Unlock Marketing Success with Data Storytelling | Be Uniic

Data is everywhere. You see it on social media, through bank transactions, literally everywhere. It’s easily accessible because of this too. The challenge isn’t that we can’t collect data, but it's making sense of it. Data storytelling is slowly emerging as a tool for marketers to bridge the gap between raw data and the actions that can be taken. So, how do you go about it?

What is Data Storytelling?

Before we skip to how to utilize data storytelling, we need to understand what it is. To be blunt, it’s the process of translating complex data and analytics into a narrative that’s easy to digest. You take raw data from any platform and turn the numbers into stories which can resonate with your audience, your clients, or whomever. There are typically three main aspects of data storytelling: the data, the visuals, and the narrative.

The Three Pillars of Data Storytelling

Firstly, we have the data. This is the foundation of any data story, duh. However, as many may suspect, it isn’t just about the data; it’s also about having the right data. You should put a focus on data that is relevant, accurate, and eventually actionable. Filter out the noise and highlight data points that matter to your audience.

Next is the visualization of the data. Using graphs, charts, and images will help with the overall story. They’ll help to simplify complex data and make it more accessible to everyday readers. Use the charts, graphs, and infographics to present the data in a clean and compelling visual. They shouldn’t just grab the reader’s attention, but the visuals should also retain information better.

At the end of the road is the narrative. This will tie everything together. It’s the story of the story that you continuously build around your data and visuals. A strong narrative provides content for readers, highlights insights, and drives home the key message. It’ll make the data relatable and actionable for your audience.

Why Data Storytelling Matters

While there are a ton of reasons for storytelling to be important, however, there are four main reasons:

• Engagement: Attention spans are down to what, 8 seconds? Data storytelling can capture and maintain your audience’s attention. A well-organized story can keep your audience engaged, emotionally, intellectually, and will make your overall story more memorable.
• Decision-Making: We’re put at the crossroads of yes or no. Data storytelling can help us choose which one it is. When data is presented as a story, it isn’t overwhelming and stakeholders will be thankful for how easy it is to understand your data and then act upon it. Timely and informed decisions come when data is given in a story-format which highlights the importance of the data to begin with.
• Persuasion: Think about when you were in second or third grade and we had to identify the tone of a story. Persuasiveness was always so easy to detect because it’s a natural power of storytelling. By weaving data into a narrative, marketers can influence options and drive desired actions. When it comes time to make a decision, regardless of what it is, storytelling can be the key to persuading one decision or the other.
• Simplification: When you toss a spreadsheet in front of almost anyone and tell them to decipher the data they spaz out. Raw data can be overwhelming and difficult to interpret. When you format it into a story, the complex data is more accessible to a broader audience, even those who have no real history/experience with the data.

Tips for Effective Data Storytelling

You can’t just toss the data together and hope for the best. Maybe your story won’t make sense. However, there are some steps that you can take to make a better effort at formulating your data into the story of choice:

• Know Your Audience: Make sure your story aligns with your audience’s needs and preferences. Understand what they want and how you can help them with the data being put into specific sequences.
• Focus on Key Insights: Don’t fill your story with crap, not too much data. Highlight the key insights and work on the overall narrative to support your message.
• Use Visuals Wisely: We can go and choose a ton of random visuals. Don’t do that, choose visuals that complement your story and enhance understanding. Ensure they’re clear, accurate, and easy to understand.
• Craft a Compelling Narrative: Your narrative has to be structured so it’s seen as logical and engaging. Start with a clear objective, add context to surround it, highlight insights, and end it with a conclusion that summarizes all your findings and what the reader should make about the data.

Takeaways

Since tech, data, and AI are all the buzz, we can’t just think of it as a buzzword. It’s a skill for modern marketers to make sense of their own data and to make sure that people can understand it. The ability to transform data into a compelling narrative can enhance engagement, decision-making, persuasion, and simplification. When you work on it and master the art of storytelling, you’ll be able to work with the true potential of driving impactful results. 

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