At first glance, data storytelling seems difficult to understand. It is about numbers. Storytelling is defined as the art of telling a story. By combining these two tools, the message you convey will lead to action (call to action).
Data Storytelling, in a simple definition
Data storytelling is defined as the art of telling a story based on collected data. With this concept, the message will speak to the audience. Let’s take a concrete example. You are the manager of a toy shop in Paris and you want to review the December sales with your staff. You can find out more here.
Instead of presenting an Excel table, use data storytelling. Tell the sales history with figures. “On such and such a date, we sold X pop-up houses. Data storytelling has three main advantages:
The call to action: with data storytelling, you will know what the current trends are? Which products or brands are customers turning to? Will the strategy adopted be successful? The call to action is an instant incentive to buy. To reach this stage, the offer must be irresistible (promotional price, manufacturer’s guarantee, after-sales service).
Accelerates decision making: the unexpected is an integral part of the business world. Data storytelling helps clarify a situation or respond to a request. In the event of a problem (setback, conflict), the decision is made immediately. You are in a meeting with the commercial director and the shareholders. Your task is to present the top 10 best-selling products for the year 2020. The sales manager asks you for the turnover of the top 3 products. Although the information is not immediately available, mastering data storytelling will help you a lot. A good database must be complete. In this case, addition and storytelling can give a clear and concise answer.
Increase the productivity of the team: data storytelling simplifies the presentation of data. The concept saves time. Employees can focus on their respective tasks.
How does data storytelling revolutionise BI?
In the world of Intelligent Business or BI, data storytelling is the equivalent of instructions. Rather than giving a table full of figures or graphs, it is better to opt for a story or “narrative applied to data”. Data storytelling allows information to be conveyed without the need for people to think about it. The human brain understands stories better than numbers.
Studies have shown that only a quarter of employees analyse data. The rest are content with guidelines and instructions.
Data Storytelling vs. Data Visualisation
When data is illustrated using graphs, tables, charts, diagrams and curves, this is called data visualisation. This format makes it easier to understand the data. Data storytelling and data visualisation are complementary. A table without an explanation or a story without a graph is difficult to understand.