Building complex custom animations in PPT is a frequent requirement here at CGI. Using the Selection Pane is a powerful tool that helps speed production. Remember using the Tab button to drill down to an object buried under multiple layers? Have you ever been frustrated by an animation sequence because you chose Picture 3 instead of Picture 2? Then you’ll love this feature.

In PowerPoint 2007 from the Home ribbon look for the Editing toolbar which includes Find, Replace and Select.

Open the drop down menu for select and choose Selection Pane.The Selection and Visibility task pane offers some powerful options.

Here you can assign a logical name to objects by double clicking on the name in the task bar. If I use two grouped shapes to create a mask effect I can name the Group to be “Mask”. It is good practice to assign names to objects as you build a presentation because updating an object name on slide 3 will not automatically update it throughout the presentation.

Do you need to edit a piece of text that is hidden behind other layers? In the Selection Pane choose Hide All at the bottom of the task bar and then click on the visibility box next to the object you want to edit. Make your change and select Show All at the bottom of the task bar.

Tired of using Send to Back, Bring Forward to get your layering right? When you choose Arrange you will find the Selection Pane option at the bottom of the menu. Open the Selection Pane and use the Re-order arrows to move the object into the correct position. Arranging your layers so that text peeks out from under “Mask” rather than on top will be simple to correct by reading your list of labeled objects.

Keep both the Selection pane and Custom Animation task pane open and you will fly through your animation sequences. “Grab” an object from the Selection pane and “Add an Effect” in the Custom Animation pane.

One more thing, just because you can animate objects faster now doesn’t mean you should. Be selective about adding drama to your presentation; you don’t want your audience reaching for the Dramamine!

How can SlideShare be used as a business leads tool? Inspire others? Tell a story? I feel as though SlideShare is often overlooked as a community platform where people can connect about their interests and share information. Although it can be a great place to simply upload web content, doing so doesn’t allow SlideShare to fully flex its community muscles. Below are a few tips on how to optimize the platform as part of a larger marketing plan:

Create Dynamic Content:  Create presentations that are dynamic and include links to related sites within the presentation. This can help drive traffic to your website, other online content (such as Youtube videos), or give others credit if you use a quote or other content that can be linked to online.

Become Involved with SlideShare Community: Once you have set up your profile, search for other users with similar interests and “favorite” their presentations. Also, make comments on people’s work you like or have an opinion about. By doing this you can start conversations within the SlideShare community and strengthen your online network.

Spread the Love: Other social networks such as LinkedIn and Facebook are very SlideShare friendly and have applications that allow you to share your work. Upload presentations onto other social networking platforms to reach your established community. In addition, other people who don’t use SlideShare can find your information there and find out a little bit more about who you are or what your company does.

Push the Boundaries: Recently I watched a  webinar by Hubspot on “How to Use Online Video for Inbound Marketing.” In the webinar the presenters, Karen Rubin and Mike Vlope, used their usual pod casting format, while users could flip through their SlideShare presentation. It was great! I was able to listen and flip at either my own pace or theirs and even stop the audio and go back later when it was convenient for me. The dynamic use of the platform made the information easily socialized and presentable online.

The point to remember is that SlideShare is more than just a place for content creation. With PowerPoint being such an easy way to share information with others,  the power of using SlideShare to create or expand a community presence increases your online marketing potential.

Are there any unique ways you use SlideShare that you have found useful in your marketing plans?

For many years we’ve had a consistent user interface with Microsoft PowerPoint that is easy to navigate with key elements having some prominence. Successfully, we’ve made the transition in using not only the 97/2003 PowerPoint version but also the PowerPoint 2007 version.

A big shift in the user interface has caused some unwanted discomfort in learning a new menu system that no longer uses the “File” menu system. Instead, a ‘pretty’ button-heavy interface has laced the 2007 software with many changes – it’s almost like learning new software, not just about new options.

One key element to having success using the software is navigation. If you can’t menu items, you’re going to struggle until that is not an issue. The good news is, there are charts which can help speed things up.

You can find a PowerPoint 2007 Cheat Sheet (thanks to http://www.computerworld.com) that will help you find menu items so you’re able to access functions of PowerPoint like you had in the previous software. In case you don’t notice, there are 8 pages in that sheet about all the buttons. It will also give you keyboard shortcuts for those who take advantage of quick access!