I’m a big fan of slide decks. When done well, they’re an incredible channel for absorbing information without actually realizing how much ground you’ve covered or the volume of new knowledge you’ve taken in.
In fact, 91% of survey respondents say that a well-designed slide deck makes them feel more confident when having to give a speech or presentation, and 92% believe presentation skills are crucial to success. The biggest challenges according to that same survey? Crafting a compelling story (46%), designing a creative layout (45%), and finding great visuals to use (41%).
However, you don’t have to be an award-winning designer to create your own. With the right tools and a little creativity, almost anyone can kick out a slide deck that looks good and is both informative and engaging. Just remember the golden design rules, and keep it authentic, rely on visuals more than text, tailor to your audience, tell a story, solve a problem, and limit each slide to only one idea. With that in mind, try any one of these spectacular creation tools:
Create, upload to SlideShare, and release your baby to the world. These creation tools has been proved to be safe as their sites provides a secured connections instead of showing an unsecurred web protocol, so you shouldn’t doubt about your online data privacy while using them.
In addition to boosting your confidence, visual elements like a slide deck are the ideal way to introduce information. Studies show that we remember only about 10% of what we hear three days later. Add a visual to that, and we remember 65%.
What’s more, videos and presentations were the top choice for 23% of marketers in terms of performance and engagement, second only to original graphics like charts and infographics.
Slide decks are popular, easily shared, relatively simple to create, and one of the best ways to both distribute and assimilate information. Good for the goose, good for the gander.
Of course, not all slides are created equal – and there’s no shortage of decks that just aren’t worth your time. So don’t waste it! I’ve done the heavy lifting for you and found 40 of the best marketing slide decks to watch and share.
1. Mindy Weinstein – “Engaging Content Marketing for Boring Industries”
Engaging Content Marketing for Boring Industries from Market MindShift
Are you tasked with using content to market a “boring” industry, and feeling envious of those who get to promote “fun” industries? This one’s for you.
These are the slides from Market MindShift founder Mindy Weinstein’s presentation at SEJ Summit 2017, in which she demonstrates how to turn any industry on its head and create on-topic content that people want to consume – whether it’s about puppies or paper clips. Weinstein boils it down to three crucial steps: develop real-life stories, watch for inspiration everywhere, and focus on being practical and personal. Boring? Nothing is boring with the right attitude.
2. iPullRank – “You Don’t Know SEO”
You Don’t Know SEO from iPullRank
But you’re not alone. SEO, or search engine optimization, can seem overwhelming and daunting, but Michael King from iPullRank has created a brilliant guide chock full of explanations and insight.
It’s a whopping 214 slides, but hey, SEO can be a complicated beast. You’ll understand SEO, Google, Bing, and others better.
Oh, and the deck is one of the best looking I’ve ever seen.
3. Mark Schaefer – “6 Questions to Lead You to a Social Media Strategy”
6 Questions to Lead You to a Social Media Strategy from Mark Schaefer
In 84 quick and snappy slides, Mark will help you establish:
- Whether social media is likely to be an effective tool for marketing your brand
- A voice for your brand
- Where your customers are hiding
- How to measure your success
Overall, it’s an excellent resource for anyone debating whether or not to begin incorporating social media advertising into their marketing strategy (hint – the answer is “yes”). The slide deck may be a few years old, but it remains as fresh and relevant today as it was back then.
4. We Are Social – “Global Statshot: Digital in Q3 2018”
Global Statshot: Digital in Q3 2018 from We Are Social
Another social slide deck for you. This one is a detailed resource that delves into the prevalence of social media usage (both on mobile and desktop platforms) across the globe.
This is seriously valuable stuff, whether you just want to know more about how people are utilizing social media in your corner of the world, or if you’re in the process of formulating a social strategy targeted at customers overseas.
These 55 slides contain some of the latest and freshest stats available in the digital sphere, including the number of worldwide active social media users (3.356 billion) and the percentage of internet users in developed economies that visited an ecommerce site in the previous 30 days (92%).
Good to know.
5. Content Marketing Institute – “85+ Predictions on Content Marketing in 2019”
85+ Predictions on Content Marketing in 2019 from CMI
As the saying goes, the only constant is change. What is true or works today may not necessarily be so tomorrow.
Leave it to the content folks at CMI to collect some pearls of wisdom from content marketing experts on what the next 12 months may have in store for us.
6. Constant Contact – “50 Expert Tips for Getting Started on Social Media”
50 Expert Tips for Getting Started on Social Media from Constant Contact
Another worthy read for anyone about to get started using social media for business (or for anyone who already knows their stuff, but just wants to pick up a few extra pointers).
Constant Contact asked 50 social media pros: “If you were to give a one-sentence tip to a small business owner just starting out with social media, what would you say?” Their straightforward, no-nonsense responses make up the bulk of this highly motivational deck.
There are heaps of valuable tips and actionable ideas inside, but my favorite has to be from Ann Handley (she of Marketing Profs fame, and one of the most influential people in the industry). She says, “Be useful to your audience. Think: Would people THANK ME for this? Is it meeting their needs, or just fulfilling my agenda?” Use that one piece of advice to guide you, and you’ll rarely if ever take a wrong step.
7. Motivate Design – “The What If Technique”
The What If Technique from Motivate Design
Is the growth of your business being held back by fear, tried-and-tested processes, or the resulting incremental changes? In 49 beautifully-illustrated slides, Motivated Design will show you how disruptive thinking can enable you to make BIG changes that will start driving real growth from within.
This is seriously clever stuff, yet it’s so simple you’ll wonder how you didn’t think of it yourself. And it works – if you’ve got the guts to take risks and make great things happen.
8. Mark Schaefer – “Secrets to Building an Actionable Audience”
Secrets to building an actionable audience from Mark Schaefer
The best audiences are the ones that take action. These are the people that don’t just view your content – they pass it on, and, all being well, turn into customers. Put the two together and you have seriously valuable brand advocates.
In this dynamic slideshow, 14 industry experts share their secrets to getting the eyes of an actionable audience on your brand. No matter how great your product or service, it won’t amount to a hill of beans if the right people don’t see it. That’s marketing in a nutshell: the right product to the right people at the right time.
This deck helps you find the right people and make today the right time. An actionable audience hits two of the three boxes on your checklist.
9. Twenty Over Ten – “How to Succeed in 2019: Top Digital Marketing Trends to Watch”
How to Succeed in 2019: Top Digital Marketing Trends to Watch from Twenty Over Ten
What does 2019 have in store for the digital marketing industry? Where might it be heading? This deck aims to answer those questions and get you one step ahead of the emerging trends.
Trying to guess the next “it” tactic or channel is a lot like trying to predict the future: there are a lot of hits and misses. Director of Sales and Marketing Samantha Russell presents the facts and data that point us in the right direction with voice search, chatbots and live chats, video, social media, and more, and she does so in only 30 slides. Russell even provides actionable advice and recommended tools to assist you. Harness the trends before they pass you by.
10. Ed Fry – “How To (Really) Get Into Marketing”
How To (Really) Get Into Marketing from Ed Fry
Are you about to leave school or considering a career move into marketing? Demand for digital marketers has never been stronger, and will only get bigger. Set yourself up for success and check out this excellent intro to the world of marketing from former Inbounder (now of Hull, a real-time B2B customer data platform) Ed Fry.
Learn:
- What marketing actually is
- The diverse range of roles available
- How to find a job in marketing by – shock! horror! – marketing yourself
Anything you can do to ease your transition into a new field is well worth the time and investment. This deck may be three years old now, but when it’s this good, it never really goes out of style.
11. HubSpot – “The Top 10 Most Remarkable Marketing Campaigns EVER”
The Top 10 Most Remarkable Marketing Campaigns EVER from HubSpot
Remarkable is a rather subjective term, but the good folks over at Hubspot have a terrific track record and have earned the benefit of the doubt. If anyone recognizes exceptional marketing, it’s them. The deck is six years old now, but a great campaign is a great campaign, period. Are they still the best ever? Maybe, maybe not. But it doesn’t matter. Remember Elf Yourself? Or the marketing for the original (and best) The Blair Witch Project? Whether five years old or fifty, they still knock it out of the park.
The short and succinct slideshow features ten outstanding marketing campaigns that will educate and inspire you to be more remarkable in your marketing, too. As the saying goes, stand on the shoulders of giants.
And if you want even more proof that an ‘old’ campaign can still inspire and rank among the best today, check out this deck from Laura Baddish of The Baddish Group. New or younger doesn’t always mean better.
12. Litmus – The State of Email in 2018
The State of Email in 2018 from Litmus
Want to see five key insights derived from tracking 15 billion (yes, billion) email opens and industry news? Everything from privacy and anti-spam laws and their impact on email marketing, to major design trends are waiting for you.
Email marketing was, is, and will continue to deliver your best return-on-investment – as high as 4400% – but the industry is not without change. Stay on top if you want to see those “best in class” results.
13. HubSpot – “What Would Steve Do? 10 Lessons from the World’s Most Captivating Presenters”
What Would Steve Do? 10 Lessons from the World’s Most Captivating Presenters from HubSpot
Deliver an awe-inspiring presentation and you’ll make people sit up, listen, and remember you. It’s a foolproof marketing tool. But to be the best, you need to learn from the best.
Another shout out for the HubSpot team in this inspirational look at what we can learn from some of the world’s very best on-stage speakers from past and present.
And check out the corresponding blog post from Hubspot for a more in-depth examination of the tips in the deck.
14. SEMrush – “3 Ingredients to Spice Up Your Content Marketing”
3 Ingredients to Spice Up Your Content Marketing from SEMrush
We’re all looking to get better at selling, converting, marketing, connecting, and so on. This deck not only delivers some excellent advice and actionable tips to improve your content, but the entire thing – all 51 slides – are presented as a visually-stunning comic book. Who says decks are boring?
If you want an easy-to-follow but effective blueprint to create more compelling content, this deck won’t disappoint. If you want to experience how brilliant content can be, look no further. It’s a knockout on each front.
15. Content Marketing Institute – “B2B Content Marketing: 2019 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends”
B2B Content Marketing: 2017 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends from Content Marketing Institute
Where better to look at the latest stats, data, and what everyone is doing – and not doing – than CMI’s highly-regarded annual report? It’s become one of the industry’s go-to sources for trends, budget allocations, tactics, and recommendations for B2B marketers.
A sneak peek? B2B marketers primarily use email (87%) and educational content (77%) to nurture their audience, but that’s not all they do.
Covering budget, spending, goals, metrics, creation, distribution, and more, this deck provides the answers to questions you may not have even thought to ask yet. Worth its weight in gold.
16. Content Marketing Institute – “B2C Content Marketing: 2019 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends”
B2C Content Marketing: 2019 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends from Content Marketing Institute
Of course, not all marketers are in the B2B game, so what good would the previous deck be? Enter the B2C version. While there may not be tremendous differences, it does provide the chance to compare the differences that do exist, and will give you the same impressive insight. Find out where and how your colleagues are reaching their targets.
What are the top three methods for researching an audience? Social media listening, website analytics, and keyword research.
Want to know more? Don’t skip this deck.
17. HubSpot – “How to Suck at Marketing”
How To Suck at Marketing from HubSpot
Are you sending unsolicited, non-personalized emails? Stuffing keywords into your web copy? Or just throwing spaghetti at the wall as you try every possible strategy to get people to buy your products? Newsflash: you’re doing it wrong.
Learn how to become a brilliant marketer by, first of all, learning what not to do in this brutally honest and smartly presented slide deck from the HubSpot team. Marketing may have changed in the past few years, but what to avoid has stayed remarkably the same.
18. TopRank Marketing – 15 Ways to Fail & 25 Ways to Win with Influencer Marketing
15 Ways to Fail & 25 Ways to Win with Influencer Marketing from TopRank Marketing
Love it or hate it, influencer marketing is powerful and effective. For every $1 spent, businesses are seeing an average return of $7.65, and influencer marketing ad spend is expected to be between $5-10 billion by 2022. Are you on board? Or are you thinking ‘why bother?’
The average engagement rate for an influencer across industry verticals is 5.7%, while it’s only 2-3% for brands.
That’s why. Let TopRank provide the dos and dont’s for getting started in what is an increasingly-important channel to generate leads, awareness, and revenue.
19. Matt Siltala – “Why Visual Content Works”
Why Visual Content Works from Matt Siltala
Find out just how effective visual content really is (hint: very) in this charming Simpsons-themed presentation from Avalaunch Media co-founder Matt Siltala.
We’re hard-wired for visuals. We love them. We intuitively understand them better than text.
And if you’re looking for a list of types of visual content that work well in modern marketing, take a quick stroll through these 15 slides by Digital Deeksha.
20. Uberflip and Visually – “The Art of Visual Content and the Science That Makes It Convert”
The Art of Visual Content and the Science That Makes it Convert from Uberflip
This slide deck offers another look into the effectiveness of imagery in marketing, this time from the guys at Uberflip and visual content hub Visually. They reveal:
- Why visual content works
- How to figure out if your idea has legs
- Proven guidelines for designing effective visuals
- Examples of awesome visual content that’s gone viral
21. Michael Brenner – “Tips, Tools, and Templates to Help You Build Your Content Marketing Strategy”
Tips, Tools, and Templates to Help You Build Your Content Marketing Strategy from Michael Brenner
It’s never too late to get started with content marketing. The only failure is if you never start. Marketing Insider Group CEO Brenner provides everything you need to get that strategy up and running today.
If you ever thought it was too late or too hard to get started, this deck is the resource you’ve been hoping for. Even if you have an existing content strategy, Brenner’s templates and tools might give you some new ideas.
The stats Brenner includes may be from 2015, but if anything, content marketing has only gotten more important in the past four years. His framework for getting started or getting better still applies to 2019 and beyond.
22. Justin Keller – “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Marketing Automation”
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Marketing Automation from Justin Keller
In 2019, you need to work smarter, not harder. And that means automating wherever and whenever you can. There are just too many amazing products, services, and apps available to turn a blind eye to them all.
So learn a bit more about it. And then do it where applicable to you and your business.
23. Chris Snider – “Social Media Strategy for 2018 (and Beyond)”
Social Media Strategy for 2018 (and Beyond) from Chris Snider
When we think social media, most of us immediately think Facebook. Do we rely too heavily on it in our social media marketing? Yes.
Does that matter? Yes again, especially as we learn more and more about its business practices and data breaches.
Snider, a professor at Drake University, offers his suggestions for a Facebook-less (or at least less Facebook) social media strategy. Looking for Facebook alternatives? Look no further.
24. Exposure Ninja – “How to Future Proof Your Link Building Strategy 2019”
How to Future Proof Your Link Building Strategy 2019 from Exposure Ninja
Link building may not get the press that it used to, but it’s still a crucial element of your marketing and SEO. It remains a key ranking factor for the search engines, but if you’re not careful, it can quickly land you with the dreaded Google penalty.
Exposure Ninja gives you a simple guide on the history of backlinks, how and why Google is changing (it’s always changing), what differentiates a good link, and how to future-proof yours.
25. Moving Targets – “Psychology Hacks to Boost Your Marketing”
Psychology Hacks to Boost your Marketing from Moving Targets
At its core, marketing is all about successfully tapping into the needs and desires of your target consumers. Or in other words – understanding the psychology of your audience.
Learn how to apply proven principles of psychology to your marketing in this eye-opening slideshow from Moving Targets. Understand how and why we think and behave the way we do, and you can better tap into getting people to take action. Your action.
Another great deck on this same topic is Psychology of Persuasive Content by Nathalie Nahai, who writes on web psychology and human behavior.
26. Gagglepod – “How to Start a Podcast”
How to Start a Podcast from Gagglepod
Is it time to add a podcast to your marketing mix? While it may not be for everyone, the answer is probably ‘yes’. Consider:
- 64% of Americans have heard of podcasts (that’s a higher percentage than those who can name the Vice President)
- 44% of Americans have listened to a podcast, and 26% listen to them monthly
- There are somewhere in the vicinity of 630,000 active podcasts
- Podcast listeners are almost equally divided between men (52%) and women (48%) in the United States
- 80% of listeners will listen to either the entire podcast or “most of it”
This slide deck from Gagglepod introduces you to the medium, process, tools, production, launch, and more. Variety is the spice of life. Make sure your marketing tactics include a wide variety of types and channels.
27. Kissmetrics – “Optimizing Your Content Marketing and Blogs for Conversions”
Optimizing Your Content Marketing and Blogs for Conversions from Kissmetrics
The team over at the (now defunct) Kissmetrics blog knows a thing or two about conversions. And marketing. And blogging. Who better to toss some priceless tips and tricks your way on those very subjects?
The deck clocks in at 75 slides, but shares a wealth of insight on myths, how to get data-driven, and a case study to bring it all together.
It’s all about the conversions. Get them.
28. Matt Siltala – “How to create the best content in the world”
How to create the best content in the world from Matt Siltala
Using the tips and ideas presented by Siltala, you can create faster content with less effort but more reach. Sound too good to be true? This deck proves it.
Pick your topics wisely. Leverage what you make. And promote more than you create.
29. Michael Stricker – “How to CRO Like There’s No Tomorrow”
How to CRO Like There’s No Tomorrow from Michael Stricker
If you’re not converting, nothing else matters. Not traffic, not likes, not shares, not opt-ins. Nothing. Digital marketing is a conversion game.
Stricker presents CRO as the 4 riders of the Apocalypse: war, famine, plague, and death. But don’t let that scare you. He walks you through an uncomplicated method for conversion optimization that anyone can use to get more of whatever it is you’re after. Get visitors engaged, reduce their options, and convert.
30. Bruce Kasanoff – “DO GOOD (Better)”
DO GOOD (Better) from Bruce Kasanoff
Giving back can be one of the best things you do for your brand – unfortunately, it’s not always easy to get decision-makers on board with your more charitable ideas.
In DO GOOD (Better), Kasanoff shows us how to improve our communication skills and presentation techniques in order to better articulate our ideas for simultaneously building a better brand and a better world.
And that’s a win-win regardless of your industry.
31. Ideya Business and Marketing Consultancy – “Social Media Monitoring Tools and Services Presentation 2018”
Social Media Monitoring Tools and Services Presentation 2018 from Ideya Business and Marketing Consultancy
You know you need to include social media in your outreach and marketing mix.
But what you may not know is how to better use and monitor social media to your advantage. This deck from Luisa Milic includes 173 social technologies: listening tools, social media monitoring tools, social media management tools, social intelligence tools, social analytics, social media marketing tools, social customer care tools, and social suites.
Your SMM just got better.
32. Gianluca Fiorelli – “How to Create Buyer Personas”
How to Create Buyer Personas from Gianluca Fiorelli
You can’t market to anyone until you know exactly who you’re targeting. To do that, you need to create detailed buyer personas.
Fiorelli will take you on a guided tour of the questions to ask, the tools to use, and the ways to collect both qualitative and quantitative data to build buyer personas for your brand and your product.
Personas are a necessary step for any successful campaign. 71% of businesses that exceed their revenue and lead gen goals have documented personas. They can lead you to higher quality leads, shorter sales cycles, and better open and click rates.
If you’d like a shorter introduction to the concept of personas, check out Persona & User Journey in Practice by Afif Bimantara. It’s only about one-third the size, but does cover the big ideas.
33. Gavin McMahon – “Pixar’s 22 Rules to Phenomenal Storytelling”
Pixar’s 22 Rules to Phenomenal Storytelling from Gavin McMahon
I’m a huge advocate of leveraging storytelling in your marketing – and where better to learn how to tell an incredible story than from the masters of animated screenplay, Pixar? They know stories.
Their 22 rules to phenomenal storytelling are timeless.
34. SilverTech – “The 2018 State of Digital Marketing”
The 2018 State of Digital Marketing from SilverTech
Dozens of marketers took part in the third annual survey from SilverTech, and the results are a host of revealing insights into the processes of the modern marketer. The report presents not only key findings, but highlights the different direction and priorities between large companies and SMBs, with emerging trends, challenges, and more for each group.
35. Rand Fishkin – “The Search World in 2018”
The Search World in 2018 from Rand Fishkin
If you want to stay up to speed with the state of organic search, there are few people I’d recommend following more than the poster-boy for SEO – the brilliant Mr. Fishkin. Here, the Moz and SparkToro founder talks through where people search, what you need to rank in the modern world, and how Google is changing (always, always changing).
Be sure to take a look at the full slide deck, then get yourself over to the Moz blog for lots more awesome tips and insights.
36. Hiten Shah – “Content Marketing Lessons From 10 Years and 41,525,103 Website Visits”
Content Marketing Lessons From 10 Years and 41,525,103 Website Visits from Hiten Shah
Hiten Shah, one of my former partners at Single Grain, boasts over 10 years’ digital and content experience and is jointly responsible (alongside the talented Neil Patel) for the creation of both KISSmetrics and Crazy Egg, in addition to co-hosting The Startup Chat, a biweekly podcast with Steli Efti. So it’s “probably” safe to say he knows his stuff.
This slide deck features his pick of the most valuable content marketing tips, tricks, and lessons that he’s learned along the way.
37. Hiten Shah – “Using Analytics to Solve the Right Problems”
Using Analytics To Solve The Right Problems from Hiten Shah
Another great deck from Hiten Shah – here he demonstrates how to delve down to the nitty-gritty of your analytics data, identify the most cumbersome problems your customers encounter, and use this information to make informed decisions that drive positive changes to your web design and content strategy.
As he says of the slides, “You’ll learn how to think like a scientist, using a hypothesis-driven approach to design, and creating successful tests to help you improve your work through focused iteration.” The deck is a few years old, but the tips and ideas are evergreen.
38. ELIV8 Business Strategies – “8 Free Types of Marketing Strategies”
8 Free Types of Marketing Strategies from Brian Downard
Who doesn’t love free stuff? There’s nothing revolutionary in this deck from ELIV8 Business Strategies, but it’s a great resource for anyone who’s relatively new to marketing.
It features clear, detailed breakdowns of the strategies it advocates – precisely what you need to be able to start putting the practices into action immediately.
39. Wishpond – “100 Marketing Growth Hacks”
100 Marketing Growth Hacks from Wishpond
If you’re a regular reader here, you’ll already know I’m a big advocate for growth hacking – why wait years for a brand to take off when you can apply clever marketing techniques that propel the growth of your company and the speed at which you start turning a profit?
This excellent deck from Wishpond details what growth tips, tricks, and hacks took them to 300,000+ product sign-ups in five years. This is accompanied by a number of real-world examples that will settle any arguments about whether or not this stuff actually works (spoiler alert: it does).
40. Jesse Desjardins – “You Suck at Powerpoint”
You Suck At PowerPoint! from Jesse Desjardins – @jessedee
And last but definitely not least, if you’re feeling inspired by all these fantastic slideshows and thinking about creating your own, then you need to check out one final slide deck. “You Suck at Powerpoint” is packed with actionable tips to help you, well, stop sucking at PowerPoint. The imagery used to illustrate his points is well worth a look.
Got another slide deck recommendation that didn’t make the list? Share your suggestions in the comments below:
Great list – Feel free to swap the Instagram guide with the original (http://www.slideshare.net/rosssimmonds/the-ultimate-guide-to-instagram-marketing) — Awesome post as always dude.
Thanks Ross! I’ve swapped out the link. Sorry for the linking to the wrong place.
[…] • 35 Best Digital Marketing Slide Decks […]
Super helpful. Thanks you!
Great collection of digital marketing slides! Worthful.
I’m liking this
Superb useful content Sujan.
Thanks for sharing
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