Blogging Inspiration
2 Months; 250K Views
When design blogger Desiree Groenendal of Vosgesparis used Haiku Deck for her keynote at Hive Berlin, and racked up more close to a quarter-million views in just two months, we had to find out more!
Haiku Deck: How did you hear about Haiku Deck, and what inspired you to try it?
Desiree: I first heard about it from a fellow blogger. I had to make a presentation in a very short time, and since I’d never made one before I asked around on what to use and what would be the easiest to work with.
Many of the programs that were suggested just looked a bit too boring to me. And others looked so difficult to learn. I am a very visual person, and I wanted it to look beautiful. When I saw the black and white Haiku Decks in the Gallery, I knew instantly that this was what I wanted.
I am a very visual person, and I wanted it to look beautiful. When I saw the black and white Haiku Decks in the Gallery, I knew instantly that this was what I wanted.
Haiku Deck: How did creating your first Haiku Deck go?
Desiree: I had never used a presentation tool before, so it was all new to me. I thought it was so easy to learn and to use. Once I found out the right size for the background images I created them on my laptop, uploaded them to my Dropbox, and made the slides one by one on the iPad.
I loved how easy it was to adjust the position of the text. Also, it was very easy to change the order of the slides — the whole process was really very stress-free.
Tip: You can easily import photos to Haiku Deck from your iPad camera roll, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Dropbox, and more.
Haiku Deck: Your Haiku Deck, “The Mini Company,” with advice for monetizing a blog, has been viewed almost 250,000 times. (Wow!) What do you think is driving so much interest?
Desiree: I’ve been surprised myself! I think bloggers like it because it answers things we are all wondering about when we start. I actually got several emails from bloggers with even more questions.
The Mini Company – Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires
Haiku Deck: What tips or ideas do you have for bloggers who might be interested in trying Haiku Deck?
Desiree: I can only say give it a try, and not only for presentations. I am now working on another deck about a blogger tour I was part of, kind of a diary. And I have many more ideas for using Haiku Deck on my blog–I’m thinking about using it as a mini catalog, to showcase my favorite things.
I can only say give it a try, and not only for presentations.
Tip: See more creative uses of Haiku Deck by bloggers on our Blogging Case Studies Pinterest board.
Haiku Deck: What’s on your Haiku Deck wish list?
Desiree: I would love to be able to choose between landscape and portrait layout. Also, being able to choose the same height for both lines of text on a slide.
Tip: You can suggest an idea for Haiku Deck any time on our Feature Request board.
Top Tips for Blogging with Haiku Deck
In addition to creating such a gorgeous and informative Haiku Deck using the striking Underdog Theme, here are 5 things we think Desiree did exactly right (and that you can, too)!
1. Don’t be nervous about trying Haiku Deck for the first time.
If a first-time user can create a deck this beautiful for a keynote presentation at a big design conference, just think about what’s possible. {And if you ever run into a question or need some extra help, we’re here for you!}
2. Create content with your audience in mind.
In “The Mini Company,” Desiree shares insights, information, and tips that were highly valued by her listeners and readers, making them more likely to engage, respond, and share. She is candid about her own experience and offers helpful, concrete tips that bloggers can use to build their own platforms.
3. Use Public Notes to add context.
Desiree used Public Notes very effectively to round out her slides with additional detail and supporting information. And when she embedded her deck, she included an extra link to view the full deck with notes (since the notes aren’t visible in an embedded deck….yet).
The Mini Company – Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires
Another way to handle this is to use a linked screenshot of the first page of your deck, like we did in Ten Winning Presentation Ideas.
4. Set your slides free!
Design blogger Emma Fexeus, who also attended Hive, embedded “The Mini Company” in emmasdesignblogg, driving more than 80,000 additional views. (Emma also praised it as “the most stylish presentation” at HIVE — quite a coup for a design-centered event!)
Tip: Haiku Deck makes this easy because every deck you create generates a link that’s easy to share across channels. You can also upload your decks straight to Slideshare. Get more tips in our Present Mode Tutorial.
5. Maximize the value of your content across channels.
Desiree created her Haiku Deck for a live talk, but she also posted the slides to her blog, shared it via Twitter and Facebook, and emailed it to us for inclusion in the Gallery. (It has headlined both the Featured and Popular Galleries.)
Tip: Our SEO Checklist has more ideas for maximizing the content value of every Haiku Deck you create.
Desiree, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us! We’re already looking forward to your next Haiku Deck.