Learn To Use a Slidedoc™

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When you have an idea or message that you need to get out there, but it has too many details for an email, and you won’t be able to present it, a Slidedoc™ is perfect!  

A Slidedoc™ is a visual document specifically designed for quick consumption. You can create them with any presentation software by chunking the content onto slides. The format should contain the right balance of detail and be able to be scanned easily. When you look at your Slidedoc™ as a whole, you should see the entire message, but each page should be able to stand alone as well.   

A Slidedoc™ could be a secret weapon when you want to spread your message throughout your organization! They are also great for pre-reads, leave-behinds, and reference material.  Here are some tips to you get you started:   

Know your audience 

Yes, getting to know your audience is number one! If you want to understand someone truly, you need to walk in their shoes. Think about what matters to them and what is in it for them. Anticipate questions and concerns they might have.   

Establish your Big Idea™ 

The Big Idea™ is your unique point of view and what’s at stake for those who do or do not adopt your point of view, and then you put those elements in a complete sentence. This will be the core of your Slidedoc™. 

One point per slide 

Keeping this top of mind will help you stay focused and not overelaborate. Each idea should connect to your Big Idea™. If you are running out of room on a slide, you are most likely straying from your one point. You don’t need to explain everything you know about the topic; it is about making the information easy to consume and understand.   

Format 

Slidedocs® use aspects from book formats. They have a cover, table of contents, and chapter title pages that mark the structure. The title should make people want to read it, and clear copy will ensure that your audience fully absorbs your message. 

Layout and visual hierarchy 

Your content must be organized with a visual hierarchy that makes it clear what to read first and what is most important. To make text stand out, take the time to highlight or bold sections. 

The below layout consists of these four elements: data, images, diagrams, and text. The title and subtitle should be placed in the top left in the largest type size.

Here are some examples of 2, 3 and 4 column layouts. You can have up to 6 columns, however, I don’t recommend any more. If you notice, the title and subtitles always stay in the same place, but the pages look very different. 

There are many reasons why you should use a Slidedoc™ and different ways to build them. However, crafting an outstanding Slidedoc™ requires careful attention to detail. By investing time in both its content and its design, your hard work will pay off, you’ve got this! 

Click to download the free Slidedocs ebook and templates.

Thanks for reading,  

You can learn more about this topic in the Slidedocs® on-demand course. 

Want to know more about storytelling in business? The expert communication consultants, creatives, trainers, and coaches at Duarte, Inc. are here to help. Whether you choose to learn from us or work with us, we’ll transform how you and your teams communicate using the Duarte Method®. Contact us to speak with a representative – we look forward to hearing from you!