As soon as upon a time, there was this magical beast referred to as information that social media managers slayed. And that point is now, as a result of information storytelling isn’t a fairytale: it’s an efficient visible advertising and marketing technique that may show you how to construct belief, engagement, and gross sales in your model.
We sat down with Vancouver-based digital advertising and marketing supervisor Leeann Froese of City Corridor Manufacturers for professional perception on each chapter of information storytelling. Learn on for trade insights, examples, and recommendation on utilizing numbers in social media narratives.
What’s information storytelling?
Information storytelling makes use of details, statistics, and quantitative info to create a compelling story. In different phrases, information storytelling makes use of (actual) numbers to assist an enticing story, and authenticate the story’s message.
“Utilizing information to inform tales from a model’s standpoint could be very efficient, because it bridges that place between logic and emotion and lets a model join with a reader on a deeper degree,” says Froese.
Information can “show” the validity of a narrative (for instance, sheep are sensible: they will acknowledge as much as 50 different sheep by sight) and assist promote a model or product (Ie: when “4 out of 5 dentists” advocate a selected toothpaste).
And regardless of the unhealthy rap that numbers get, storytelling with information may help construct an emotional connection, too. If I informed you that 20% of roses really feel ache when reduce, would you take a look at Valentine bouquets otherwise?
That brings us to a different necessary a part of information storytelling: the numbers have to be true, unaltered, and ideally offered by a trusted third social gathering. Making up numbers or bending statistics to fit your personal wants is a harmful recreation, particularly on social media.
Social media won’t be “actual life,” however what we publish (particularly from a enterprise perspective) has real-life penalties. As know-how progresses and social platforms develop, info spreads shortly… and so does misinformation.
While you use information storytelling in social media, you’re arming your content material with an additional layer of validity. By providing proof, sharing statistics and being clear about numbers, you possibly can set your model aside from the remaining.
“Information is not only numbers — it’s a possibility to attach, encourage, and differentiate a model in a crowded market,” says Froese.
“When paired with a compelling narrative, information can flip summary figures into relatable, emotionally resonant tales that construct belief.” Some elements of social media can really feel a bit superficial, however that solely makes the attention-grabbing, significant tales stand out extra — and drive extra engagement and shares.
Information storytelling legitimizes your content material in a compelling, accessible means.
Plus, storytelling with information could make advanced concepts extra concise and approachable for a social media viewers. Most customers are turning to social media for leisure, to not research up on an elaborate or sophisticated idea.
Utilizing clear, fastidiously chosen information, you possibly can successfully seize the eye of your viewers — then, you possibly can information them in direction of your personal web site or weblog for extra info.
6 steps to efficient information storytelling
1. Establish and perceive your viewers
“Begin with who you’re speaking to,” advises Froese.
Understanding your viewers will show you how to resolve which tales (and which information) will resonate most with them.
Psst: For a full step-by-step case research of how viewers analysis could make a marketing campaign profitable, learn up on Wealthsimple’s social media marketing campaign technique.
2. Discover trusted information sources
It issues the place your information comes from. Utilizing a trusted, verified supply to get your details and figures limits any danger of spreading misinformation or coping with a PR catastrophe. Simply because a statistic is widespread doesn’t robotically make it true, so remember to examine your sources earlier than posting.
“Presenting verified, peer-reviewed information or trusted sources can additional improve credibility, reassuring audiences {that a} model is reliable and accountable,” says Froese. “Transparency fosters stronger relationships, demonstrating {that a} model is not only promoting but additionally sharing significant insights.”
Satirically, social media generally is a tough place for getting information — anybody can publish a TikTok saying absolutely anything. Persist with skilled sources that you simply belief as a substitute of utilizing information from different social media customers.
In case your information is extra inner, for instance, a truth about what number of gross sales you made or a stat about your audience — double-check that that info is appropriate, too.
3. Choose the correct information
Not all information is beneficial for storytelling, so be selective in regards to the numbers you share. Pinterest’s Development Forecasts are a wonderful instance of curating information into manageable teams that inform a narrative.
The Pinterest crew would have entry to an virtually limitless library of information about how individuals use the app, however particular factors are chosen to speak a story.
Supply: Pinterest Predicts
Within the above development forecast, Pinterest collects information about search phrases related to a selected theme (on this case, utilizing scraps to create new issues and scale back waste).
By selecting to share rising search phrases like “Discard recipes” and “Scrap quilts patterns leftover cloth,” Pinterest successfully tells the story of a rising development.
4. Craft a transparent narrative
“Information alone might really feel summary, however when woven right into a narrative, it evokes emotions, builds belief and helps a model stand out from rivals,” says Froese.
Take into consideration what the info means and what message you wish to convey to your viewers. Then, use the info to bolster that narrative.
“Introduce the context, share the info, and end with an actionable takeaway,” Froese suggests. She makes use of a caption for a resort’s Instagram publish for example: “Over 90% of our visitors rated their keep as glorious — be part of them and uncover why!”
5. Design compelling visuals
An image says a thousand information factors, proper? “The mind processes visible info a lot quicker than textual content — as much as 60,000 instances quicker, as steadily cited in communication research,” says Froese.
Utilizing a social media enhancing app to craft partaking, clear visuals will be sure that your information and story is accessible. This social media graphic from Scotiabank is a good instance.
Supply: @scotiabank
Utilizing efficient visuals like visible shows, pie charts, and use of shade (see above, pink) can improve the influence of your storytelling.
6. Cite your sources
Do we have to state the apparent? We’ll. “Don’t make issues up,” Froese asserts. “Reference trusted and peer-reviewed information the place attainable to determine credibility and accountability.”
And hey, in the event you’re going to all that hassle to seek out trusted sources, you may as effectively share them — that provides you an excellent larger transparency enhance.
For those who’re not comfy revealing your sources in your social publish, ask your self why. It could be an indication that it’s good to do extra analysis earlier than sharing the info publicly.
5 examples of profitable storytelling with information
1. Impression’s stats and details
Instagram account @influence has a feed stuffed with profitable storytelling with information. From stats on girls’s sports activities to exhausting details in regards to the environmental hurt of Black Friday, the carousel posts printed by Impression typically get tens of 1000’s of shares.
Timeliness issues on the subject of sharing information, too. The under carousel all about examination tradition within the U.S. was posted round finals season for highschool and college college students, making it immediately related (and sharable) content material.
“Information exhibits the very best when offered with clear, daring, eye-catching graphics to convey it — individuals keep in mind visible cues higher than numbers or textual content alone,” says Froese.
Supply: @influence
Together with details and figures, Impression makes use of robust visuals to have interaction viewers and cites sources on the finish of posts. Plus, the posts virtually at all times finish with a query that prompts engagement: on this case, it’s “What are your ideas on examination tradition?”
Key takeaways:
Use information that’s well timed and related to what’s taking place, now — plan forward and schedule your posts to be half of the present dialog.
Cite verified, credible sources each time you possibly can for optimum transparency.
Ask your viewers what they consider the info you’ve offered to encourage feedback (and enhance your engagement charge).
2. Farmers Choose’s Zucchini TikTok
Hooks are particularly necessary on TikTok, since you solely have a couple of seconds to seize your viewers’s consideration earlier than they scroll away. This TikTok from Farmers Choose in Australia demonstrates how information could make a wonderful hook.
Supply: @farmerspickau
Beginning the video with information (“1,500 zucchinis rejected by the supermarkets as a result of it doesn’t meet their ridiculous magnificence requirements”) provides this TikTok a little bit of shock worth.
“The shock of somebody in a high-visibility vest with 1000’s of zucchinis isn’t one thing you see on daily basis, in order that hooks you in,” Froese provides. Then, the video continues to elucidate and present proof of that information.
This TikTok incited an enormous emotional response — Froese factors out how profitable this video was at informing individuals about meals waste: “The greater than 12,000 response feedback present that this was efficient.”
Key takeaways:
Information could make an efficient hook for TikTok.
When you possibly can, mix a determine or statistic with a visible (like a video) demonstrating the info.
When you’ve hooked your viewers, take time to elucidate the info to additional place your self as an professional.
3. Dove’s “Onerous Knocks” YouTube video
Pores and skin and hair care model Dove has established a wonderful fame for creating compelling, typically tear-jerking narratives which can be efficient not solely in rising the model however in transferring in direction of social change.
The “Onerous Knocks” marketing campaign is one nice instance: it begins with humorous, home-movie fashion clips of women falling down whereas taking part in numerous sports activities, then strikes right into a hard-hitting message about how physique confidence impacts their participation, ending with the stat: “45% of women stop sports activities by age 14.”
“This creates a giant emotional response with the viewer,” says Froese, “as a result of, by this a part of the video, we’re rooting for these women.”
Supply: Dove US
Usually, information is used to hook an viewers in, however this video does the alternative – the info is offered on the finish, as a jarring actuality examine. The caption additionally presents a transparent, branded name to motion: “Need to assist #KeepHerConfident in sports activities? Go to Dove.com/confidentsports.”
Key takeaways:
Combining exhausting information with extra playful, humorous content material can create a really placing message.
Experiment with the place in your story you wish to current your information: it could make an efficient hook, or it may very well be a compelling ending.
If the info you’re presenting leans extra destructive, use a name to motion to rally your viewers and encourage them to make change.
4. The BC SPCA’s donor graphic
Does a photograph of an cute pet even want information to inform an enticing story? Perhaps not, nevertheless it positive helps. This publish from the BC SPCA exhibits how easy information storytelling could be.
Supply: @bcspca
“A cute pet stops the scroll, and as our eye travels across the picture we encounter the info,” says Froese. “It makes us wish to learn the caption, which additional explains.”
The great thing about this “information” is that it’s arguably not information in any respect — it’s a truth offered in a quantitative means. As an alternative of claiming that SPCA donors fund animal safety investigations, there’s a (albeit primary) statistic used that makes the message more practical.
It’s not rooted in any particular occasion or time, so it can be reposted and reshared again and again.
Key takeaways:
Be inventive about what information you wish to share. Even in the event you don’t have entry to research or stats in your area of interest, you possibly can storytell together with your model’s personal numbers.
Information storytelling could make nice evergreen content material, and is sweet to have in your media library when planning your social media calendar.
When presenting information, preserve the opposite design components primary so that you don’t overwhelm the viewer—a single picture works effectively.
5. OG Slimes’ Slimify Wrapped TikTok
Some types of information are simpler to grasp as a result of they’re extra current in present popular culture — for instance, Spotify Wrapped.
Spotify gathering every listener’s stats for the 12 months and presenting it in a transparent, sharable graphic is superb advertising and marketing. Plus, it tells a narrative (typically, an embarrassing one… there must be a assist group for individuals who have the Glee forged of their prime 5 artists).
Different manufacturers use Spotify Wrapped as a leaping off level for their very own information storytelling, like this video from OG Slimes.
Supply: @ogslimes
By retaining observe of gross sales and sharing the numbers, this model is demonstrating transparency and celebrating its hottest merchandise (and subtly encouraging individuals to purchase). Plus, the video is visually attention-grabbing: “Who doesn’t wish to watch the dopamine-producing satisfying slime pulls?” says Froese.
Key takeaways:
For inspo, analysis one other model’s information storytelling technique, then put your personal twist on it.
You need to use information storytelling as a technique to share your model’s proudest stats.
Ensure to provide your viewers one thing to take a look at in addition to simply the numbers, particularly on TikTok.
4 suggestions for partaking information storytelling, from the consultants
1. Begin with a catchy hook
“Whether or not it’s a shocking statistic or an emotional anecdote, the primary impression is essential,” says Froese. Take into consideration what a part of your content material is most partaking and current it first to seize your viewers’s consideration.
That is particularly necessary for enterprise professionals and social media managers, as a powerful hook could make or break their information communications.
Psst: For those who want inspiration for social media hooks, we’ve received 18 superior examples for you.
2. Simplify advanced information
Froese advises breaking down numbers into digestible insights so that you simply don’t overwhelm your viewers. She provides an instance from a distillery trying to current their complete manufacturing quantity for a 12 months.
As an alternative of presenting the quantity in litres (which, for lots of us, isn’t straightforward to visualise), Froese suggests one thing like: “This 12 months’s whisky manufacturing might fill 10,000 glasses!”
3. Use interactive components
Interactive components give your viewers one other technique to have interaction together with your information visualization (keep in mind the examples from @influence?) and lead to them spending extra time experiencing your content material.
See, information analysts (and now you!) perceive that these interactive options make it simpler for individuals to discover and perceive in-depth information with out feeling misplaced in a world of ineffective graphs.
“Interactive components like carousels can elevate storytelling abilities,” says Froese. Instruments like Tableau and machine studying fashions additionally permit extra dynamic, immersive methods to inform information tales that captivate your viewers.
For real-world examples, take a peek at this weblog publish for 15 sensible methods to make use of Instagram carousels, which showcases how information viz could be dropped at life in partaking, interactive codecs.
4. Humanize the info
“Relatable comparisons or real-life anecdotes make summary numbers extra tangible,” says Froese. Take into consideration sharing private tales alongside together with your information evaluation as a way to give your viewers a selected instance to ponder.
Within the case of a restaurant sharing what number of 5-star opinions it has obtained, the social media supervisor may additionally wish to share an instance of a kind of opinions. Humanizing the info helps with transparency and belief, too — proof that you simply’re strolling the speak.
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