How to Create Great Interactive Maps & Quickly Insert Them Into PowerPoint Presentations
Variety in presentations is a must. Let's face it; we've all sat through too many cookie cutter presentations. These lose the audience's attention thanks to overcrowded slides.
Added visuals in a presentation capture and keep the eye of your audience. Using PowerPoint maps to add a sense of location to your presentation is one way to do this.
But you probably don't have time to draw maps from scratch in PowerPoint. And grabbing images of a map online might be inflexible or unlicensed for use. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to make an interactive map in PowerPoint using a pre-built PowerPoint map template.
How to Use PowerPoint Maps
PowerPoint is an extremely flexible app when you pair it with pre-built PowerPoint US map and world map PowerPoint templates.
Here are some examples of how you could use PowerPoint maps for presentations:
- Company locations. Plot your company's presence across the country or even across the globe with a well-designed PowerPoint US map as well as world map PowerPoint
- New markets to expand into. Highlight the territories that you're prospecting with an illustrated map slide
- Maps showing history. For example, link together a few locations on a map to show the various places you've lived over time in a personalized slide deck
Infographics, for example, are a great way to illustrate ideas with graphics. Check out the tutorial below to see 15 different choices for infographic templates.
Another Great Resource on Presentations: Free eBook Download
Before we dive into our main tutorial on how to make an interactive map in PowerPoint, I want to make sure you know about another great resource we've got. Our free eBook, The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations, will teach you how to make an interactive PowerPoint presentation. Why not download your copy today?
Find Your Own Great Map Template on Elements
You're probably not a cartographer and you probably don't know how to create an interactive map for PowerPoint. Nor do you have time to draw maps in PPT from scratch.
The solution to the question of 'how to make an interactive PowerPoint map' is to use a pre-built template with pre-drawn maps that you can use. With pre-made PowerPoint U.S. map and world map PowerPoint templates, simply choose a slide with the geography you need and update the details.
The best place for PowerPoint map templates is from Envato Elements, a flat rate subscription service built with creatives and freelancers in mind. For a single monthly fee, you've got unlimited downloads to choose from spanning an incredible variety of categories. That includes graphics, stock photos, and of course—engaging presentation templates.
With a pre-built template, talented designers and map experts have already given you the framework that you need to add a geographic slide to your deck to create interactive maps in PowerPoint quickly and easily. With these templates you won't waste your time trying to figure out how to make an interactive map for PowerPoint from scratch. Many of the packs include editable U.S. PowerPoint maps, editable maps of Asia, Europe and the rest of the world.
Here are some of our best interactive PowerPoint map slide templates from Envato Elements to give you a sense of the templates you'll get access to when you sign up for the monthly subscription.
1. Americane : America Region Info Map PowerPoint
Looking to make interactive PowerPoint maps with an editable US PowerPoint map? Or how to make an interactive PowerPoint presentation? Look no further! This template comes with 59 unique and editable presentation slide designs. You don't need to know how to create a PowerPoint interactive map for a presentation from scratch. This template saves you loads of time and provides good visual designs to work into any presentation.
2. Create Animated Map in PowerPoint
This Create Animated Map in PowerPoint template comes with 1,000 icon sets and 834 slides in three premade templates. Create animated maps in PowerPoint quickly and easily. Drag and drop images to screen mockups. To top it off, enjoy free update and support with this Create Animated Map in PowerPoint template. Master how to create an interactive map for PowerPoint today!
3. Maps PowerPoint Infographic Slide
Still trying to figure out how to make an interactive PowerPoint map presentation? This template helps you make interactive PowerPoint map in minutes. Made with slide master, this template comes with 33 infographic maps for presentations that are easy to customize.
Throughout this section of the tutorial, we'll work with this Maps PowerPoint Infographic Slides deck.
Find More PowerPoint Maps on GraphicRiver
Another option is GraphicRiver, which has a ton of templates to help you create interactive maps in PowerPoint. GraphicRiver is a "pay-as-you-go" model for creative assets. GraphicRiver also features PowerPoint map templates.
Now let me I'll show you how to take the template from Elements and customize to create interactive maps in PowerPoint. Let's learn more about slide customization.
How to Adjust PowerPoint Map Templates
In this tutorial, you'll learn how to create an interactive map for PowerPoint by modifying slides from the Maps PowerPoint Infographic Slides template. As you can see in the screenshot below, there are many slides inside this single template that depict a wide variety of geographies.
Remember that starting with a slide template doesn't mean that you've got to stick with that exact style. Any of these starter slides can be pulled from this template and tweaks that fit your specific presentation preferences, ready to drop into a finished presentation.
Let's walk through five visual adjustments that you can make to a map slide in PPT to customize them for your use. Then, I'll show you how to move the slide to your existing deck.
1. Change the Gradient Overlay
The blue-green style in this template may not fit in with your existing slides. Luckily, it's no problem to modify these gradients to a different color.
For each of these modification examples, we've got to start by ungrouping the blocks. The author grouped all of the individual states or provinces on the PowerPoint map charts into a single block so that it's easy to move and adjust. But, to modify specific parts, you'll need to ungroup them.
To do that, right-click on a map in PPT and choose Group > Ungroup. This splits the PowerPoint map template chart out into many individual blocks that you can edit independently.
Once you ungroup the map, you can select the individual components. In the example below, I chose the main region at the top of the map. Then, I right clicked and chose Format Shape.
On the sidebar, you can choose the fill options, and change the colors in the Gradient stops section. Just click on the arrows and change the colors in the paint bucket dropdown. In the example below, I've changed the arrows to shades of green.
2. Focus on a Single State
The maps in this template are pretty far-reaching and often include an entire nation. When you want to focus on a rather specific part of the PowerPoint map, you might want to highlight a particular state and fade out the rest of the blocks.
Again, start by right-clicking the map and choosing Group > Ungroup. As a reminder, we do this so that we can select individual components of the map and adjust them individually.
After you've selected the regions you want to modify, right click and choose the format shape options. On the fill menu, turn up the Transparency slider to fade out the selected regions. You can leave them in the map view but fading them a bit will bring more focus to the critical parts of the PowerPoint map.
3. Remove Regions as Needed
Just because the map features a broad region with many states or countries in it, that doesn't mean that you've got to include all of them. You can select individual areas to remove.
In the example below, remember to start by clicking on the map and right clicking, selecting Group > Ungroup.
Then, just click on each of the regions that you want to remove from the map. Press delete on your keyboard to remove all of the selected areas.
One of my favorite things about the maps for presentations in this slide deck is that the shapes are of high quality, so you can resize them as needed. In my example, I'm going to remove several of the provinces in Belgium, and then scale up the remaining infographic.
4. Add a Border for Focus
After you've ungrouped a block of areas in a map, you can work individually with the states on the map. Another adjustment you can make is to add a border to your PowerPoint map to break out a single region of the map.
Again, start by ungrouping the map. Then, select a single region and right click > Format Shape.
On the new menu that opens, find the Line dropdown and click on it. Then, you can change the Color, transparency, and width to modify the presence of the map border as you can see in the screenshot below.
Try increasing the size of your border to focus on a single region. You can also change the color of that border to draw more attention to the specifics.
5. Add an Annotation
If you really want to highlight a specific part of the map, you might need to add an annotation. Annotations can draw attention to very specific parts of a slide.
My favorite way to add annotations is to use a shape. Go to the Insert tab on the PowerPoint ribbon and choose Shapes. Then, find a shape that can act as an eye-catching text box to add to the map.
Remember that if you're pointing to specific cities or towns, you'll want to be very careful that your annotations are accurate. Cross-reference the placement of an annotation with a much more detailed tool like Google Maps.
Last: How to Insert a Map Slide Into Your PowerPoint Deck
Chances are that you won't have a slide deck full of map slides. Instead, it's more likely that you'll finish up your map slide in PPT and take it to an existing PowerPoint presentation.
To move your slide to another presentation, start by clicking on the slide thumbnail in PowerPoint's sidebar. Then, copy it by pressing Ctrl + C on Windows or Cmd + C on Mac.
Now, jump over to the slide deck you want to paste the Map into. Right-click in the sidebar in the spot you want to paste your slide into. You'll see several thumbnails, and you can choose between Use Destination Theme and Keep Source Formatting:
- Use Destination Theme attempts to match your Map slide's style to the deck it's going into. Typically, you should try this first so that it matches.
- Keep Source Formatting preserves the same style and formatting as you initially prepared the presentation.
Check out the quick screencast lesson below to learn more about the options for pasting a slide into a separate presentation:
From this point, you might want to adjust the style so that it matches your presentation. Items to check include:
- Double check that the fonts used on the pasted version of the slide match any existing fonts on other slides.
- Ensure that your color scheme matches nicely. The default slide deck in this tutorial uses blue-green gradients, but you'll want to adjust this to match the color scheme in your presentation.
5 Best PowerPoint Map Slide Design Examples
By now, you know how to make PowerPoint interactive maps for presentations and how to add them to your PowerPoint presentation. But, if you need a little inspiration and want to see how maps can be creatively used in any PowerPoint presentation, study the following examples below:
1. General World Map Slide
The general world map slide is a great slide to use when you need to showcase global data. This slide usually includes a map of the entire world with different colored regions that you can use to show different percentages or other figures.
2. Continent Map
If you simply want to show data related to a specific continent or a region, the continent map comes in handy. You can color different states with different colors and even add extra text or points to further explain the data.
3. Country Map
Use a country map in PPT when you want to share details about your services or products on a country level. This is great for local businesses that have branches throughout the country and want to display information about each branch.
4. Maps With Charts
If you need to share detailed information about each location on the map, consider using a slide that pairs a map with a chart. You can see the example in the template below.
5. Map Slides With User Icons
Finally, if you want to showcase data that relates to a demographic split, consider pairing a country or region map with user icons. This allows your audience to easily visualize the demographic split and facilitates creating targeted marketing messages.
Learn More About PowerPoint Map Templates
In this tutorial, we covered how to make an interactive map in PowerPoint. Not only did we start with a great-looking template, but we also refined it to match our style with the stylistic tweaks you saw me make above.
If you're looking for a complete guide to learning Microsoft PowerPoint, make sure to check out the Ultimate Guide to the Best PPT tutorial. Here are other recent tutorials to help you keep learning presentation skills:
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Microsoft PowerPoint20 Amazing Editable Maps for PowerPoint
Microsoft PowerPointThe Best PowerPoint Templates of 2019 (Amazing PPT Presentation Designs)
Presentations18+ Best Google Slides Presentation Themes (Premium Templates to Download - 2019)
We've got the perfect complement to this tutorial. Our eBook will walk you through the complete presentation process. Subscribe to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter and get The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations for free. Discover how to write your PowerPoint presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully.
Common PowerPoint Questions Answered (FAQ)
If you’re thinking about using PowerPoint to create your presentation, you might have a few questions on your mind. Here, we’ve gathered some of the most commonly asked questions about PowerPoint to give you the answers and help you decide if PowerPoint is the right tool for you:
1. Can I Download Microsoft PowerPoint for Free?
You can get access to Microsoft PowerPoint when you purchase a subscription to Microsoft Office. While you can’t download it for free, you can use the online version with limited functionality for free. This tutorial explains the differences between the different PowerPoint versions:
2. Can I Add Videos to My Presentations in PowerPoint?
Yes, you can. A video can add interest to your PowerPoint presentation and engage your views. We've got a step-by-step tutorial that walks you through the entire process of adding videos to PowerPoint presentations:
3. Can I Collaborate on My Presentation With PowerPoint?
Yes, recent versions of PowerPoint make it easy for multiple people to work on the same presentation at the same time. This tutorial explains how:
4. Can I Share my PowerPoint Online With SlideShare?
Sharing your presentation online can expand your audience. Thanks to PowerPoint and SlideShare, you can upload and share your presentation online. Discover how here:
5. What’s the Difference Between PowerPoint Online and Desktop PowerPoint?
PowerPoint Online has somewhat limited functionality when compared to its desktop counterpart. For starters, the printing functionality is limited as well as the ability to change Views. For more differences between the two versions, check out our comparison:
Learn More About Creating A Great PowerPoint Presentation
Creating a memorable PowerPoint presentation isn't easy but we've got plenty of tutorials to help you out. Learn more about creating a great PowerPoint presentation with these tutorials:
PresentationsHow to Write a Professional PowerPoint Presentation (Discover the Writing Process)
Microsoft PowerPointHow to Make a Good PowerPoint Design Even Better
Microsoft PowerPointHow to Make PPT Slide Layouts in Microsoft PowerPoint
Get Your Editable PowerPoint Map Template Today
You've just learned how to create a map in PowerPoint. If you need to show various locations or geographic-related data, maps for presentations make a real difference.
Make interactive PowerPoint maps a part of your next presentation. Try an editable US PowerPoint map template from Envato Elements to skip ahead in building accurate, stylish maps.
A subscription to Elements unlocks a multitude of high quality PowerPoint map templates, and you'll have access to tons of other creative assets to supplement your presentation. Why not sign up today? Or, if you'd prefer a one-time PowerPoint map template download, try GraphicRiver.
Download your map template and start building your PowerPoint presentation now.
This tutorial was originally published in November 2018. It's been updated to include new information—with special assistance from Barni Rajah and Brenda Barron.
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