Word clouds are visually appealing graphics that showcase key words and phrases in a text. The more frequently a word appears in the text, the larger it appears in the word cloud.
Adding word clouds to PowerPoint presentations is an impactful technique to highlight key points and intrigue your audience. This article will walk you through the entire process step-by-step.
Why Use Word Clouds in Presentations
Before jumping into the how-to, let’s discuss some of the key benefits of using word clouds in PowerPoint:
Draw Attention to Keywords
The varying text sizes naturally draw viewers’ eyes to the largest words. This allows you to emphasize important themes or ideas throughout your presentation.
Break up Text-Heavy Slides
Word clouds provide visual relief and make text-heavy slides more palatable and scannable for audiences. The graphic draws interest and helps reinforce main points.
Engage Your Audience
The colorful, eye-catching layout delights audiences and makes your presentation more memorable. The visual also sparks curiosity and encourages participation.
Summarize Concepts
Word clouds act as at-a-glance summaries of key concepts, terms, ideas, or survey responses discussed in your presentation.
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Word Clouds in PowerPoint
Without further ado, here is the step-by-step process for making stunning word clouds directly within PowerPoint:
Install the Word Cloud Add-in
First, you need to install the Word Cloud add-in:
- Open your PowerPoint presentation and select the Insert tab.
- Click on Get Add-ins in the Add-ins section.
- Search for “Word Cloud” and install the add-in.
Once installed, a new Word Cloud section will appear on the Insert tab in PowerPoint.
Enter the Source Text
Next, you need to provide the source text for your word cloud. Here are two options:
- Paste Text: Copy and paste text directly into the add-in text box.
- Insert Slide Text: Highlight text from an existing slide before clicking the add-in.
Make sure to include enough text to generate a robust word cloud.
Customize the Layout
Now for the fun part – customizing! Tweak the following settings:
- Word Quantity: Higher quantity for more words.
- Color Scheme: Select color combinations.
- Font and Size: Change typography and scale.
- Shape: Pick circle, square, vertical, heart, etc.
- Rotation: Allow random text rotation.
Keep adjusting until you achieve your desired visual style!
Insert and Resize
Once created, the word cloud will appear in the slide. Resize and reposition as needed by dragging the edges and center.
And that’s it! With just a few clicks you can now generate eye-catching and informative word clouds.
Creative Ways to Use Word Clouds in Presentations
Now that you know how to make word clouds in PowerPoint, here are some creative ways to utilize them in your next presentation:
Openers and Closers
Place a word cloud at the start or end of your slideshow to bookend the main themes and topics.
Agendas
Visually demonstrate the key areas you’ll cover by highlighting them in a word cloud agenda slide.
Summaries
Reinforce the core concepts and ideas by showing them once more in a summary word cloud slide.
Data Visualization
Turn survey responses, social media hashtags, or other data sets into colorful word clouds.
Interactive Engagement
Poll your audience in real-time and display the live responses in an interactive word cloud.
The applications are endless! Word clouds provide excellent visual reinforcement and audience engagement.
Just remember to tailor the word cloud content specifically to mesh with your presentation narrative for maximum impact.
Conclusion
Adding eye-catching word clouds to your next PowerPoint presentation is simple with the built-in add-in.
These dynamic graphics draw attention, break up text, summarize concepts, and wow audiences.
Follow the step-by-step instructions to install the add-in, input text, customize the layout, and insert the word cloud into your slides.
Then, spice up your next presentation by strategically placing word clouds on opener, transition, agenda, data visualization, summary, and closer slides.
Word clouds provide excellent visual and interactive elements to captivate audiences while reinforcing your presentation content.
So try adding this popular visual aid to your next PowerPoint presentation. Just follow this guide for fantastic results every time!
