If you are into marketing, you are most probably already familiar with the terms data storytelling and data visualization. Thanks to the internet, we have access to tons of data every day. So, what makes your data presentation different? Why should others pick your data out of millions of other sources? What insights are your data giving to others, and how can they take advantage of it? All these and many other similar questions are answered by data storytelling and data visualization in marketing.
Data Storytelling and Data Visualization: An Introduction
People who say data storytelling and data visualization are similar are not familiar with either of the terms. It is not just accumulating stats together on a PowerPoint presentation. Data storytelling requires the skill to make a connection between two entirely different worlds; the world of solid data, and the world of human language and communication. Data visualization is a graphic representation of the information. It is beautiful to see data being connected to real-world narratives to give validation to facts.
Perks of Using Data Storytelling
There are various ways to communicate, but data storytelling is different and many types of research have approved its effectiveness in business marketing strategies. Through data storytelling, marketers can communicate and reach customer goals faster.
Here are a few of the perks of using data storytelling as a strategy:
Adds Value and Meaningfulness to Your Message
In today’s world, data users talk in the language of symbols and numbers. We are now living in a world that has tons of symbolic data but longs for meaning. Data storytelling is an effective way to interpret your share of data for your customers, and add meaning to it. You can make an Excel sheet talk with the right contextual interpretation. It is very beneficial for brands, as a general consumer is not often familiar with statistical details.
People constantly lookout for valuable information that can fill the knowledge void for them and bring to them the solutions they are looking for. For example, when I check cox internet plans and prices online to activate a package, I prefer to see the details in written form, instead of looking at a table full of numerical data. It is natural for the human mind to interpret numerical data into content too, so why not skip the translation part altogether and present it in a more meaningful and readable way?! This is where data storytelling helps marketers.
PR Building
What makes one story different from another? The originality of content. It is the same in data storytelling. In a world full of data, and people, you have to do it in the right way. You have to write about original ideas. So it is also important to know the right people and data sources, where you can find original ideas for the stuff you write about. You can have insights about topics and issues that haven’t been written about before. You can get to your customers with an angle that has not been touched before, and it can benefit your business immensely.
Publishers also prefer to go for stories and perspectives that haven’t been discussed before. They are always starving for good material, always remember that. The market is full of paraphrased and slightly changed to copy material. If even then, your content makes it to any prestigious publication, online or otherwise, it can target the right audience, and bring huge benefits to your business.
Relatable Message and Information Sharing
By weaving your data into a story, you are reinforcing the idea into the minds of your customers which gets stored there for long-term usage. It is called ‘association’ in psychology, where you can relate one idea to another to remember it for a longer time. When you connect a story to some data, they are connected, and the mentioning of one would always bring to mind the other. This will provide your customers with the best experience because their emotional and analytical sides are combined to make a decision.
Versatility
The insights that data storytelling can provide you with can be transformed into various formats to suit your needs. Few of the formats are:
- Videos
- Case studies
- Commercial Brochures
- White papers
- Micro-content
- Infographics
- Annual reports
- Articles
- Reports
You can also change or convert one format to another to make it work for you in a better and effective way.
Data storytelling can benefit your marketing strategies in more than one way, and we have discussed how. You can build a stronger business foundation with personalized data. This is how good business relationships work and help you grow.