Marketing from Onboardly

21.  AI, Machine Learning, and their Application for Growth 

A great presentation done by Adelyn Zhou , previous CMO at TOPBOTS . TOPBOTS is a publication, community, and educational resource for business leaders applying AI to their companies.

In this deck, you will learn how, why and when both AI and machine learning can help your organization grow.

22.  How to Increase Your Online Presence in 30 Minutes a Day

This Slideshare was realized by Sprout Social , a social media management software. This deck will teach you how to improve your online presence with simple steps that only take a few minutes each to implement.

Use the outlined process to boost brand awareness, grow your audience, increase your influence across the web and, most importantly, track the success of your initiatives.

23. Surf Your Way To Success in E-Commerce

This white paper put together by Ogilvy outlines the key principles and strategies to help you ride the e-commerce wave and come out to the top.

You will learn what are the driving forces of e-commerce, how to create a top-notch experience online, pin-point your customer desires and expectations, how to generate demand, and much more.

24 .  2022 Social Media Trends 

HubSpot has put together a complete report that will give you useful pieces of data to understand the social media landscape today and upcoming trends, and how to tap into them to succeed for your business.

2022 Social Media Trends Report from HubSpot

25. Social Media Trends 2022

This presentation is a good complement to the #24. It outlines 7 social-led trends that will impact marketing over the next years.

Social Media Trends 2022 by Ogilvy

26. Email Marketing 101: The Welcome Email

This detailed deck explains the importance and psychology of welcome emails.

Email Marketing 101: The Welcome Email from SendGrid

Additional Email Marketing Resources

A Beginner’s Guide to Successful Email 

How to Write a Good Sales Emaiil

27. Go Viral on the Social Web: The Definitive How-To Guide!

There’s too much noise out there.

And as a brand, failing at standing out is equal to being ignored.

This deck teaches you how to craft viral content that makes you stand out and motivates people to share what you’ve got to say.

Go Viral on the Social Web: The Definitive How-To guide! from XPLAIN

28. People Don’t Care About Your Brand

Don’t move another muscle until this become part of your D.N.A:

Nobody cares about you.

They care about what you can do for them.

In this deck, you’ll learn how to engage with customers and get them to come back for more.

People Don’t Care About Your Brand from Slides That Roc k

29.  The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Content Marketing

This solid, expert-backed (and fun) guide was put together by Content Marketing Institute .

It’s jam-packed with useful tips from the top minds in content marketing and will teach you how to create epic content, amplify your message, and much more.

Whether you’re new to content marketing, need a refresher or are curious about where the trends are going to, make sure to check out this slide deck.

The best business podcasts:

Unmistakable Creative

The Smart Passive Income

Additional sales resources:

How To Write a Persuasive Sales Page

Laja, Peep. 2012. Useful Value Proposition Examples (and How to Create a Good One) . Conversion XL.

30. Growth Hacking

I am a big fan of growth hacking  and if you’re not one yet, here’s your chance.

Growth hacking is every strategy, every tactic, and every initiative that is attempted in the hopes of growing a business. In this deck you will learn what is grow hacking, what metrics you should focus on and a simple 5-step lean marketing funnel to explode your business growth.

Growth Hacking from Mattan Griffel

31. 100 Growth Hacks 100 Days

In this deck, you will get your hands on detailed, time-framed (and wicked smart) tactics you can implement right away to grow your blog, startup or your website.

100 growth hacks 100 days | 1 to 10 from Robin Yjord

Patel, Neil and Aragon, Kathryn. The Advanced Guide to Content Marketing.

Patel, Neil and Puri, Ritika. “Launch Your Social Strategy”. The Beginners Guide to Online Marketing (Chapter 12).

Neil Patel and Bronson, Taylor. The Definitive Guide to Growth Hacking .

Business Innovation: Methodologies to Actually Move the Needle in Your Business

In this section, you will get access to expert-written presentations covering ways to build a stronger business. You will learn models and strategies to tackle challenges, and design a better innovation culture in your company.

For instance:

Design thinking . How to you solve complex business problems more creatively.

The AARRR model . How applying a simple 5-step lean startup methodology can change your approach to doing business. Business model design . If you don’t know what it is yet, make sure to check out the deck !

32. Crash Course Design Thinking

This deck will teach why design thinking is important along with – in between other cool things – how to apply the 5x Why method to uncover – and understand the root causes of most business problems.

Introducing design thinking from Zaana Howard

33. Crash Course on Design Thinking

Crash Course Design Thinking  from Board of Innovation

34. Startup Metrics for Pirates: AARRR !!!

Any business serious about growing should be using this model.

Startup Metrics for Pirates de Dave McClure

35. Business Model Design and Innovation for Competitive Advantage

Put together by  Alexander Osterwalder , the author of the fantastic  Business Model Generation  , this slide deck lists down the 4 different types of innovation, their related benefits and real-world applications.

Business Model Design and Innovation for Competitive Advantage by  Alexander Osterwalder

36. Business Model Innovation Matters

How to reinvent your business model, no matter which industry you are in.

Business Model Innovation Matters  by  Alexander Osterwalder

37. 10 Disruptive Quotes for Entrepreneurs

This beautiful deck was built by Guy Kawasaki , former Chief Evangelist of Apple. It will help you see things with a different perspective and, hopefully, shift your mindset.

10 Disruptive Quotes for Enterpreneurs from Guy Kawasaki

38. The Sharing Economy

The Sharing Economy from Loic Le Meur

39. ChatGPT: What It Is and How Writers Can Use It

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you already know about ChatGPT.

This slide deck presents what this AI tool can actually do about content creation.

A virtual crash course in design thinking

AARRR startup metrics

A free business model canvas

The Best Pitch Decks

How do you deliver a winning pitch deck that actually convinces investor to give you money?

In this section, you’ll discover:

• The 10-point, step-by-step outline for crafting a winning pitch deck. This is the exact flow Silicon Valley’s most respected venture capital firm Sequoia Capital recommends startups to use.
• Successful pitch decks from Airbnb, Youtube and more…

40. Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template

These are the exact points VC firm Sequoia Capital recommends you to use anytime you pitch an investor.

Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template from PitchDeckCoach

41. Airbnb First Pitch Deck

Wondering how Airbnb raised money back when it wanted to be an air mattress rental company?

Here is their first pitch deck !

AirBnB Pitch Deck from PitchDeckCoach

42. Blablacar Pitch Deck

BlaBlaCar is a the world’s largest long-distance ride-sharing community.

Simply said, they connect drivers and passengers willing to travel together between cities and share the cost of the journey (and get a cut out of it, like Airbnb). In 2015, the startup was valued $1.6 billion .

Europas BlaBlaCar pitch from Vanina Schick

43. Buffer Pitch Deck

Buffer  helps you manage your social media accounts in one place with intuitive scheduling & analytics.

They used the deck below to raise half a million bucks .

The slide deck we used to raise half a million dollars from Buffer

44. Youtube Pitch Deck

Here is the original pitch deck of  Youtube .

Youtube pitch deck from Alexander Jarvis

This is the pitch deck of Front , a shared inbox solution for teams.

Front series A deck from Mathilde Collin

46. Mixpanel

This is the deck Mixpanel – a business analytics software – used to raise $65M.

Mixpanel – Our pitch deck that we used to raise $65M from Suhail Doshi

47. Deliveroo

The pitch deck of Deliveroo an online food delivery company.

Deliveroo – NOAH15 London de NOAH Advisors

How to Make a Pitch Deck

How to Make a Business Plan

Productivity. Work Smarter.

These presentations will teach you how to work smarter, get more done, and motivate others to do the same !

48. The 10 Timeless Productivity Hacks

This Slideshare decks reviews 10 great, timeless work habits that will make you more productive, fast.

The 10 Timeless Productivity Hacks from Bernard Marr

49. IQ Work Hacks – Productivity

A practical presentation that will show you how to be more organized and effective at work, even if you have a ton of things to do.

IQ Work Hacks – Productivity from InterQuest Group

50. Leader’s Guide to Motivate People at Work

Motivating employees seems like it should be easy.

Yet, 30% of executives say it is their toughest job.

From talking with your team members to get feedback,giving them more room to grow or providing them meaningful incentives, this deck will provide you 6 simple steps you can use to improve the morale, performance and productivity of people within your organization.

Leader’s Guide to Motivate People at Work from Weekdone.com

Lai, Lisa. 2017. Motivating Employees Is Not About Carrots or Sticks. Harvard Business Review.

Fineman, Meredith. 2013. Please Stop Complaining About How Busy You Are. Harvard Business Review

Meier, J.D. 2010. Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life

I hope you’ve liked and learned from this handpicked selection of the best PowerPoint presentations available online!

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67 Free PowerPoint Templates to Make Your Life Easier

Devan Ciccarelli

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Are you looking for the best free PowerPoint templates?

After a quick Google search, you may have been overwhelmed with all your choices -- and too short on time to check them all out.

Fortunately, today’s guide will help you find the right template to suit your every need.

We’ve rounded up a healthy mix of templates that can be used for both personal and professional presentations so there’s something for everyone.

Plus, since we’ve broken down our list of templates into smaller categories, you can quickly scan each section for only the ones you need right now and save even more time:

• Business PowerPoint templates
• Charts PowerPoint templates

Industry-specific PowerPoint templates

• Construction and architecture PowerPoint templates
• Health and nutrition PowerPoint templates
• Food PowerPoint templates

Science and technology PowerPoint templates

• Medical PowerPoint templates

Education-based PowerPoint templates

Imagery-based powerpoint templates.

• Modern PowerPoint templates
• Nature PowerPoint templates

Animal PowerPoint templates

• Christmas PowerPoint templates

Can’t wait to view them one by one? We’ve put together a selection of the best free powerpoint templates in one easy-to-download file, just click on the link below.

Get your free PowerPoint templates

Templates perfect for business or personal use.

To start, let’s jump right into PowerPoint templates for businesses.

Free PowerPoint templates for business

These are the best free PowerPoint templates for your business:

1. Business sales PowerPoint template

This business sales presentation template is sure to make an impact, featuring a stunning glass building on the title slide. This template includes slides for the benefits of your product or service, costs, and business opportunities to make it easy to plug in your own content and go.

2. Grant proposal PowerPoint template

This grant proposal template has an eye-catching design and is laid out for you with slides on the project objectives, timeline, and an organizational chart, to help you wow at your next presentation.

3. Corporate PowerPoint template

If you are presenting to corporate clients or investors, you need a template as polished as your pitch. The big typography and image showcase slides in this Nowco corporate template by Kata Ragasits at Slideist will give your message a professional boost.

4. Finance PowerPoint template

This numbers-centric Balthasar template sets the scene for any finance related presentation, suitable for accounting, banking, economics or even if you’re just reporting on your department’s budget.

5. Status report PowerPoint template

To keep your project on track and make sure everyone is in the loop, use this status report template . Use it to communicate the project status, progress, and deliverables with everyone involved.

6. Company profile PowerPoint template

The beautifully designed Polaris company profile template by Jun Akizaki is ideal to showcase your company philosophy, team, and products and services to potential customers or investors.

7. Business plan PowerPoint template

Before you spend hours trying to create a business plan from scratch, use this done-for-you and super professional-looking template instead.

8. Sales report PowerPoint template

Need an update on where your sales team stands? This sales report template can be used to give you a quick snapshot and a better picture via the monthly overview.

9. Pitch deck PowerPoint template

Getting your startup off the ground is no easy feat -- and there’s certainly already enough on your plate. So use this pitch deck template to start your business off on the right foot.

10. Teamwork PowerPoint template

This teamwork PowerPoint template can help organize your team’s projects so they’re always easy to follow.

Plus, it also gives you step-by-step instructions on the template itself so you’ll know exactly what needs to go where.

This saves you time and potential headaches from trying to figure out where everything goes on your own.

11. Resume PowerPoint template

When it comes to job applications, it’s a must to stand out from the crowd. This resume PowerPoint template by Slideist will help you do just that. If your resume needs to be in document format, simply export as a PDF once you’ve customized it.

12. Case study template

To showcase your business' success stories, use this free  case study PowerPoint template  provided by SlideUpLift. This template features the name of the client, their problem, your solution, and the result.

Need to create a chart? Use these PowerPoint templates

Sometimes a visual representation is stronger than words and numbers combined. So when you need a chart, these templates are all go-to's:

13. Flowchart PowerPoint template

Need to make a flowchart that looks professional and isn’t too hard to use?

Try this free template and you’ll have just that.

14. Pie chart PowerPoint template

And if a flow chart won’t work for your needs, but a pie chart might, this PowerPoint template has you covered.

Within a few minutes, you’ll have a customized pie chart sure to impress any audience -- and you won’t have to spend too much time to do so.

15. Gantt chart PowerPoint template

While the first set of templates can work for any business, this next set has been fine-tuned to deliver exactly what its respective industry demands:

16. Real estate PowerPoint template

Use this real estate PowerPoint template to explain to potential clients why they should go with you and your agency.

You can highlight your biggest achievements and share how your team goes the extra mile for their clients.

17. Cryptocurrency PowerPoint template

Even more time-consuming (and way less interesting) than explaining cryptocurrency, if you’re in need of a presentation to describe why you’re the best candidate to manage cryptocurrency for your clients, this free Bitcoin template is right up your alley.

You can also use this template to educate potential investors who may be new to this sort of currency and teach them how to get started.

18. Coffee-centric PowerPoint template

Whether you’re reaching out to potential coffee bean growers or you’re going directly to the coffee houses themselves, this template helps your brand show off their professional and trustworthy side.

19. Eco-friendly PowerPoint template

You’ll give the same brand-specific appearance with this eco-friendly PowerPoint template .

Thanks to its clean, simple design, any business geared toward a natural lifestyle can benefit from using it.

So, for example, whether you’re a spa owner or you’ve created your own all-natural and organic skincare line, this template gives off eco-friendly vibes people will want to invest in.

The next batch of PowerPoint templates does the heavy lifting for many in the construction industry.

PowerPoint templates for construction and architecture

Use these templates in your business and you’ll save both time and money:

20. Building wireframe PowerPoint template

If you’re an architect, engineer, or project planner, this blue and white building wireframe template might be just the ticket for presentations about your projects being planned or in development.

21. Construction PowerPoint template

Any good construction company knows that before you break ground, you need to come up with a solid building plan first. This construction template by Prezentr can be used to show potential investors what your renovation timeline looks like, or help your team understand what needs to be done and who’s responsible for those tasks.

22. Roadwork PowerPoint template

If your business is responsible for surveying or road construction, this PowerPoint template is better suited for your needs.

23. City sketch PowerPoint template

The design of this city sketch template may appeal to architects, graphic designers or illustrators. The slide deck includes ready-made charts and tables for you to easily insert your data.

Free health and nutrition PowerPoint templates

Use these templates to give off a healthy first impression.

24. Vital signs PowerPoint template

Whether you’re in the medical field, pharmaceuticals, or the fitness industry, this Slidehunter animated vital signs template can breathe life into your presentation. The neon heart rate is animated to pulse across the slides just like on a real monitor.

25. Fresh fruit PowerPoint template

If you’re in the nutrition space, that medical template gives the opposite impression of your more holistic approach. That’s why this fresh  watermelon template is a better option for you.

Use it to share your client’s meal plan or to explain how your practice is different. Either way, the juicy colors will make your information stand out.

26. Fitness PowerPoint template

This fitness template is perfect for a personal trainer, fitness instructor or gym owner. You can outline your clients' workout plan and schedule, or use it to document their progress towards their fitness goals.

If you’re in one of these industries, time spent on templates means time wasted on other important tasks -- such as discovering or creating the next big breakthrough.

So don’t even experiment with others; use these free templates and save yourself tons of time.

27. Space-specific PowerPoint template

This 3D space-themed PowerPoint template is perfect for readers entering the space technology realm. With a bold image of the Hubble telescope, your presentation will leave a lasting impression of all your potential.

28. Science project PowerPoint template

This science project template is structured with everything laid out for you. You can simply fill in the details of your hypothesis, materials, and observations and you’re good to go. It features a sleek, dark theme and widescreen 16:9 format.

29. Virtual reality PowerPoint template

Just like cryptocurrency, virtual reality is on the rise. And if that’s the industry you’re in, this free PowerPoint template by Prezentr can help you make a bold statement in that space.

30. Artificial intelligence PowerPoint template

Artificial intelligence is a booming industry. Use this futuristic template  by Prezentr for your next AI related presentation.

Let’s go back to school with our next set of PowerPoint templates.

These templates work well for both administrative teams at schools, teachers, PTA staff, and students.

31. Ecology PowerPoint template

This versatile educational template can be used by teachers or students for geography, biology and other environmental related presentations.

32. Colored pencils PowerPoint template

It doesn’t matter if you’re an educator trying to reach your students or you’re conveying a message to parents, this school-themed PowerPoint template will capture your audience’s attention fast.

You can also use this template as a student. This template shows you did more than the minimum on your homework assignment and cared about your presentation’s appearance.

33. Theater PowerPoint template

For theaters and theater clubs, when it comes time to raise awareness and fundraising dollars, this Slidehunter theater template will give you everything you need to make an artful impression.

You can also use it to display your cast list, upcoming shows, and any other key pieces of information.

34. Classroom timer PowerPoint template

Perfect for teachers, this animated hourglass timer template is a fun way to motivate your students to complete their activities within the time limit you set.

35. Notebook PowerPoint template

This notebook template can be used to present assignments and projects in a creative way.  

These photographic templates combine simplicity with bold imagery to make your text shine.

36. Cherry blossom PowerPoint template

If you’re a florist, event planner, or just looking for something soft and dreamy, this cherry blossom template is just the ticket to help create a stunning presentation.  

37. Sailboat PowerPoint template

Use this sailboat template to conjure up thoughts of sun-soaked beach vacations for your audience.

38. Cactus design PowerPoint template

This cactus template is perfect for botany students and businesses making presentations about the desert or the American southwest. Its cool, pleasing colors also make an interesting backdrop

39. Desert design PowerPoint template

And if you’re looking for that same desert-type feel but the blue of the previous template clashes with your brand’s logo , use this PowerPoint template instead.

The fiery reds and deep orange colors give off a completely different vibe than those cactus designs but deliver the same high impact.

40. Cloud PowerPoint template

This light and airy cloud background template is perfect for science presentations, nature conservation groups, and businesses related to sleep, weather, and so much more.

41. Cityscape views PowerPoint template

This modern template gives you a worm’s eye view of a beautiful downtown cityscape.

And with the blue and white color scheme, your presentation will look as crisp as the skyscrapers in the background

42. Sunflower PowerPoint template

If the blue and white colors in that cityscape template are a little bland for your liking, consider using this bright sunflower one instead.

The bold orange and yellow colors will keep your audience awake and energized, but since it’s also paired with a softer white background, your information won’t get lost in the brightness.

43. The Fisherman PowerPoint template

This fisherman PowerPoint template uses the same strategy as the sunflower one: striking imagery against a white or muted background.

Though the imagery is softer in color this time, it’s still a bold and eye-catching sight to see. And thanks to the white balance, it doesn’t compete with your information.

Rather, each compliments the other.

Modern design PowerPoint templates

The next group of templates uses modern designs, many of which are illustrated, to give a polished and sophisticated feel to your presentations.

44. Thaliard PowerPoint template

For readers with data-heavy presentations, this Thaliard PowerPoint template is for you.

With several slide layouts to choose from, you can display your data and statistics in a way that’s engaging instead of overwhelming.

45. Feminine flair PowerPoint template

This fun and feminine PowerPoint template balances a handwritten-style font with a light and airy color palette in millennial pink to create a classically beautiful design for the modern gal.

46. Brushstrokes PowerPoint template - pink

This brush strokes PowerPoint template features an abstract design in hues of pink, purple and blue.

47. Brushstrokes PowerPoint template - green

Similar to the above but using a cool color palette of seafoam greens and blues, this brush strokes template is sure to make a statement.

48. Modern and simple PowerPoint template

The next free PowerPoint template is gender-neutral when it comes to the color palette, but that doesn’t mean it’s boring. With brightly colored pixels and squares, you’ll have a professional template with a bit of personality perfect for the boardroom.

49. Nature PowerPoint template

This eye-catching template features a modern, flat design of rolling hills and trees. Use it as the backdrop of your next environmentally friendly presentation.

50. Dark nature PowerPoint template

A twist on the above template, this dark-themed nature template gives you a muted, classic option if you prefer something less bright.

51. Color radial PowerPoint template

This template is not for the shy or timid since it will get your presentation noticed. With bright, vibrant pinks, oranges, and greens, your intel is sure to stand out.

52. Bright colored PowerPoint template

And if the bright colors in the previous template are too much for you, this template may be a better option.

With its soft yellow color and its use of retro shapes in vintage colors, you wind up with a light, fun presentation suitable for most applications.

53. Flow PowerPoint template

Now, if bright colors are not what you’re looking for, this cool and serene flow design has your name on it.

With pastel colors and a light gray background, this one won’t call too much attention to itself yet you’ll still be able to get your message across loud and clear.

54. Gold sparkle PowerPoint template

This gold sparkle PowerPoint template is great for creating a simple design that focuses on your information.

Since the “sparkles” in the background are blurred out, the attention is focused solely on your words, not the imagery.

55. Blue sparkle PowerPoint template

And the same thing happens with this blue alternative template -- all eyes get directed to the content, which doesn’t compete with the background.

If you’re making a presentation in a room with difficult lighting, this blue sparkle may be easier to read than the gold one before it. Since the background is a dark navy color, the white text will pop and be clearer to see.

56. Blue gradient PowerPoint template

This free template by Daniela Trony features a blue gradient theme throughout, with plenty of opportunities to display your Instagram worthy photos. This template is perfect for presentations where you want your images to speak more than words.

57. Bubbler PowerPoint template

This free template by Showeet  features a modern design and a custom color scheme. The template comes with 22 slides and a "set of ready-to-use examples". 

58. Botanical PowerPoint template

A sight for sore eyes – this botanical-themed template from Slidescarnival is ideal for presentations on gardening, fashion, or decoration. The fully editable template deck comes with 25 different slides and 80 different icons.

Travel related PowerPoint templates

These next templates are ideal for anyone presenting on the topics of travel or globalization.

59. Travel PowerPoint template

Whether you’re promoting tourism locally or abroad or sharing your latest trip with your family and friends, this travel template has everything you need to make a standout presentation.

60. Travel brochure PowerPoint template

If you’re a travel agent, use this red and blue brochure template to showcase your destinations and company contact information to customers.

61. Island destination PowerPoint template

This beautiful island destination template will help your audience imagine a relaxing time on a tropical island. Use it for presentations on your resort, destination weddings, and travel services.

The next three templates feature images of animals -- who doesn’t love those?

62. Hare PowerPoint template

This sweet hare background is great for both springtime presentations and animal or outdoor related ones

63. Sea turtle PowerPoint template

For beach and underwater-themed presentations, or if you just prefer sea turtles over land animals, this free template featuring bright turquoise colors is sure to please any crowd

64. Horse PowerPoint template

You also can’t go wrong with this horse PowerPoint template .

Not only is the image of the horse striking, but so is the background. Both of these help to keep your audience’s attention.

Christmas-themed PowerPoint templates

The mood is festive and fun during the Christmas and holiday season so your presentations should be too. So add these next two free PowerPoint templates to your wish list.

65. Christmas PowerPoint template

With this Christmas-inspired template , you’ll add a burst of warm holiday cheer to your presentation.

66. Holiday photo card PowerPoint template

Spread some holiday cheer with this photo card template . Add your own image and customize the greeting, then send it to friends and family.

67. Santa Claus PowerPoint template

Santa Claus is coming to town (and to a PowerPoint template near you!) Download this festive template here . 

Enjoy your free professional PowerPoint templates

Now that you have a complete list of the best free PowerPoint templates to use, the harder question becomes which one you’ll use first.

Pro tip: Bookmark this page so you always have access to these free templates no matter the occasion for your presentation. This one smart move will save you time searching for this guide and all the awesome free templates we shared today.  

Want to create stunning presentations?

Looking for tips to become a PowerPoint pro? Learn how to use themes, add transitions, work with animations and more with the GoSkills PowerPoint course .

In 34 bite-sized lessons, you will learn time-saving tips and tricks to create professional-looking presentations from award-winning Microsoft MVP, Glen Millar.

Want to boost your productivity? Check out our favorite PowerPoint Add-ins .

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Crafting fluff-free content is Devan’s jam. When she’s not writing for GoSkills, you’ll find her outside reading, soaking up the sun, or hiking her next adventure.

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How-To Geek

8 tips to make the best powerpoint presentations.

Want to make your PowerPoint presentations really shine? Here's how to impress and engage your audience.

Quick Links

Table of contents, start with a goal, less is more, consider your typeface, make bullet points count, limit the use of transitions, skip text where possible, think in color, take a look from the top down, bonus: start with templates.

Slideshows are an intuitive way to share complex ideas with an audience, although they're dull and frustrating when poorly executed. Here are some tips to make your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations sing while avoiding common pitfalls.

It all starts with identifying what we're trying to achieve with the presentation. Is it informative, a showcase of data in an easy-to-understand medium? Or is it more of a pitch, something meant to persuade and convince an audience and lead them to a particular outcome?

It's here where the majority of these presentations go wrong with the inability to identify the talking points that best support our goal. Always start with a goal in mind: to entertain, to inform, or to share data in a way that's easy to understand. Use facts, figures, and images to support your conclusion while keeping structure in mind (Where are we now and where are we going?).

I've found that it's helpful to start with the ending. Once I know how to end a presentation, I know how best to get to that point. I start by identifying the takeaway---that one nugget that I want to implant before thanking everyone for their time---and I work in reverse to figure out how best to get there.

Your mileage, of course, may vary. But it's always going to be a good idea to put in the time in the beginning stages so that you aren't reworking large portions of the presentation later. And that starts with a defined goal.

A slideshow isn't supposed to include everything. It's an introduction to a topic, one that we can elaborate on with speech. Anything unnecessary is a distraction. It makes the presentation less visually appealing and less interesting, and it makes you look bad as a presenter.

This goes for text as well as images. There's nothing worse, in fact, than a series of slides where the presenter just reads them as they appear. Your audience is capable of reading, and chances are they'll be done with the slide, and browsing Reddit, long before you finish. Avoid putting the literal text on the screen, and your audience will thank you.

Related: How to Burn Your PowerPoint to DVD

Right off the bat, we're just going to come out and say that Papyrus and Comic Sans should be banned from all PowerPoint presentations, permanently. Beyond that, it's worth considering the typeface you're using and what it's saying about you, the presenter, and the presentation itself.

Consider choosing readability over aesthetics, and avoid fancy fonts that could prove to be more of a distraction than anything else. A good presentation needs two fonts: a serif and sans-serif. Use one for the headlines and one for body text, lists, and the like. Keep it simple. Veranda, Helvetica, Arial, and even Times New Roman are safe choices. Stick with the classics and it's hard to botch this one too badly.

There reaches a point where bullet points become less of a visual aid and more of a visual examination.

Bullet points should support the speaker, not overwhelm his audience. The best slides have little or no text at all, in fact. As a presenter, it's our job to talk through complex issues, but that doesn't mean that we need to highlight every talking point.

Instead, think about how you can break up large lists into three or four bullet points. Carefully consider whether you need to use more bullet points, or if you can combine multiple topics into a single point instead. And if you can't, remember that there's no one limiting the number of slides you can have in a presentation. It's always possible to break a list of 12 points down into three pages of four points each.

Animation, when used correctly, is a good idea. It breaks up slow-moving parts of a presentation and adds action to elements that require it. But it should be used judiciously.

Adding a transition that wipes left to right between every slide or that animates each bullet point in a list, for example, starts to grow taxing on those forced to endure the presentation. Viewers get bored quickly, and animations that are meant to highlight specific elements quickly become taxing.

That's not to say that you can't use animations and transitions, just that you need to pick your spots. Aim for no more than a handful of these transitions for each presentation. And use them in spots where they'll add to the demonstration, not detract from it.

Sometimes images tell a better story than text can. And as a presenter, your goal is to describe points in detail without making users do a lot of reading. In these cases, a well-designed visual, like a chart, might better convey the information you're trying to share.

The right image adds visual appeal and serves to break up longer, text-heavy sections of the presentation---but only if you're using the right images. A single high-quality image can make all the difference between a success and a dud when you're driving a specific point home.

When considering text, don't think solely in terms of bullet points and paragraphs. Tables, for example, are often unnecessary. Ask yourself whether you could present the same data in a bar or line chart instead.

Color is interesting. It evokes certain feelings and adds visual appeal to your presentation as a whole. Studies show that color also improves interest, comprehension, and retention. It should be a careful consideration, not an afterthought.

You don't have to be a graphic designer to use color well in a presentation. What I do is look for palettes I like, and then find ways to use them in the presentation. There are a number of tools for this, like Adobe Color , Coolors , and ColorHunt , just to name a few. After finding a palette you enjoy, consider how it works with the presentation you're about to give. Pastels, for example, evoke feelings of freedom and light, so they probably aren't the best choice when you're presenting quarterly earnings that missed the mark.

It's also worth mentioning that you don't need to use every color in the palette. Often, you can get by with just two or three, though you should really think through how they all work together and how readable they'll be when layered. A simple rule of thumb here is that contrast is your friend. Dark colors work well on light backgrounds, and light colors work best on dark backgrounds.

Spend some time in the Slide Sorter before you finish your presentation. By clicking the four squares at the bottom left of the presentation, you can take a look at multiple slides at once and consider how each works together. Alternatively, you can click "View" on the ribbon and select "Slide Sorter."

Are you presenting too much text at once? Move an image in. Could a series of slides benefit from a chart or summary before you move on to another point?

It's here that we have the opportunity to view the presentation from beyond the single-slide viewpoint and think in terms of how each slide fits, or if it fits at all. From this view, you can rearrange slides, add additional ones, or delete them entirely if you find that they don't advance the presentation.

The difference between a good presentation and a bad one is really all about preparation and execution. Those that respect the process and plan carefully---not only the presentation as a whole, but each slide within it---are the ones who will succeed.

This brings me to my last (half) point: When in doubt, just buy a template and use it. You can find these all over the web, though Creative Market and GraphicRiver are probably the two most popular marketplaces for this kind of thing. Not all of us are blessed with the skills needed to design and deliver an effective presentation. And while a pre-made PowerPoint template isn't going to make you a better presenter, it will ease the anxiety of creating a visually appealing slide deck.

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How to Create the Best PowerPoint Presentations [Examples & Templates]

Discover what makes the best PowerPoint presentations with these examples to inspire you.

10 FREE POWERPOINT TEMPLATES

Download ten free PowerPoint templates for a better presentation.

Updated: 05/15/24

Published: 05/15/24

Creating the best PowerPoint presentation isn’t just about slapping facts and figures together or dazzling with snazzy graphics — it’s an art form.

During my time at HubSpot, I created a lot of presentations. Since then, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the PowerPoints desperately crying for a makeover. I’ve learned that the secret isn’t just in the text or visuals but in how you serve it up.

In this guide, I’ll share some pro tips on how to make the best PowerPoint presentation. You’ll learn how to hold your audience’s attention and drive your message home with clarity. Plus, I’ll share real-life examples to inspire you.

What Good Presents Have in Common

Best PowerPoint Presentations

What do good presentations have in common.

I’ve discovered that five elements are a must-have when creating a great presentation . Let’s look at each one.

1. The presentation is highly relevant to the audience.

A lot goes into creating presentations that hit the mark. First, I clearly define my audience. Then, I choose topics that genuinely interest them, offer actionable advice, answer their questions, or address their pain points.

But this isn’t just my strategy. Mike O’Neill , founder and CEO of Backspace Travel , a modern travel agency, also talks about things that matter to his audience. He says, “We conduct dry runs with a smaller group to gather feedback and refine the presentation. Testing the presentation with colleagues allows us to identify areas that resonate [with our audience] or need improvement before the final delivery.”

I’ve found that crafting a captivating title influences how receptive my audience will be. For example, instead of a bland title like “New Product Features,” I’d go with something more intriguing like “Discover the Hidden Gems of Our Latest Product Features.”

It makes my audience wonder what those hidden gems are and still lets them know it’s about new product features.

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2. The presentation has a clear objective.

As a former content manager and strategist at HubSpot, I learned the importance of setting audience expectations. Whether it’s a new project, a marketing strategy , or even a sales pitch, I made sure my slides and commentary tied back to the key takeaways I wanted my audience to remember.

Alexandria Agresta , a corporate trainer and leadership development expert, uses what she calls the three Ps of a presentation:

• Purpose. What’s the purpose of the presentation?
• Challenge. What’s the challenge your audience is facing?
• Possible. What outcome do they desire?

She says this process empowers her to convey her message in a way that resonates with her audience. Once she establishes the three Ps, she creates a clear, concise outline that includes key points and topics she hopes to cover.

“I then create a dedicated slide at the beginning of the presentation that succinctly outlines what will be covered during the presentation. This sets expectations for the audience and gives them a roadmap of what to expect,” Agresta says.

Whatever the topic, highlight your key takeaways on a specific slide (ideally the cover slide), so your audience clearly understands what your presentation is about from the get-go.

3. The presentation follows an organized storyline.

One thing I’ve learned about presentations is that it isn’t just about conveying information; it’s about telling a story that guides your audience from start to finish. Each slide is a chapter that leads to a satisfying conclusion.

There are many ways to infuse storytelling into your presentations. You can get as creative as you want, like Aaron Wertheimer , a full-time SEO marketing copywriter for Marketing Reel , does.

He says, “I infuse storytelling into my PowerPoint presentations by including a Bitmoji sticker of myself as it relates to each slide, and I demarcate each slide with verbiage to indicate which part of the sequence we are currently at in the presentation.”

Just make sure to have a beginning, a middle, and an end so you can clearly demonstrate the point you’re leading towards.

4. The audience understands the next steps.

When creating my presentations, I always specify the action I want my audience to take by the time we conclude. Do I want them to sign up for a service? Consider a new perspective? Remember key points?

Chirag Nijjer , a customer success lead at Google, usually wraps up his presentations with two CTAs: one that’s beneficial to him and one that benefits his audience. His presentations are more impactful when he combines both CTAs.

He explains with an example: “If I’m presenting to a group of professors who intend to use the info to teach their students, I’d write, ‘Would you like access to the summary slides and a list of project ideas for your students to learn this topic? Fill out the feedback form and give me your email address.’”

I can see why this method works. The email address allows him to contact his audience, and he also benefits them by teaching them how to turn his presentations into valuable action. It’s like killing two birds with one stone!

Remember, though, if you want your audience to perform an action after your presentation, be clear about what you want them to do next.

5. The audience leaves with contact information and/or resources.

I’ve observed that at the end of my presentations, most attendees want more information or a chance to discuss the topic further.

That’s why I always provide my contact details or additional resources. So, if anyone wants to reach out for a one-on-one chat or read further, they’ll have what they need to delve deeper into the material.

For example, after a presentation on digital marketing strategies , I might provide my email address and invite attendees to reach out if they have any questions. I could also share a list of recommended books, articles, or even YouTube videos for those who want to take their digital marketing journey to the next level.

How to Do the Best Powerpoint Presentation

Now that I’ve covered what to look for in a killer slide deck, let’s jump right in and talk about how you can make your next presentation unforgettable.

1. Less is more.

I’ve used PowerPoint a lot, and it’s tempting to pack slides with flashy graphics and tons of text. However, I learned the hard way that less is often more.

Once, I was tasked with presenting a new content strategy to the marketing team. Eager to impress, I packed my slides with stunning visuals, intricate graphs, and loads of text explaining every detail of the strategy.

I thought the more information there was, the better. But as I started presenting, I quickly realized my mistake.

The team seemed overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information on the slides. They were so busy trying to decipher the infographics and read the tiny texts that they missed out on the main points I was trying to convey.

In the end, I could sense that I hadn’t made the impact I had hoped for. It was a humbling experience, but it taught me a valuable lesson: simplicity is key.

Since then, I’ve made a conscious effort to streamline my presentations with a clear message and avoid complex details that could distract my audience.

Here are some key points to always remember:

• Let the focus be on your message instead of the slides themselves.
• Keep the slides relevant and simple enough so people can pay attention to what you’re saying.
• Your visuals and fonts should support your message, not steal the spotlight.

2. Keep text to a minimum.

From my experience, you can tell that adding too much text overwhelms people, and instead of listening to you, they focus on trying to read the slides. And that’s not what you want. You want your audience to be engaged, hanging onto your every word, not trying to decipher paragraphs of text.

So, use fewer words in large fonts. That way, you’ll make sure everyone, from the front row to the back, sees what’s on the screen without squinting.

3. Rethink visuals.

People are 30 times more likely to read infographics than written articles. This stat just puts a stamp on what I’ve said about reducing the amount of text in your presentations. It’s like a neon sign screaming: “Less text, more visuals!”

However, that doesn’t mean you can just throw some nice-looking photos onto your pitch deck and move on. Like any other content strategy, your visual game must be on point and relevant.

Let me share the different types of visuals I’ve come across in my years of doing presentations to help you figure out what works best.

PowerPoint templates have come a long way since Microsoft first unveiled the program to the world, and I occasionally use them in my presentations.

However, to make my PowerPoint slides stand out, I always opt for a theme that my audience hasn’t seen dozens of times before — one that vibes with my brand and fits the topic I’m talking about.

Sometimes, I explore presentation platforms other than PowerPoint (like Prezi) to discover fresh templates. There are also tons of visual content design sites that offer customizable templates I can tweak to match my brand and topic perfectly.

Canva is one of my favorites. It offers a plethora of templates and allows me to create presentations from scratch.

I’ve also tested out Venngage’s free presentation maker and found it super handy for getting eye-catching slide templates, icons, and high-quality stock photos for my PowerPoint tutorials.

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Pro tip: Download our 10 PowerPoint presentation templates for free to simplify your design process. Each template is made to add that extra flair to your presentation so that your slideshows not only look great but also resonate deeply with your audience.

Charts and Graphs

One of my favorite ways to back up what I’m saying in my presentation is to toss in some stats and data visualization. Charts and graphs jazz things up and make the numbers way more interesting.

However, I don’t just share the facts; I let my audience know the story behind those numbers. For example, instead of just presenting quarterly sales figures to my team, I would highlight the challenges we faced, the strategies we implemented, and the victories we celebrated to arrive at those digits.

One thing you always need to do, though, is to make sure your charts and graphs blend in seamlessly with the rest of your presentation’s visual theme. Otherwise, these graphics are more likely to steal the show than help you get your point across.

Color Scheme

I understand that colors can really play with my audience’s emotions. So, even if I’m not trying to close a deal with my presentation, I might want to stir up specific feelings or impressions, and the color palette I choose can help with that.

Max Shak , founder and CEO of nerDigital , even considers cultural differences and color associations to make sure his presentations hit the right notes with diverse audiences.

I’d recommend checking out Coschedule’s guide to color psychology in marketing . It’s a goldmine of how different tones, shades, and color combinations can sway buying decisions. You’ll definitely elevate your presentation game by following this guide.

When I add text to my slide decks, I want it to be simple enough for everyone to read. If it’s tiny or crammed, people end up squinting and missing out on what I’m saying.

That’s why I recommend using web-safe fonts like Sans-Serif or Arial. They’re easy on the eyes and can display correctly even if a user hasn’t installed them on their computer.

4. Incorporate multimedia.

I could talk about something all day long, but it won’t have the same impact as showing it to you.

That’s where multimedia comes in — it’s the secret sauce for keeping people engaged in your presentations.

When I do a simple Google search for “ music in presentations ,” it pulls up a bunch of results that talk about how to add music to my slide decks. From this, it’s clear that using music in my presentations is a unique way to engage my audience or at least set a welcoming tone before and after I speak.

But if you want people glued to your slideshows throughout your presentation, incorporate videos. I mean, a whopping 96% of individuals admit they tune into explainer videos to learn more about a product.

So why not give people what they want? Videos can bring theories to life in a way that words or photos alone just can’t match.

In my years of experience, I’ve come across many pitch decks, and the best ones always cut through the clutter. In this section, I’ll share 15 PowerPoint presentation examples that set the bar for what a professional presentation should look like.

1. The HubSpot Culture Code by HubSpot Co-founder Dharmesh Shah

Not to sing our own praises, but The HubSpot Culture Code has been one of our most successful presentations. The secret? Shah chooses a central theme — the acronym HEART (humble, empathetic, adaptable, remarkable, and transparent).

This acronym embodies our company’s values while providing a central message for the presentation. Plus, heart icons on the slides make the connection clear.

I like the style and message of this presentation. It sticks to our brand colors and fonts and makes everything super clear and easy on the eyes.

I especially enjoy the superhero theme on slide 26 — it’s a fun way to say that we’re all about empowering our customers to be their best. It elevates the idea of customer support from a duty to a mission, which I find very motivating.

2. 2022 Women in the Workplace Briefing by McKinsey & Company

This slide deck lays out key data from McKinsey’s 2022 research on women in the workplace. It uses a mix of graphs, images, and other visual representations to illustrate how the expectations women face at work have evolved over time.

I’m impressed by how they’ve maintained their brand colors throughout the presentation. I’m a big fan of consistency, and this slideshow nails it by sticking to its color scheme from start to finish. It creates a cohesive look and reinforces their brand identity , which makes the presentation look professional.

Another thing I like about it is that the titles immediately say what each slide is about. It helps you navigate the presentation effortlessly and keeps you focused on the main points.

3. SEO, PPC, and AI in 2023 and Beyond by Lily Ray

Lily Ray and Inna Zeyger from Amsive Digital took inspiration from the world of science fiction. It’s pretty cool how they playfully bring in imagery from movies like “Blade Runner“ and “Ghost in the Shell” when talking about AI and the future of marketing in their SlideShare presentation .

The whole futuristic vibe with vibrant colors grabs my attention right away. It’s a fresh break from the usual bland corporate stuff, and they do a fantastic job of making sure you enjoy their presentation while learning something new.

4. ChatGPT: What It Is and How Writers Can Use It by Adsy

We all get writer’s block sometimes. Trust me, I’ve been there, staring at a blinking cursor, feeling the frustration build up. But ChatGPT acts like a trusted sidekick, nudging me along and whispering, “Hey, how about this idea?”

This presentation breaks down what ChatGPT is, its limitations, and more importantly, what it can do. I find it pretty helpful, especially if you’re new to the AI chatbot.

One thing I like most about the SlideShare presentation is that it has a lot of use cases that can inspire you. For example, if it tells you ChatGPT can write a YouTube script, it shows you the prompt the creator used and the results they got.

I also love how it uses a combination of bold white text against a blue background or black and blue text on a white background to call out important headings. And those key definitions are right there in the center, surrounded by all that whitespace , practically begging you to take a closer look.

5. Insights from the 2022 Legal Trends Report by Clio

I’m a big advocate of adding visuals to your business presentations. But it doesn’t have to be the same old boring office stock photos. Take a cue from Clio’s presentation.

Clio has incorporated abstract elements to keep things fresh — simple shapes like triangles, rectangles, and circles. These shapes blend seamlessly with different charts and graphs, adding an artistic touch to the slide decks.

6. Email Marketing Trends by Gabriel Blanchet

Gabriel Blanchet creates a short presentation to explain some key elements of email marketing and its trends to show us why it’s still a valuable tool despite the rise of social media.

What do I love about these slides? They’re awesome. Bright colors, clean visuals — they’ve got it all. What seals the deal for me is how Gabriel breaks down each point and explains why it matters.

7. 2022 GWI’s Social Report by GWI

I’m really impressed by how Leticia Xavier uses different shades of pink and purple to add some contrast to the slides. Everything, from the graphs to the backgrounds and images, sticks to this same color palette.

If I’m ever worried about my visuals not contrasting enough, I’ll definitely draw inspiration from Leticia’s color palette. Pick one or two colors and play around with different shades and tones to tie the slides together and make them pop.

8. Digital 2023 Global Overview Report by DataReportal

I chose this slide deck from DataReportal because it reminds me that strong contrast between text and background is crucial. It’s what makes my slides easy to scan.

The presentation uses a dark background throughout. The graphs and icons pop in bright orange, red, blue, and green, while the text keeps it white.

That said, if you’re prepping for an in-person presentation, think about the room. If it’s dim with the lights off, a dark background like this is spot on. But if it’s all bright and sunny, stick to a light background with dark text.

9. ThinkNow Culture Report 2022 by ThinkNow

ThinkNow impresses me with how they’ve mixed magenta and yellow in the background of their PowerPoint design. Meanwhile, the graphs stick to classic black and white. It’s a smart move that creates sharp contrast and makes the visual elements easy to scan.

Plus, I appreciate how the headers are in a readable font, summarizing what each slide covers.

10. 2023 Metro CERT Annual Event by MNCERTs

I’m surprised by how simple this Metro CERT presentation is. It displays just a few words per slide, all in big, bold fonts. The contrast between the blue and yellow colors is striking and makes everything really pop.

And you know what’s even more creative? There are loads of images of people sprinkled throughout. It adds a nice personal touch that keeps things interesting.

11. Pecan Creek Winery 2023 in Pictures Presentations

As I was going through Pekan Creek Winery’s business presentation, I noticed how it sticks to a simple color palette of just white and black. It’s clean and sleek and lets the content shine without any distractions.

It’s also packed with loads of pictures that showcase events and the wine-making process. That’s exactly how you craft a presentation that gets people pumped up about your brand.

12. LLMs in Healthcare and Pharma. VTI day

This engaging presentation impresses me with its visuals. From charts to photos and even some fun animations, it’s got a little bit of everything to keep its audience hooked.

It keeps the fonts simple, which I appreciate. Plus, those bright background colors make the black and blue text stand out.

The presentation is also spiced up by the story of a dog named Sassy. It adds a personal touch. And who doesn’t like a good story? It’s a surefire way to keep attendees glued to your presentation.

13. Exploring Advanced API Security Techniques and Technologies by Sudhir Chepeni

The next time I do a data-heavy presentation, I’ll take some inspiration from Sudhir Chepeni’s slide designs. The dark background paired with bright text commands attention. And those simple, readable fonts make it easy to digest the information.

Plus, I admire how he sprinkled charts and data throughout. It keeps things interesting and breaks up the text nicely.

14. Competition in Energy Markets by Georg Zachmann

Simplifying technical information can be a tough nut to crack, especially when you have to explain it in a slide deck. But Georg Zachmann isn’t afraid of the challenge.

He uses graphs and charts to break down complex technical issues about the energy crisis into clear visual representations, which I really love.

I also noticed the big, bold headings that immediately tell you what each slide is about. You can skim the document quickly and hone in on the key points you need to know.

15. 10 Things That Helped Me Advance My Career by Thijs Feryn

This presentation impresses me right from the cover slide. The image of a man ascending the stairs captures a sense of effort and accomplishment, which is precisely what the presentation is all about.

The keynote speaker, Thijs Feryn, nails it with the storytelling aspect. Each slide feels like a new chapter unfolding and transitioning seamlessly into the next.

And the visuals? They’re top-notch — from captivating photos to lively animations and even a handy map. Plus, those bright colors and huge text fonts make sure every detail pops, even for the person chilling in the back row.

Create the Best PowerPoint Presentation Designs

As someone who’s created countless presentations, I’ve seen firsthand the transformation that happens when you put a little soul into those slide layouts — whether adding sleek visuals, cutting down on clutter, or weaving a story that carries your message.

Implement the tips I’ve discussed here so that each slide can act as a stepping stone that gently guides your audience to where you want them next. These little touches can turn a good slide deck into your best PowerPoint presentation yet.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in March 2023 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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PowerPoint Presentation Best Practices: Tips & Resources

• Slide Content
• The Presentation: Public Speaking
• Tips & Resources

Watch your timing, both while speaking and going through your slides. You don't want to go too fast, but make sure you don't go over your allotted time, either. (This is where practice comes in!) You might want to leave a few minutes at the end for questions.

Sort Your Slides

Try breaking your slides into smaller chunks or segments, and make sure they flow. But don’t use too many slides, either; find a nice middle ground. If you look at all of them in the slide sorter, do they seem to flow logically without your speech backing them up?

The "B" Key

During your presentation (on either PowerPoint or Keynote) you can press the "B" key on the keyboard, and the screen will go blank. This is useful if you need to go off topic for a minute, or you want people to focus on you while you say something extremely important. Press "B" again and your presentation will reappear.

• Keep it simple, but not simplistic
• Have a theme and be consistent
• Be smart with colors
• Choose fonts wisely
• Use high-quality graphics, not clip art
• Try using video or audio
• Minimize distractions in your slides
• Pace yourself
• Break up your slides into small chunks
• Check your spelling and grammar
• Don’t use stale built-in templates
• Don’t throw off your audience with fancy fonts
• Don’t use distracting animations and transitions
• Don’t use clip art
• Don’t put an entire paragraph in your slide
• Don’t go too fast
• Don't read from cue cards word-for-word
• Don’t stress—act relaxed and natural, and your audience will be more receptive
• "Design Tips" - Garr Reynolds Tips and slide examples from a communication expert.
• "10 PowerPoint Tips to Make Your Slides More Effective" - iSpring Top 10 tips, written by Ferry Pereboom, the co-founder of a design agency.
• Presentation Zen: "What is good presentation design?" - Garr Reynolds Tips and slide examples from a communication expert.
• "Top 10 Tips to Make Your PowerPoint Suck Way Less" - Your PowerPoint Sucks Top 10 tips, other articles, examples, and resources.
• "Speak up: Preparing an Engaging Presentation" - Amherst College Tips on presenting a public speech from Amherst College's Writing Center.
• “Basic tasks for creating a PowerPoint presentation” - Microsoft A guide for getting started with PowerPoint, with tips for creating an effective presentation at the bottom.
• "Delivery Tips" - Garr Reynolds Public speaking tips from a communication expert.
• "Preparation Tips" - Garr Reynolds Preparation tips for presenting from a communication expert.
• Canva Slide builder with professional and artistic templates.
• SlideModel Professional slide and theme templates.
• PresentationGO Free templates, slides, graphics, diagrams, tables, etc.
• << Previous: The Presentation: Public Speaking
• Last Updated: Dec 8, 2023 12:36 PM
• URL: https://libguides.hccfl.edu/powerpoint

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Home Best PowerPoint Templates Gallery

Best PowerPoint Templates Gallery

Download the best PowerPoint Templates , rated and selected by SlideModel.com users through our star rating system.

This selection of presentations is dynamically built over time through our users preferences and curated by editors.  You will find the most appealing templates for different purposes but always honoring users ratings and feedback of our content. This is a wonderful starting point for navigating our content, allowing the newcomers to experience our top of the line PowerPoint Templates.

Self Introduction PowerPoint Template

Introduce Company Profile PowerPoint Template

Go-To-Market PowerPoint Template

Business Case Study PowerPoint Template

Infographic PowerPoint

Multi Level Circular Organizational Chart Template

Invictus PowerPoint Template

Light Business PowerPoint Template

Light Bulb Idea PowerPoint Template

Scorecard Dashboard PowerPoint Template

Table of Content Slides for PowerPoint

Mission and Vision PowerPoint Template

Thesis Presentation PowerPoint Template

RAG Project Status Dashboard for PowerPoint

Global Company Profile PowerPoint Template

30 60 90 Days Plan PowerPoint Template

Here you can find a collection of some of the best PowerPoint Templates. You can choose from a collection of the best slide templates to make your presentations for various purposes. Find the best PowerPoint templates for business or education, including topics such as Management, Science, Technology, Arts, Entertainment, and more. With thousands of creatively designed and ready-made presentation templates, you can browse and pick the most suitable template for your next presentation. These best slide templates for PowerPoint and Google Slides can boost your productivity in preparing a presentation and, at the same time, help convey a message to an audience with visually appealing slides.

Also, all presentation templates, slides, layouts, etc., that made it to our Best PPT Templates list are Mac and Windows-supported. You can also run them on Keynotes, Office365, and Google Slides. These templates come in different colors, styles, fonts, and font sizes, making them unique. The colors, icons, shapes, vector images, and other elements used for these templates are carefully selected, which you can change to your preferred color and edit to your desired text. To suit your preference, you can always add the content (heading, subheading, etc.) to these templates. It makes any of these templates personal, and your audience will pay more attention.

The Best PPT Templates help you save time, energy, and resources because they are 100% editable in Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides. Using the best presentation templates, you can make your presentation memorable by combining visually appealing slides and communicating your message efficiently.

Browse through a huge collection of PowerPoint templates curated from various well-crafted, visually appealing, downloadable, and editable templates to select the most suitable for your presentation. The collection of best slides comprises PowerPoint shapes, presentation diagrams, PowerPoint icons, infographics, illustrations & vector images, charts, and other essential elements.

All the curated best PPT templates and slides are professionally designed to meet today’s visual standards.

Best Business Presentations PowerPoint Templates

Searching for the perfect corporate look for your presentations can be a real challenge. If you don’t have design experience, trying to create something on your own can be time-consuming and might not look professional.

Our crew curated a broad selection of business presentation templates that work with Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Keynote. These designs include eye-catching graphics to spotlight the most important parts of your company’s message and offer you the tools to create professional-quality reports, slides, and more.

Strategy Consulting PowerPoint Template

Employee Onboarding Presentation Template

Business Executive PowerPoint Slide Deck Template

Annual Marketing Plan PowerPoint Template

Best pitch deck powerpoint templates.

Be clear, persuade, and close business deals by elaborating your pitch decks with our selection of pitch deck PowerPoint templates. This selection of PPT templates lists a variety of styles with a distinctive corporate aesthetic, ideal for entrepreneurs who look for a quality combo of a professional look and engaging graphics. 

With concise designs, a clear layout of information, and eye-catching details built out of editable PowerPoint shapes, you cannot go wrong with these pitch deck templates.

Executive Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

Carnival Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

Creative Company Presentation Template

Modern Startup PowerPoint Template

What are the best powerpoint templates for business.

At SlideModel, we have numerous business PowerPoint presentation templates that you can use for maximum business productivity and proper dissemination of information to your audience seamlessly. Speed up the presentation design process by reusing 100% editable and customizable presentation templates.

Depending on the objective and type of presentation you are preparing, you can use business presentation slides like the Corporate Business Presentation Template or a Business Plan PowerPoint Template to prepare presentations for presenting to investors.

What is the best PowerPoint template?

Every business presentation template serves a specific purpose. At SlideModel, we seek to create the best PowerPoint templates that fit the user’s needs. Within our wide variety of templates, you will find the best PowerPoint presentations for different categories: Infographics Templates , Dashboard templates , PowerPoint Diagrams , PowerPoint backgrounds , Company Profile Templates , and Pitch Deck Templates , among others.

All presentations in our extensive gallery are 100% editable and compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Keynote. Therefore, they can be used for multiple purposes and reused according to the presenters’ needs.

What makes a good PowerPoint presentation?

Making a good and engaging PowerPoint presentation requires the following procedures:

• Be sure to properly include PowerPal elements such as graphics, images, colors, etc.
• Avoid using (extended) sentences; instead, use short phrases.
• Be sure to add empty spaces in your presentation intentionally. This helps readability.
• Use complementary and contrasting colors
• Use a consistent background design with the help of PowerPoint theme colors.
• Avoid using more than 3 typefaces or font families.
• Limit the number of slides. Find out the ideal number of slides depending on the expected length of the presentation (e.g., find out how many slides for a 10-minute presentation)
• Add a concluding slide with the summarizing points
• Take advantage of the About us slide to include contact info in business presentations and proposals.

Where can I find the best free PowerPoint templates?

It is essential to emphasize eye-catching visual design in PowerPoint presentations. To create a professional PowerPoint presentation you need to spend more time on it. A nice ready-made template can help you finish your work quickly. So, to save time and effort, you can check our presentation templates at SlideModel. If you also want to save your budget, you can check out some of our free PowerPoint templates that can be easily downloaded and edited to suit your needs.

How can I download the best PowerPoint templates?

Get started by creating a SlideModel.com account , choose a plan that best suits your needs and download your PowerPoint template from our various presentations.

Download Unlimited Content

Our annual unlimited plan let you download unlimited content from slidemodel. save hours of manual work and use awesome slide designs in your next presentation..

Tips for creating and delivering an effective presentation

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Creating an effective presentation

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Tips for creating an effective presentation

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17 Best Resources to Learn MS PowerPoint

From schools to multi-national companies, there is a particular software that everyone uses to supplement their presentations. Since it was released in 1987, PowerPoint has become synonymous with the word presentation to such an extent that any slideshow is automatically referred to as a PowerPoint presentation. Owing to its popularity and usefulness, mastering the art of making a PowerPoint presentation can take you a long way in your career. Doing that is easy nowadays, with the multitude of courses and articles providing shortcuts and tips online. Below are a set of links to such useful references all over the internet. 

• A step by step guide to learning the basics of MS PowerPoint 2010. [PDF]
• PowerPoint 101: Everything You Need to Make a Basic Presentation, with a video tutorial.
• A PowerPoint presentation which details how to make a PPT for the first time
• A great site to learn how to use the latest PowerPoint 2016 version, with video tutorials .
• How to Create a Photo Slideshow with PowerPoint
• Basic tasks for creating a PowerPoint presentation applicable to PowerPoint 2013 and 2016.

PowerPoint presentation .

• Learn all about PowerPoint with expert-taught PowerPoint training videos. [ Free trial ]
• Powerpoint tips and tricks for business presentations
• Five Tips to Make PowerPoint Business Presentations More effective
• 10 Tips for More Effective PowerPoint Presentations
• Detailed video tutorials for PowerPoint 2016 [Paid]
• 10 Simple PowerPoint Animation Tips and Tricks
• 28 Great PowerPoint Presentation Tips
• 14 PowerPoint Presentation Tips for Building More Creative Slideshows [+Templates]
• 10 Ways to Give a Kickass Business Presentation
• 17 Tricks to Master Microsoft PowerPoint
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10 Presentation Tools & Online Resources for Your Next Presentation Design

If you’ve been out shopping or watched television at all in the last few weeks then you know it’s the holiday season already — entire stores being filled with everything red, green and white, Christmas trees popping up everywhere and even here in Austin, there’s that infamous “nip” in the air that has everyone feeling jolly. Yes, ’tis the season after all, but for most business professionals the end of the year brings along another season…presentation season!

That’s right—it’s time to get ready for those year-in-review meetings, board presentations, new initiative trainings and upcoming tradeshows associated with the start of an exciting new year. And just in case those events don’t cause visions of sugar plums to dance in your head, we’ve prepared a list of our top 10 presentation tools and resources to help you create amazing presentations for these important audiences and keep the festive spirit alive throughout the year.

Because for us, presentation season is the  most wonderful time of the year! 

1.  The Noun Project

A little design flare goes a long way when you’re watching or giving a presentation! Instead of tired bullet points, add iconography for some visual interest and intrigue – and forever retire the clip art you keep recycling from your 10-year old presentations. The Noun Project has thousands of icons to search from so you’re likely to find what you’re looking for.  Even better, you can use anything on the site for free as long as you attribute the source to the artist.  It is one of our favorite resources for taking the boring out of presentations.

2.  Font Squirrel 

Have you ever wasted huge chunks of time scrolling through the entire directory of fonts in PowerPoint only to give up and fall back to one of the defaults anyway? We have, but not anymore!

There are tons of professional fonts out there that would be great for your presentation.  With Font Squirrel you can search lists such as Hottest Fonts or Most Popular AND you can search by tags such as Headings, Contemporary, Casual and more.  With the  Font Identifier you can even upload an image of that font you really like but can’t quite match and it will do that for you.  Choosing the perfect font has never been easier!

3.  Unsplash

While there’s certainly no shortage of photos on the internet (a quick Google search will turn up over 92 million results), most of them are far from the high-quality, high-impact editions you’d want to use in a professional presentation. That’s where Unsplash comes in! Unsplash allows you to search through amazing collections of high resolution images on topics such as City Life, Workspace or For the Love of Caffeine (for that extra boost of energy).  You can quickly find the perfect photo for your next presentation completely free.

Photos are more than just “spice” or “prezaz” for your presentation – they are the key to creating an impactful, emotionally engaging presentation. Say goodbye to random low-resolution photos from your search results and hello to Unsplash!

4.  Adobe Color CC

When it comes to colors, it’s easy to fall into the trap of choosing a default theme in PowerPoint or Prezi and proceeding from there. Easy, but visually boring for your audiences that have seen that slide look and feel hundreds of times before! If you want to easily create your own color scheme but don’t know where to start, check out Adobe Color CC – the tool that automatically generates strategic color palettes for you!

You can pick your preferred color(s) and watch all of your proposed combinations come to life.  It outputs RGB and Hex values so you can perfectly match your desired colors when you design.  If you have no idea what RGB or Hex values are, not to worry!  It is simple enough for non-designers to use as well and can make a big difference in your presentation visuals.  For more about presentation colors, here is a helpful article about color theory to really help you take advantage of this tool and create a beautiful presentation.

5. Microsoft Office 365

The majority of you reading this already have an edition of the Microsoft Office suite, but if you haven’t yet upgraded to the Office 365 subscription then now is the time to take a closer look! Office 365 comes packed with features (cloud storage, online document editing, sharing capabilities, etc.), but for this writeup we’ll focus on the elements relevant to presentation design.

Office’s flagship presentation tool PowerPoint is better than ever in Office 365 – and it continues to improve with the regular updates Microsoft pushes to subscribers. Here are two new features that separate this edition of PowerPoint from previous versions:

• PowerPoint Designer : Simply drag an image onto a blank slide and it will automatically generate design ideas – not just for that slide but for the entire presentation.  Easily create themes to use throughout your presentation based on images you want to use. Choose from various design options so you make the most of your content.
• PowerPoint Morph : Morph is our favorite thing about PowerPoint yet. This new “smart” transition automatically shifts your content from one slide to the next – creating an animated, continuous sequence instead of the classic independent slides. It’s elegant, clean and customizable…but it’s sort of hard to describe, so instead check out our example:  You Won’t Believe We Made This Entirely with PowerPoint (and neither will your clients!)

6.   Slideshare

Need inspiration? Then hurry to the place where you can “Discover. Share. Present” – Slideshare!

Slideshare is a vast library of presentations where people share ideas and designs under the slogan “Share what you know and love through presentations, infographics, documents and more.” There is content on practically any subject imaginable and you can even save and download presentations through your Slideshare or LinkedIn account. Once you’ve been inspired into creating your awesome presentation, pay it forward by publishing your ideas and designs with others!

Pixlr is a free and easy-to-use online image editing platform.  Find those awesome stock photos (see #3 and #8) and use Pixlr to quickly edit them to fit your needs. Available as a web app, desktop editor and mobile app, Pixlr gives you the freedom to make photo enhancements and updates anywhere you need to!

Pond5 is a great resource for finding stock photography and videos that look anything but stock! The platform features a community of artists that contribute unique content you typically won’t find anywhere else on the internet…at reasonable rates that won’t break the budget. Pond5 has it all – video footage, music, sound effects, animations, images, 3D models and more with options to pay per item or buy ongoing subscriptions.

If you’re looking for visual enhancements to your presentation that will give your slides a unique, fresh appearance, then Pond5 is the place for you.

9.   Infogr.am

You can go ahead and celebrate now for every cluttered bar graph you DON’T have to look at this presentation season thanks to Infogr.am. This cloud platform allows you to input your data and automatically generate different chart and map options to visually communicate your information. From the start, Infogr.am provides over 20 ready-made designs to help you get beautiful charts and visualizations out quickly plus you can still get in and customize the content and styling to match the rest of your presentation.

Infogr.am is based on a freemium pricing model so you can get a start on it without paying a cent. Of course, once you upgrade to one of the paid tiers you get even more features. Hooray for data visualization!

10.   The Ultimate Presentation Prep Checklist

Last but certainly not least…the Ultimate Presentation Prep Checklist courtesy of Prezi ! Many presenters fall into the trap of starting a presentation design without thinking through the content and setup beforehand, but this questionnaire will help you ask the right questions to make the maximum impact with your audience!  Questions like “What is the ultimate goal here?” and “What motivates this audience?” can help clarify your presentation strategy  before you begin pumping out slides and help you avoid missing the forest for the trees, as they say.

Here at Puffingston, we use a checklist similar to this one with all of our clients to ensure we’re on the same page both logistically and visually. Download it now and keep it ready every time you launch into a new presentation project!

Interested in learning more? Want us to help you create a presentation that will WOW your audiences?

Connect with us or check out our Presentation Design or Prezi Training pages!

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