Prezi is the cloud-based presentation software that’s like Powerpoint on LSD.
Its ‘zoomable user interface’ (ZUI?) with swoopy transitions and infinite drill-downs make it a sexy alternative to boring old slides.
Why should you put Prezi in your B2B content marketing toolbox? Here’s why:
• It’s great for telling linear stories – allowing you to take the viewer by the hand and lead them through your tale.
• It’s still got novelty appeal – not many people use it so it’s a fresh way to engage an audience.
• It’s pretty rich – you can include video files, images and links.
• You can embed it – so anyone can drop it in their blog.
• You can edit and play offline – so you can present from it even if you’re not near WiFi. (A paid-for option).
Downsides?
• It takes a little while to learn – The editing interface is cool but unlike any other software tool you use now, so it takes some getting used to. The editing tool thingy looks like this:
• You don’t get much of a bonus audience from the Prezi site itself – as you do with Slideshare or YouTube.
• It doesn’t give you SEO-juice – the text inside isn’t searchable (I don’t know why they don’t do the transcript trick that Slideshare does). Oh, and it’s not easy to post a Prezi page on Pinterest — the image isn’t accessible to Pinterest (a small thing but a shame as they’re both visual media and ought to be made for each other).
• If you over-use the swooping you can make people feel ill. Which is embarrassing. The first one I ever did will actually cause sea-sickness. You’ve been warned.
• You still have to help people use it. See the sentence starting with “I suggest viewing it…” below.
Our latest B2B content marketing Prezi
Here’s a Prezi we just produced for Salesforce.com taking people through a typical social-powered customer service case, from tweet to resolution.
I suggest viewing it in full screen mode (press play to load it, then click fullscreen under ‘more’ in the player — bottom right). Then just keep hitting the play button to advance:
And here’s one we made a while ago, called the Content Marketing Tutorial. For this one, we kept the story in one plane and confined movements to 45 or 90 degrees. Keeps things simple:
What do you think?
Do you think Prezi has value for B2B content marketing?
Have you made any yourself? (If so, please share them in the comments section).
Comments
Fin Wycherley May 15th, 2012
Awesome! Thanks for that. I did actually feel like I was on roller coaster as I watched / read the first Prezi. Bravo. I shall dump my Google doc presentation forthwith. I am converted
Doug Kessler May 15th, 2012
Thanks Fin.
Yeah, I overdid the swoops on that one.
But Mel got it right on the Salesforce and Tutorial ones, I think.
Let us know how you get on.
Becca Holton October 2nd, 2017
This makes a good point at why you should consider using Prezi. One thing you mentioned that I also found important is that it helps engage the audience. Personally, I get distracted easily, so it’s nice when a presentation does a good job at pulling you along.
Doug Kessler October 8th, 2017
True, Becca.
Keeping that momentum going for the reader seems to be one of the toughest challenges in content marketing.