How do you customize your story and data visuals for each platform?

Understanding your audience starts from- ‘Observation’. The more you observe the type of format, tone and data your audience resonates with, the more clear you get what should be your storytelling strategy.

Data visualizations and stories are powerful, but only if they resonate with your audience. That is what I learned from Growth Tribe. Before diving into charts and graphs, understand your audience. What are their interests, needs, and expectations? How do they prefer information (text-heavy, visual, etc.)? Choose data that aligns with their needs and interests. Use a tone and style (formal, informal, humorous) that resonate with them. Select visuals that are clear, concise, and aesthetically pleasing for your audience. Remember, effective data storytelling is about connecting with your audience. By taking the time to understand them, you can craft presentations and reports that are informative, engaging, and impactful.

Your audience as well as their expectations for your content will typically be slightly different on each platform. This means it is important to tailor your content to fit these independent needs. Are you posting on a platform that expects more entertainment or education? That purpose should dictate how you proceed.

Research Demographics: Each platform has its own unique audience demographic. Use platform analytics to understand the age, interests, location, and behavior of your audience. Understand Platform Preferences: Consider the kind of content that resonates most with users on each platform. For example, LinkedIn audiences may prefer more professional and detailed insights, while Instagram users might be drawn to visually engaging and concise content. Tailor Your Message: Customize the message of your story to align with what your audience cares about on each platform. This could mean highlighting certain aspects of your data or story more prominently depending on the audience's interests and concerns.

I adjust my story and data visuals for each platform by considering the audience demographics and preferences unique to that platform. For instance, on Instagram, I focus on visually appealing content with concise captions, while on LinkedIn, I emphasize professional insights and data-driven visuals. By tailoring my storytelling style and visuals to suit the platform's tone and audience expectations, I ensure that my content is engaging and relevant across different channels.

Platform-Specific Formats: Utilize the formats that are native and perform best on each platform, such as stories and reels on Instagram, longer-form articles on LinkedIn, or short, engaging videos on TikTok. Adapt Visuals Accordingly: Design your visuals to suit the format and technical specifications of each platform, like aspect ratio, resolution, and length. This ensures your content looks its best and captures attention.

There are plenty of tools out there which can make data beautiful - enabling you to overlay an emotional and impactful story around it. Have your data - know the story that you wish to tell - and the message you want to deliver and then select the right way to present it.

Every platform is DIFFERENT and different 𝗧𝗬𝗣𝗘𝗦 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. For example: At LinkedIn, long-form content like articles or reports with well-structured data visualizations like charts and graphs will do well. For Instagram, this platform is all about captivating visuals. Short, engaging videos with text overlays, eye-catching infographics, and bite-sized data snippets are key. Lastly for Twitter, this platform is about cute and the weird. I would use strong visuals like charts or images to grab attention in a fast-scrolling feed.

It's helpful to create templates for your visuals that you can return to in the future. For example, creating an on-brand LinkedIn carousel template in Canva allows you to plug in future text and data so you don't have to start every storytelling project from scratch.

The format of your story and data visuals is indeed crucial, but the content and narrative are the backbone. As a marketing consultant, I've found that a compelling strategic narrative can guide the format selection process. This 'big story' should be authentic, clear, and resonate with your audience, regardless of the platform. It's about striking a balance between the story you want to tell and the best way to present it, taking into account the limitations and advantages of each platform.

Regardless of which platform we create content on, 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. For me, I practice these design principles: 1/ Simplicity is Key. So I avoid overly complex visuals. I focus on highlighting the key takeaways using concise titles, and a limited color palette. 2/ I let data do the talking and don't let excessive decoration overshadow the data itself. I also ensure charts are easy to read and interpret. 3/ Mobile optimization is important as many users access platforms on their phones. I ensure that my visuals are responsive and display well on smaller screens.

Data visuals should be additive, not distracting. If things start getting complicated, reassess whether that visual aid is really helping you tell your story.

Customizing stories and data visuals for different platforms is not just a best practice, it's backed by science. Studies show that visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text, underscoring the need for clear and impactful design. For example, when adapting a presentation for social media versus a formal report, I leverage vibrant visuals and concise storytelling for social media to capture attention rapidly. In contrast, formal reports require detailed data representation and content. No matter the platform, starting with a hook, presenting data clearly, and ending with a strong call to action are essential. Tailoring language, visuals, and narrative to the medium and audience is key.

Always be open to feedback. The beauty of storytelling is that it is always evolving and there is always opportunity to improve. Get reflections prior to publishing from peers, colleagues, trusted reviewers - it will only help to maximise its impact when shared with your audience!

Once content and delivery methods are chosen, a critical step is evaluating the story's impact. Avoid presuming your stories strengths or weaknesses and instead seek honest, unbiased feedback. This approach unveils nuances that refine your story further. From here, refine your story or if your unsatisfied with the feedback so far, invite detailed critiques to pinpoint areas for improvement.

Storytelling is a magic. First 1. Know your audience 2. Craft a draft 3. Know the purpose 4. Know the outcome You have to make sure you are doing justice to your audience. Tell a story which connects.

Get a balance between data and stories and the right visualisation tools. Data is there to help tell a story, not the other way round. So through structuring your storytelling you will know when and how your data should be incorporated and presented in order to support you desired impact that you wish to make with your audience.

Use Platform-Specific Features. Leverage platform-specific features to enhance your story. Use Instagram Stories for behind-the-scenes looks, LinkedIn articles for in-depth analysis, or Twitter threads for a series of connected ideas. On platforms where users quickly scroll through content, such as Twitter or Facebook, simplify complex data into easily digestible visuals. Utilizing these features can make your content more engaging and relevant.