{"id":13099,"date":"2017-07-31T23:09:03","date_gmt":"2017-07-31T21:09:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.highcharts.com\/blog\/?p=13099"},"modified":"2026-01-12T09:30:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T09:30:31","slug":"using-data-visualization-viral-content","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.highcharts.com\/blog\/best-practices\/using-data-visualization-viral-content\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Data Visualization for Viral Content"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the biggest mistakes content marketers make today is thinking that their content needs to be about words. That\u2019s not correct. Instead, one of the best, most viral, most valued types of content out there isn’t about words \u2014 it\u2019s about numbers. This is true for content ranging from marketing to journalism. In fact, the phrase \u201cdata journalism\u201d hardly existed 10 years ago, but has become an increasingly hot topic<\/a> ever since.<\/p>\n

The reason data works so well for content marketing is because it can be something no one else has. It comes from your own business intelligence software<\/a> reports, website analytics, CRM reports, sales numbers, and so on. Anyone can open a Word doc and start writing about 10 Things Every Salesperson Needs to Know About Cold Calling but it\u2019s all conjecture. What\u2019s there, beyond opinion, to back it up?<\/p>\n

Data is hard core.<\/h2>\n

\"\"Data is relevant and timely. It\u2019s endlessly quotable and shareable. How often does someone reference a general article in conversation versus an interesting statistic? Data is concrete, and people like concrete. They crave it. They talk about it.<\/p>\n

Go ahead and reimagine that cold calling headline as the following: We Analyzed 10,000 Cold Calls and Categorized the Responses. Here\u2019s What We Learned. I\u2019d read that. And you would too. You\u2019d probably even bring it up in your next sales meeting.<\/p>\n

The point is, data rocks. But it has one crucial downfall \u2026 numbers.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not a numbers person.<\/h2>\n

How many times have you heard someone say, \u201cI\u2019m just not a numbers person\u201d or even said it yourself? Numbers are intimidating. You could have the most groundbreaking data on the planet, but if no one understands it (or they\u2019re too scared to try), you won\u2019t get anywhere.<\/p>\n

People don\u2019t share content they don\u2019t understand. They share content<\/a> to add to their personal brand, to say something about who they aspire to be, or to feel part of a community. But those things aren\u2019t possible if you don\u2019t understand what you\u2019re sharing.<\/p>\n

As much as some people seem to try, no one wants to seem ignorant on social media. People share content that they can comment on. If they like a post but are staring at their 140 character space with no clue what to type, they will quickly abandon ship.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where data visualization can give some additional mileage to your content.<\/p>\n

Now this, I understand.<\/h2>\n

The power of data is that it tells its own story. You don\u2019t have to form a conclusion around it or interview any experts; the data is the expert. (Well, data visualization used the wrong way can also distort the facts, but that\u2019s a different discussion. Check this post for some charting best practices<\/a>). Better yet, the data showcases something about what your company does or knows. And that positions you as an authority.<\/p>\n

The power of data visualization is that it makes that story simple to understand, engaging to look at, and interactive. Plus, that \u201cshare effect\u201d wherein someone is likely to drop your stats at a meeting or around the water cooler is massively heightened. Studies show<\/a> that three days after hearing information orally, people only remember 10 percent of what was presented. Add images and memory recall leaps to 65 percent.
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