How to Keep Readers Engaged with Your PowerPoint Reports

You’ve got a lot of data—that’s great. But how can you make sure that all those numbers won’t make your audience disconnect after the third or fourth slide?

How you present your data can make all the difference. You want to tell a data story, not just produce a slideshow of stats.

Here are some tips that can help you create a compelling report and keep readers engaged from the first to the last slide.

1. Use visuals such as charts and graphs

Visual elements draw attention to key data points and make stats easier to digest. The right visuals make data pop and break the monotony of text.

Visual content activates more areas of the brain than plain text—it’s the key to creating more engaging presentations. Visualizations that use trends, comparisons, or ranks can be especially effective.

Spending way too long adding charts or graphs to your report?

You can turn your data into branded reports in seconds with PPTX Builder. Book a demo to find out more.

2. Focus on consistency

Consistency across slides and presentations makes information easier to follow and boost brand familiarity.

When you keep your design consistent, viewers won’t be wasting time processing new layouts or making sense of different styles. Instead, they will focus on the content.

If you don’t have a company slide layout, check out 10 Tips for Creating Better PowerPoint Layouts with Slide Master.

3. Keep it simple

When you’re creating data-driven reports, you have to be careful not to oversaturate your report with facts.

More is not necessarily better—fewer stats, simpler graphs, and cleaner layouts can strengthen your presentation.

Keep readers engaged by including only essential information. In other words, run your data through a ‘value filter’.

With PPTX Builder you can easily customize and streamline charts.

4. Avoid overcrowding

We’ve already talked about the value of simplicity. Avoiding a cluttered, overcrowded design is just as important.

A report crammed with data is hard to read and looks unappealing—viewers will likely switch off after only a few slides.

Use space around your content to make data easier to process. And remember that visualizations enable you to present information succinctly.

5. Add no more than one major take away to each slide

Adding more than one take away to a slide can be confusing. People will wonder which is more important. They will also be less likely to absorb the information.

Keep your report flowing by sticking to a simple rule: one take away per slide.

But what if your report is packed with data?

In that case, it’s better to spread out the information across multiple slides.

Over to You

Creating data-driven reports is an exercise in simplicity and clarity.

Like Antoine de Saint-Exupery said, “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

If you know what you want to convey with each slide, creating a strong and memorable report gets easier. Professional software can also simplify the entire process.

Learn more about how PPTX Builder can help you create a more engaging presentation while also saving you time.