Presentations

Slide Decks

It is important that ETSU projects a consistent and professional image at all times. We are proud of our brand and want to ensure that it is properly represented in all presentations. Please feel free to use the ETSU branded template slides that have been provided. Using the correct slides will help to ensure that our institution is represented in the best light consistently. 

Download ETSU's PowerPoint Template Quick Start

Download ETSU's Branded PowerPoint Slides (To access and view all available ETSU branded layouts, please download the PowerPoint, select new slide, view master options)

Best Practices

• Ensure that all ETSU-branded slide decks are in line with the ETSU branding guidelines and style guide.  
• Utilize approved fonts, colors, logos and images when creating ETSU branded slide decks.  
• Keep text and imagery on slides to a minimum and use the space wisely to effectively convey the message.  
• Incorporate charts, diagrams, and other visuals to simplify complex topics.  
• Use consistent formatting and design for all slides and make sure the design is easy to read and navigate.
• Proofread all content for errors and accuracy before presenting.  
• Keep slides organized and understandable.  
• Keep slide decks updated with the most current information.  
• Avoid using clip art or stock images in ETSU-branded slide decks. 
• Make sure all slide decks are accessible and compatible with all devices.

Accessibility Best Practices

• Include alternative text with all visuals.
• Ensure slide contents can be read in the order that you intend. 
• Add meaningful and accurate hyperlink text and ScreenTips. 
• Ensure that color is not the only means of conveying information. (People who are blind, have low vision, or are colorblind might miss out on the meaning conveyed by particular colors.) 
• 
  Use sufficient contrast for text and background colors. 
• Include sufficient white space between text for readability. 
• 
  Create accessible PDFs or other file formats of your presentation. 

For PowerPoint accessibility tips, instructions, and help, please visit the support Microsoft page here. 

We have also provided our ETSU at A Glance slide deck which highlights accomplishments and unique features of our university. It is an engaging and informative way to educate prospective students and their families about the university. The slide show includes important facts about the school's history, campus life, academics, and student body. It can also provide a brief overview of the university's programs and activities.

Webinar and Screen Capture Guides

Webinars

Choosing a platform

It is important to find the right streaming service that will help you reach your webinar goals. If it is an event that you want students, colleagues, and alumni to watch, you might stream it from your department's Facebook or LinkedIn page. If you want to reach a wider audience, hosting a Zoom webinar might be easier to manage admission and moderation. 

Zoom Meetings and Webinars

Zoom Meetings and Zoom Webinars are both video conferencing tools offered by Zoom. Zoom Meetings are designed to enable one-to-one or small group conversations, while Zoom Webinars are designed for larger audience presentations, such as webinars, lectures, or conferences. Zoom Meetings allow participants to join via audio, video, and chat, share screens, and collaborate in real time, while Zoom Webinars allow participants to join via audio and video, but not chat, and limits participant interaction to Q&A sessions or polls.

This meeting and webinar comparison from Zoom can help you make a decision about which online streaming tool will work best for your needs: Meeting and webinar comparison. 

ETSU also provides the ability to upgrade your ETSU Zoom license for a day to host a webinar. For more information please fill out the ETSU ITS form here.  

Best Practices

• Invitees 

Typically, it is best to send a formal invitation over email for your webinar. You can promote the webinar via social media profiles, like your LinkedIn, and department socials like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. But an official invitation should be communicated via email. 

The goal of this invitation is to communicate your event's value.

• Create a short sentence with your value proposition.
• Include an engaging banner image.
• Include a header that makes your event's value clear.
• Include a brief description of the event.
• Include a list of bullet points telling people what they'll learn.
• Seal the deal with a call-to-action button.
• Craft a subject line that shows the value of the event.

Some examples:

• [Webinar] Discover the Latest in Scientific Innovation by [Industry Leader]
• [Webinar] Unlock the Potential of Rural Higher Education: Join Our Webinar!
• [Webinar] Learn How to Embrace Diversity: Register for Our Webinar Now!

• Be Aware of Copyrighted Material

Several record labels, music publishers and other companies that own copyrighted content will use bots on social media platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook to take down videos and posts (including livestreams) that use copyrighted material such as music by appealing to DMCA. 

• Be sure that any music or materials in your webinar are licensed appropriately.

• Know Your Target Audience

• Who are you targeting?
• What are they looking for?
• What challenges are they facing?
• Why is THIS webinar relevant to them?
• What will strike their interest?
• How can you get them excited about your event?

• Schedule Your Webinar Strategically

Timing is crucial to ensure high webinar engagement. You can host a flawless webinar but if a majority of your target audience is busy at your scheduled time, you will have a low attendance.

• Midweek sessions are known to acquire the most engaging audiences. Host your webinar on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
• Try to be sensitive to time zones. Midday sessions are most likely to gather a larger number of viewers since that time is likely to accommodate multiple time zones.
• Make sure the duration of your webinar is no more than 60 minutes. Remote audiences will not remain occupied for longer sessions and you will end up losing value.

• Assign a Moderator

A successful webinar is made up of great pre-planning, strategic direction, scripting, and moderation. You have limited time to set an impression and make a strong impact on your audience. A moderator can help hook your audience, keep your webinar and audience on track, make sure the speakers don't get carried away, and ensure your audience doesn't lose interest. 

• Diversify Your Content

Use different formats of content to keep things interesting and your audience engaged. Include:

• Visuals
• An impressive slide deck
• Polls and surveys
• Research and data
• On-screen graphics

Accessibility Best Practices

• Enable the closed captions feature. 
• If possible, provide an ASL interpreter. If using an ASL interpreter and recording a session, ensure the meeting host spotlights the individual.   
• Enable “Always Show Meeting Controls” in Zoom settings. 
• Enable the “Mute Participants Upon Entry” feature in Zoom settings to eliminate initial distraction and disruptions during the start of a Zoom cast. 
• Share the Zoom “Keyboard Shortcut” with participants.  
• Be conscious of images and other visual content that is displayed and describe it when possible and appropriate.  
• Record all Zoom sessions and share the meeting recording with participants so they have a resource to review. 

Screen Captures

Screen captures are an important part of webinars. They refer to the process of recording the content displayed on your computer screen during a webinar. This includes anything that is visible on the screen, such as slides, images, video, and audio. Screen captures allow the presenter to share their presentation with the audience, as well as to capture any questions or comments that are made during the webinar. This can also be used to create a video recording of the webinar, which can be shared with those who could not attend the live session. This allows for a more interactive experience, as viewers can watch the presentation at their own pace, or even pause and rewind certain sections. Screen captures are also useful for creating an archive of the webinar, which can be used for future reference or for review.

Best Practices

• Use the highest resolution possible – larger images are easier to read and provide more detail.
• Make sure your text is legible – use the largest text size available.
• Use a consistent format for all screen captures – this will make it easier to work with them later.
• Name the screen capture appropriately – this will help you find it quickly.
• Include a descriptive caption with each screen capture – this will help you remember what it is and how it fits into your project.
• Crop out any unnecessary parts of the image – this will make it easier to focus on the important parts.
• Use a consistent color palette for your screenshots – this will help to make them look cohesive.
• Add annotations or arrows to point out important details – this will help to draw attention to key points.
• Highlight areas of interest with boxes or circles – this will make it easier to quickly identify areas of focus.
• Consider using a screenshot editing program to clean up the image – this will help make it look more professional.
• Include a reference link with each screenshot – this will make it easier for others to find the source material.

Accessibility Best Practices

• Provide alternative text to images, videos, and other visual content displayed. 
• Include all relevant information as text. 
• Be conscious of color choice as some colors are more difficult to view.