In a world increasingly saturated with data and information, visualizations are a potent way to break through the clutter, tell your story, and persuade people to action. Raw statistics by themselves are fine. But showing in context, whether with a simple chart or more creatively in an interactive form, is the future of sharing information and storytelling and needs to be embedded in the thinking of all communications professionals. Adam Singer of Google will share some data visualization and analysis best practices for both your internal business uses and external marketing to tell the clearest, highest impact stories.

1. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Data-Driven Storytelling
@AdamSinger
Analytics Advocate @GoogleAnalytics

2. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Data-Driven Storytelling
@AdamSinger
Analytics Advocate @GoogleAnalytics

3. @AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics Google Confidential & Proprietary
Agenda
Who is @AdamSinger / why are you listening to me?
● Analytics Advocate, Google
● Blogger, TheFutureBuzz.com, Analytics Columnist, ClickZ
● Previous role: Digital Director, LEWIS PR

4. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Quick Agenda
● Flood of data
● Data viz best practices
● How Google can help

5. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Your ancestor was a lizard ( your brain still is).

6. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
This is your brain on data
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

7. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
“Facts Tell Stories Sell”
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
source: via Reddit: http://goo.gl/dzYArG

8. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Storytelling w/ data is how you stand out on the web
OKCupid used data to share dating trends: viral growth, media attn,
millions of users, industry disruption >> $50m acquisition by Match

9. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Use your data to power the news
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Waze data is used by TV U.S. news stations across the
US. Powerful, free marketing for their app.

10. Before we talk more about
visualization, let’s talk analysis.

11. Analysis
1. Filtering
2. Sorting
3. Grouping

12. Filtering

13. Sorting

14. Sorting

15. Sorting

16. Sorting

17. Grouping

18. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary

19. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
How to tell your story with data in 6 steps:
1. Define Audience
2. Create Hypotheses
3. Sketch
4. Get data
5. Explore data
6. Tell the Story

20. source: via informationisbeautiful.net

21. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Visualizations tell the story ...
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

22. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
via flowingdata.org

23. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

24. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

25. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

26. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary

27. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Google Customer Journey Tool (open sourcing GA data)
Try the tool at:
https://goo.gl/irdya8

28. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Shifting Incomes for American Jobs
Via: https://goo.gl/Ky8eTr

29. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Bloomberg shares what’s really warming the Earth
via: http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-whats-warming-the-world/

30. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
via: http://goo.gl/shaRLK

31. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Our industry is not always great at visualizations...
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

32. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
But wait, someone took
another stab at it.
OMG - so much better!?
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

33. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
A 243%
boomer?
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

34. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
At least this one has pretty colors

35. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Some are just misleading

36. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
...or correlating random things

37. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Design, icons & data are cool - but it’s overwhelming!

38. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Some are just hopeless...

39. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Bad visualizations happen internally too!
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
From my friend Ian Lurie’s presentation here: http://goo.gl/LahP2v

40. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary

41. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
What’s the real problem here?
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
1. Creators know too much
2. It’s a “last mile effort”
3. Some are checking a box
4. Trying to spin numbers
5. And yeah, some people just don’t care

42. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Why not turn busy things like this ...

43. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Into something clear
& concise like this:
(via http://flowingdata.com “visualize
this” challenge”)

44. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Or break out the data separately like this...

45. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Actionable takeaways
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
1. Keep charts & graphs simple
2. Tell user what to take away
3. Call out % change
4. Don’t spin data, ever!
5. Report as part of process
6. Right data, right stakeholder
7. Be creative, have fun

46. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Click to enter source
How we can help you

47. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Click to enter source
Take your GA data to go via API

48. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Click to enter source
Use apps to beautiful your data via “easy button”
https://create.visual.ly/graphic/google-analytics

49. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Click to enter source
Connectors let you easily put data into viz apps

50. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary

51. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Google Data Studio
CONNECT VISUALIZE SHARE
Data Studio 360
workflow
Create reports and dashboards
- Flexible reporting
- Answer questions
- Monitor the business
Manage your data
- Access
- Transform
- Govern
Data Sources
Tool
Reports Tool

52. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Data Studio 360
Integrations

53. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Check out Google Data Studio at DataStudio.Google.com

54. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary

55. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Click to enter source
We’ve done the work for you in the Solutions Gallery
http://datastudiogallery.appspot.com/

56. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Google Trends: Visually see global interest / trends
Start experimenting with trends at:
Google.com/Trends

57. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Thank You! ….Additional Resources:
Blogs
● Official GA blog: analytics.blogspot.com
Dashboards / custom reports / advanced segments
● google.com/analytics/gallery/
Take our MOOC! (free, on-demand)
● analyticsacademy.withgoogle.com
Ask me questions anytime:
● @AdamSinger on Twitter

58. @AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics Google Confidential & Proprietary
Agenda
Who is @AdamSinger / why are you listening to me?
● Analytics Advocate, Google
● Blogger, TheFutureBuzz.com, Analytics Columnist, ClickZ
● Previous role: Digital Director, LEWIS PR

59. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Quick Agenda
● Flood of data
● Data viz best practices
● How Google can help

60. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Your ancestor was a lizard ( your brain still is).

61. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
This is your brain on data
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

62. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
“Facts Tell Stories Sell”
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
source: via Reddit: http://goo.gl/dzYArG

63. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Storytelling w/ data is how you stand out on the web
OKCupid used data to share dating trends: viral growth, media attn,
millions of users, industry disruption >> $50m acquisition by Match

64. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Use your data to power the news
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Waze data is used by TV U.S. news stations across the
US. Powerful, free marketing for their app.

65. Before we talk more about
visualization, let’s talk analysis.

66. Analysis
1. Filtering
2. Sorting
3. Grouping

67. Filtering

68. Sorting

69. Sorting

70. Sorting

71. Sorting

72. Grouping

73. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary

74. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
How to tell your story with data in 6 steps:
1. Define Audience
2. Create Hypotheses
3. Sketch
4. Get data
5. Explore data
6. Tell the Story

75. source: via informationisbeautiful.net

76. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Visualizations tell the story ...
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

77. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
via flowingdata.org

78. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

79. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

80. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

81. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary

82. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Google Customer Journey Tool (open sourcing GA data)
Try the tool at:
https://goo.gl/irdya8

83. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Shifting Incomes for American Jobs
Via: https://goo.gl/Ky8eTr

84. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Bloomberg shares what’s really warming the Earth
via: http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-whats-warming-the-world/

85. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
via: http://goo.gl/shaRLK

86. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Our industry is not always great at visualizations...
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

87. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
But wait, someone took
another stab at it.
OMG - so much better!?
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

88. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
A 243%
boomer?
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics

89. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
At least this one has pretty colors

90. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Some are just misleading

91. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
...or correlating random things

92. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Design, icons & data are cool - but it’s overwhelming!

93. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Some are just hopeless...

94. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Bad visualizations happen internally too!
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
From my friend Ian Lurie’s presentation here: http://goo.gl/LahP2v

95. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary

96. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
What’s the real problem here?
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
1. Creators know too much
2. It’s a “last mile effort”
3. Some are checking a box
4. Trying to spin numbers
5. And yeah, some people just don’t care

97. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Why not turn busy things like this ...

98. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Into something clear
& concise like this:
(via http://flowingdata.com “visualize
this” challenge”)

99. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Or break out the data separately like this...

100. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Actionable takeaways
@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
1. Keep charts & graphs simple
2. Tell user what to take away
3. Call out % change
4. Don’t spin data, ever!
5. Report as part of process
6. Right data, right stakeholder
7. Be creative, have fun

101. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Click to enter source
How we can help you

102. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Click to enter source
Take your GA data to go via API

103. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Click to enter source
Use apps to beautiful your data via “easy button”
https://create.visual.ly/graphic/google-analytics

104. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Click to enter source
Connectors let you easily put data into viz apps

105. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary

106. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Google Data Studio
CONNECT VISUALIZE SHARE
Data Studio 360
workflow
Create reports and dashboards
- Flexible reporting
- Answer questions
- Monitor the business
Manage your data
- Access
- Transform
- Govern
Data Sources
Tool
Reports Tool

107. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Data Studio 360
Integrations

108. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Check out Google Data Studio at DataStudio.Google.com

109. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary

110. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Click to enter source
We’ve done the work for you in the Solutions Gallery
http://datastudiogallery.appspot.com/

111. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary@AdamSinger / @GoogleAnalytics
Google Trends: Visually see global interest / trends
Start experimenting with trends at:
Google.com/Trends

112. Google Confidential and ProprietaryGoogle Confidential and Proprietary
Thank You! ….Additional Resources:
Blogs
● Official GA blog: analytics.blogspot.com
Dashboards / custom reports / advanced segments
● google.com/analytics/gallery/
Take our MOOC! (free, on-demand)
● analyticsacademy.withgoogle.com
Ask me questions anytime:
● @AdamSinger on Twitter