How to Create Interactive Maps That Make Your Presentations Stand Out

To create interactive maps that make presentations stand out often runs into a familiar problem: spatial data gets flattened by static visuals. Bullet points can’t show movement. Charts miss relationships. And maps, when passive, lose their power to engage.
This disconnect is especially clear when presenting franchise networks, logistics zones, or planning overlays. Without interactivity, audiences struggle to connect the dots. MAPOG shows how much more intuitive and dynamic spatial storytelling can be.

Key Concept: Why Create Interactive Maps for Presentations

In contrast to static visuals, interactive maps stand out because they invite exploration, not just display information. Instead of showing fixed locations, they guide audiences through layers of meaning, gradually revealing patterns, comparisons, and context. With features like toggle-able views, clickable attributes, and clean visual logic, MAPOG make it easy to build maps that feel intuitive and engaging.

Step-by-Step Guide to Create Interactive Maps for Presentations that Stand Out

Let’s take a retail franchise example to see this in action.

 1. Create a New Map

To begin, head to MAPOG and click on Create New Map. Choose template as category. Then, add a title and short description to define your map’s purpose.

Create Interactive Maps for Presentations

2.Upload Your Data to Begin Mapping


Next, go to the Add Story section and select Add by Uploading CSV/Excel File to start building your interactive map.

shows Add Story section with CSV/Excel upload option for interactive map creation.

3. Define Location Type and Add Attributes

Further, click the Select Point Type Settings icon to create new attributes for the interactive map.

shows point  Type Settings panel for adding attributes to interactive maps for presentations.

Afterward, click Add More Location Type to create a new one. Add a title, and choose feature type: Point, Line, or Polygon, based on how your data should appear. Finally, assign formats to each attribute: use address for addresses, number for contacts, and Business Hours for timings.

shows form view for creating interactive maps for presentations by adding new location type, feature type and attribute formatting.

4. Upload Your Excel File

After setup, return to the upload section and select your Point Type. Then, browse your Excel/CSV file that contains coordinates information, and click Upload. This will display your data as clickable points on the map.

shows upload excel/CSV and selecting point type screen for creating interactive maps for presentations.

5. Define Location Fields

Now, select your unique ID & match attributes to your Excel columns.

displays matching Excel columns to attributes while creating interactive maps

 For placement, choose either coordinates or WKT,align them, and click Submit.

shows defining coordinates to align points on map

6. Add Categories to Organize Your Map

Additionally, to make your map more interactive, add categories. Click the Pencil Icon on a point, select Edit Point details.

shows edit point detail option in the layer panel

Then, create categories like Retail Franchise or Corporate by clicking the Select Category Settings icon and using the Add More Categories section.

Category Settings interface showing Add More Categories section.

Also, enrich individual points by uploading relevant images, for added context and clarity.

Image upload panel for enriching map points with visual context.

7. Style Layers

You can also customize your map visuals, for that go to Add Layer Style in the layer panel and choose icons and colors based on categories so each layer can stand out.

Create Interactive Maps for Presentations

That’s it your map is now ready: layered, clickable, and presentation-friendly.

Create Interactive Maps for Presentations

8.Preview and share

Lastly, head to thePreview and Share section. Set the visibility to Public, then copy the share link or embed code to make your map easily accessible to teams, clients, or stakeholders.

Create Interactive Maps for Presentations

Industrial use and benefits

Interactive maps don’t just organize data; instead, they transform how it’s experienced. Through layering attributes, styling categories, and enabling exploration, platforms like MAPOG turn complex details into clear, visual stories. whether it’s retail teams comparing outlet performance, logistics planners mapping routes, municipal staff showcasing infrastructure, or marketers targeting zones, interactive maps make presentations more intuitive, engaging, and memorable.

shows the final outcome of points with details attached.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, a good presentation isn’t just about showing data; instead, it’s about helping people see what matters. That’s why interactive maps built in MAPOG are so effective. They help turn scattered details into layered stories, making it easier for audiences to follow, compare, and connect. Whether you’re presenting franchise data or planning overlays, using interactive maps for presentations ensures your audience sees not just the data, but the story behind it.

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