Data visualization and the techniques to create them are a huge part of an content marketing strategy. People, including the audience you want to reach, are besieged by information overload. Bombarded by thousands of words every day, it’s no wonder the average person only reads about 28% of the text on a page. Conveying your content, especially content that includes useful data, in a visually appealing manner makes people pay attention. Data visualization brings life to your message and makes it stand out.
In marketing you want to present your content in a unique way to capture an audience’s attention. You also want content people find interesting and useful. These are some steps to accomplish both through data visualization:
Data Visualization Techniques
1.) Focus on Your Audience
Knowing your audience, their pain points and motivations is key. Think of questions they have and search for a way to find answers using data from a reliable source. For example, if you think your audience of small business owners have questions about social media, you could create a story about the number of companies incorporating social media in their marketing strategy and their results. People love stories they can personally relate to, especially stories that are told through visual content.
2.) High-Quality Data is the Key
Finding quantifiable data to support your points is essential as it will set you as a thought leader. You can typically find high-quality information online on .gov, .edu, .org, and reputable .com sites. It’s important to use only information from a trustworthy source to ensure data is accurate.
Make sure you have a solid understanding of the data you’re working with. You can’t tell a story or judge its validity without knowing who collected it, when or the reason it was gathered. Any confusion on your part emerges in your content and diminishes your credibility.
3.) Create a Personalized Experience
It’s important that your content guides users by letting the facts and data portray the information you want instead of pushing them to a conclusion. Provide in-depth information and well-rounded background. Letting people form their own opinion also gives your content credibility.
4.) Perfect the Art of Storytelling
Portraying data visually allows stories to be told in a more engaging and entertaining manner than text. When done properly, a visual presentation can address a common problem and explain how a product or service might provide a solution. Visual content can be presented in a number of ways, including bar, fever or pie charts, infographics, mappings, lists, and more. It’s important to choose a method that’s easy for readers to absorb the information.
5.) Use Graphics to Tie Your Message Together
Graphics serve as a great way to enhance visual content and assist the storytelling process. Choose graphics that appropriately support your story and the importance of it. This emphasizes your main points and makes them jump from the page. Graphics can help add a human component to the mix that people can relate to. The best graphics can tell a story using few or no words, keeping your message short, simple and easily digestible.
Data visualization lets you convey your message in a manner people want to view. Pairing solid data with graphics can tell an interesting story that makes an impact. This helps the reader understand your main points while providing the opportunity to personalize it to fit their own lives.