We live in a really fast paced world. So many things beg for our attention that it's pretty easy to miss something. Therefore, the question for us content makers is:
How do we make it a little more probable to get the attention of our readers or followers?
On social media platforms, we scroll through endless timelines, picking things that look interesting. But what makes something look interesting? It may be a catchy headline, or a stunning picture. Animations can stir interest, too.
Let me show you how to use PowerPoint to create them.
PowerPoint, you ask?
The idea is really simple:
- Create a small presentation
- Export it as an animated GIF
If your favorite alternative presentation software can do that, too, you certainly don't need PowerPoint.
But why animated GIFs, not a video clip? Aren't they clips, too?
The files are usually smaller. Also, the .gif file format is known to basically all browsers. Finally, an animated GIF is easily embedable in, for example, Markdown. So there's no need to link to YouTube. The clip is visible immediately.
The first step is to create a nice, small presentation. Make sure to use just a few slides. What's particularly important: add transitions.
Tip: apply one to the whole presentation. The clip will be very short, so there's no point in using different transition styles.
The final step is to export the presentation:
Here's an example I created recently:
Now, doesn't that look cool?
But please don't stretch the idea, because if we all use nothing else but animated GIFs, our readers will soon be bored. Therefore, choose wisely when to use animations. Photos certainly are a good candidate.
One final note: platforms usually impose a limit on upload sizes so you may need to try out a few export settings.
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