Storytelling with data
Intro
‘Data Storytelling’ gets tossed around everywhere—on resumes, LinkedIn posts, and at conferences—but let’s be honest, actionable advice on how to actually do it is pretty rare. In this post, I’m sharing the tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way to help you craft stories that land, using data as your springboard.
Years ago, I came across a blog post by Martin Weigel called ‘Strategy Needs Good Words,’ and it immediately struck a chord. So much so, it’s now required reading for anyone who joins my team. It’s been an invaluable tool for turning all the fascinating data we uncover as researchers and analysts into something meaningful—something others can actually understand and act on. There are plenty of similar frameworks floating around, but this one stuck with me and continues to guide me today, whether I’m crafting client pitches, presenting insights, or persuading leadership to invest in more resources.
Start by setting the stage — reflect on the category, a key insight from the client, or an observation you’ve uncovered.
Highlight the promise, ambition, or need within the audience or category.
Introduce the challenge or obstacle they’re facing—ideally one you’re positioned to solve.
Share the unique insight or perspective that sets you apart, and use it to build creative strategies or actionable solutions based on what you’ve discovered.
“Don’t tell me you’re funny. Make me laugh”
As someone who's read hundreds—if not thousands—of insights reports and sat through countless presentations, conferences, and board meetings, I've noticed a pattern: too many reports or 'insights' don't offer clear recommendations or actionable steps. Of course, this is much more difficult to achieve in more ‘public’ settings like conferences due to the sheer scale of audience representation, but much more easily done with internal reports if you’ve done your homework. My advice is to always explain ‘the what’, ‘the why’, and ‘the how’, and if you want to go the extra mile, the ‘so what?’. Don’t just tell them what happened, do your best to tell them why, and even more importantly, what you’d suggest they do with the information you’ve provided them (i.e. what decision should they make with this data?).
I really like this visual from Maven Analytics on insights writing from their ‘think like an analyst’ course. They call this the “what, why, how” of insights. Always strive to answer these three questions with the story you are telling.
Avoid the dreaded “data dump”
This is where that framework mentioned above comes in. When you’re a media company trying to get a new client to sign the dotted line with you, you have a lot of convincing to do.
There are endless competitors in this landscape who often have access to the same data you have, and each of those competitors are using data to show why their products, their audience and their ecosystem is the best place for a brand to advertise. Here is where storytelling is the fuel that can propel you to ensure you stand out in the crowd.
As cliche and comical as this image may seem, and as widely as it’s been shared, I feel it articulates the art of data storytelling and providing actionable insights very clearly.
No surprises
This is one lesson I’ve learned the hard way a time or two. When working on an insights report or preparing to present to a boss, stakeholder, or client, the final presentation should never be the first time they’re seeing the content. People, regardless of their role or seniority, don’t like surprises. There’s also a psychological element at play—if they feel like co-creators in the process, they’re more likely to understand and champion the work. The last thing you want is for the reality of your presentation to fall flat because the expectations ≠ the reality. Build with, not for.
