How many slides do you need for a webinar?

The number of slides you have for your webinar depends on how long your program is.

Timothy Koegel (2010) suggests that for virtual presentations, a slide may only be on the screen for 3 or 4 seconds. He argues that for a virtual presentation (e.g. webinar, live online class, etc.) that the most important element is to keep the presentation moving.

Using Koegel’s model, a 60-minute presentation breaks down into 3600 seconds. One slide every four seconds would mean a total of about 900 slides.

Personally, I find that excessive. Unless you have an entire visual production team, it is an almost insurmountable task.

I have done one-hour sessions with up to 200 slides, but I have never been able to produce as many as Koegel suggests.

Another suggestion I have heard (though where I heard it escapes my memory right now) is that one slide per minute is a desirable target. That would mean 60 slides for a one-hour presentation. To me, that seems not to be enough.

The suggestions vary wildly, and I have seen little scientific evidence from any camp to support these “expert” suggestions.

I agree with Koegel on one point though: It is important to keep your webinar moving and not to “sit” on a slide for too long. But I’m not convinced there is a magic number or a “one size fits all” correct answer.

Koegel, T. J. (2010). The Exceptional Presenter Goes Virtual: Take Command of Your Cessage, Create an ‘In Person’ Experience and Captivate any Remote Audience Austin, TX: Greenleaf Book Group Press.