Using Data Storytelling to Inspire Action

As a data-focused professional, I love digging into the numbers to pinpoint exactly what’s going on, but creative storytelling isn’t always at the forefront of my mind. When sharing information with stakeholders, numbers alone don’t always cut it.

While essential to what you’re trying to convey, data is nothing without a strong story to tie it together. Unfortunately, presentations and reports are often reduced to raw numbers, stripped of their meaning, and presented as data points without a plot.

Prologue: What is Data Storytelling?

Data storytelling is the craft that turns data into something worth reading or hearing. It’s the difference between overwhelming your audience with numbers and inviting them into a story that reveals not only what happened, but why it’s happening, and what comes next.

To write that story, think about it from your audience’s perspective. They’re usually decision-makers who want the need-to-know information up front; a “Reader’s Digest” version with enough details to keep their attention and provide context.

To do this, I ask the following questions:

• What’s the “so what”?
• What’s the “eureka” moment?
• What are the next steps?

Chapter 1: The “So What”

The “so what” is the reason your audience should care about the data you’re presenting. What is the problem you’re trying to identify or solve? Establishing this central idea is crucial to data storytelling. It’s the core message at the heart of your tale.

Data without context is like a rocking chair; there’s a lot of movement, but you’re not really getting anywhere.

Although it may seem obvious, the “so what” may not always be conveyed clearly by stakeholders requesting a presentation or report. You may be tasked to simply “look into” something without a clearly defined reason or just provide a single data point without expanding on the context of how it was achieved.

In this case, don’t hesitate to go back with some questions to understand the problem more clearly. Data without context is like a rocking chair; there’s a lot of movement, but you’re not really getting anywhere.

Chapter 2: The “Eureka” Moment

Once we’ve introduced the “so what”, it’s time to unveil the “eureka” moment — the why behind the root of the problem (or success). If you think of your audience as characters, this is their motivation to act. To find it, you’ll need to look at some different factors, including:

• Seasonal aspects of your business that are affecting metrics, in a positive or negative way
• A shift in public sentiment, technical outages, or other factors that impacted performance
• Loss of data integrity or data not captured for a certain timeframe

While not an exhaustive list, these are all things that should be evaluated to get to that “eureka” moment for your audience.

It’s not enough to point at numbers and say, “Well, there’s your problem.” Today’s data analysts are storytellers and problem solvers, presenting options for solutions in addition to data points.

This is arguably the most important part of the data storytelling process, but it doesn’t need to be overly complex. You can convey it clearly to your audience through formatting and design when writing a report, and verbally and visually if you’re giving a presentation.

Chapter 3: The Next Steps

Now that you’ve established the “so what” and revealed the “eureka” moment, your audience will undoubtedly want to know how the story ends. What is the proposed resolution to our story?

It’s not enough to point at numbers and say, “Well, there’s your problem.” Today’s data analysts are storytellers and problem solvers, presenting options for solutions in addition to data points.

The finale shouldn’t be a data point, but an action plan to put your findings to work. Maybe your data uncovered a gap in the process that is impacting candidate registration. Perhaps this month’s metrics reflected a positive shift towards a particular role or position. Whatever it is, you’ll want to wrap up your story by suggesting a path forward.

Epilogue: Why Data Storytelling Works

Data storytelling elevates presentations and reports from a chore for stakeholders to something that piques their interest, excites them, and motivates them to act. This data storytelling formula can mean the difference between your presentation or report collecting dust on a shelf or being a bestseller.

Learn how MarCom Group’s data team uses storytelling and best-in-class analytics tools to tackle our clients’ recruitment challenges.

About the Author

Joy Ringrose is a Data Analytics Manager and Marketing Strategist who transforms complex marketing data into clear, actionable insights. Known for her adaptability and analytical rigor, she helps teams optimize strategy and make confident, data-driven decisions. Her work has informed critical decisions for non-profits, healthcare, finance, and federal agencies, including the Department of Defense and Homeland Security.