4 Ways to Turn Boring Data Into Captivating Content
Whatever industry you’re in, there’s a strong chance that you have quite a stash of data sitting around. And guess what–market and competitor research (and any other data you may have gathered) doesn’t have to be boring and can even add value to your customers. Turning data into captivating content is a great way to make it work twice as hard, giving you more bang for your buck.
To get started, think why the data you’ve collected could be interesting to your customers, then present it in a way that makes it easily digestible, shareable, and even fun. With a little know-how and a dash of creativity, your ‘boring data’ can become intrinsically engaging, just like some of the examples below.
Pay attention, and turn your boring data into content you can be proud of.
1. Turn Your Data into an Interactive Tool
Is salary by state inherently scintillating data? Not if you present it in a list. However, Rasmussen College managed to turn what could be thought of as ‘dry’ data into an interesting, and what’s more, useful, interactive tool.
By thinking about the value the data might have to the general public (wouldn’t you be interested to know if you could earn more doing the same job elsewhere?), then presenting it as a fun tool that users can engage with, they’ve added considerable value to their brand.
Takeaway: Useful content can boost audience engagement, making sure they stay on site longer. Think about your data’s value and present it in an easily digestible way.
2. Tour Your Users through History
Firestone’s recent visualization tells the fascinating story of America’s Giant Car Brands. They produced an interactive graph to display their ‘boring data’ alongside historical facts that make it interesting to an audience that otherwise might not have found it so.
By comparing their data with information that’s already in the public domain, they’ve discovered the story behind all those mind-numbing figures. Storytelling is huge news in content marketing—it can humanize a brand, making it seem more relatable and relevant in the real world, all fantastic news for the bottom line.
Takeaway: Think about the narrative behind your data. How can you explain it? Who might be interested in this story? Answer those questions, and you’ve got the beginnings of some brilliant content.
3. Bring a Little Fun to Your Data and Create a Game
If there’s one thing that most people can find time for when they go online, it’s to wind down by playing a game or two. With all this time spent playing, there’s hardly any left over for Internet users to become absorbed by the efforts of a hardworking marketer.
So what’s the answer? Blinkbox books turned their ‘boring data’ on reading averages into a game that tells readers how long it would take for them to finish Game of Thrones. By asking readers to read a quick passage and then answer a few questions on it, they deduce not only how many days it would take to read the entire collection (221, just saying…) but how this compares to the ‘average person’. Great fodder for showing off on social media, and Blinkbox ensure their users can do this easily. This is ‘boring data’ turned into excellent content – the kind that gets their audience to do their marketing for them.
Takeaway: Even if you haven’t got the budget for this nifty little game, try creating a microsite that allows your audience to compare themselves to your data. A little competition can be healthy in content marketing!
4. Got Geographical Data? Give an Interactive Map a Try!
Have you ever tried figuring out where and when you can get away for the weekend without breaking the bank? Entering the same information time and time again, only to give up and have that nice little pot of money get frittered away on clothes, takeaways and the odd concert ticket?
Kayak has turned the boring data that’s their bread and butter into an interactive map that makes that nightmare scenario a thing of the past. Thanks to them, users can now type in their local airport, choose a rough date and their options appear tantalizingly in front of them.
Takeaway: By figuring out what their customers want from their data, they’ve derived its true value and created something that is genuinely useful to their customers. If your content’s useful, it will get shared, driving up your traffic and also your sales.
The Takeaway
It’s all about value again here, but this time it’s about making your data more easily accessible. If your site is already data-driven, think about how best to present this data to your audience. Remember 70% of all our sensory receptors are in our eyes, and we can get a sense of a visual scene in less than one tenth of a second. Present your data visually to make it easily digestible and shareable.
Hopefully these 4 examples have convinced you that there’s no such thing as ‘boring data.’ Think about why your data’s relevant to your audience and you can come up with content as captivating as the brands above. Give it a try and let us know how it goes in the comments below!
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