Many presentations are given every single day—and many of those presentation end up falling into a trap of being dull and boring. Here are 4 tips on how to keep your audience engaged during your presentation.
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1. Connection over content¹
You want to create an emotional response within the viewer. Think back to any presentation that has left an impact on you. It stirred something in you, whether it was wonder, horror, excitement, joy—whatever it was, you felt it. This is how you keep an audience invested in a presentation, because they want you to continue. A recent study² on attention span shows that the first lapses in the audience’s attention tends to happen within the first minute. It is important to make that connection before anything else. Ask a question, get them to move around a bit, that connection is important to keeping them engaged.

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2. Variety is the spice of life
It is important to make sure throughout the presentation, the same notes are not hit over and over. Having highs and lows, whether it's in terms of energy, content matter, storytelling, or cadence will add the needed variety. Creating movement and rhythm will leave the audience on their toes and more interested in what could happen next. And with any spice (variety), it is important not to overuse it. Creating different segments and moments is important but it should all be cohesive.
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3. Know your audience
The tone of your presentation will influence whether or not your audience will be receptive. Who you are talking to should and will directly influence the way you talk to your audience³. Whether the subject matter at hand is something they are experts in or they are brand new to the ideas being presented, it is important to identify who you are talking to before anything else.
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4. Clean slides⁴
Lastly, good clean looking slides is also important. While presenting and talking to your audience in an engaging way is significant, it is equally as important to have organized slides that contribute to your presentation rather than takeaway. This looks different for everyone, but some things to consider are:
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• Animation: Are my slides moving so much that they are distracting? Does the animation help to further my story?
• Organization: Are my slides readable? Is the information designed in a way that makes it easily digestible?
• Consistency: Do my slides read as one big presentation or are they disjointed and confusing?

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1. The secret structure of great talks by Nancy Duarte | TED Conferences
2. Attention span during lectures: 8 seconds, 10 minutes, or more? by Neil A. Bradbury | American Physiology Study
3. 10 tips for speaking like a Ted Talk pro by Katherine Lee | American physiology Association
4. 3 Essential Tips for Engaging and Effective Public Speaking by Neil Thompson | NewsGuard