What is data story telling and why is it essential.

Data storytelling is the ability to effectively communicate insigh

ts from a data set using narratives and visualizations. It can be us
ed to put data insights into context for and inspire action from y
our audience. There are three key components to data storytelling;A
s Marketers our job is to not only interpret analytic data, but to also provide a summa
ry of the performance and apply recommendations for future strategies, forecasting a
nd on-going testing. However, this standard metric of decoding is not enough and we
need to find a better way to communicate successes and failures that the client can
understand. That is why storytelling is just as important now than it was when we are
in Kindergarten when the teacher read us a story in a circle.
As marketers, early on we are classically trained to become proficient in Excel, Powe
r point and (my personal favorite) writing on whiteboards so that we can be perceive
d as smartest one in the room. These elements of communication comprise of bullet
points, summarizations, goals and objectives, sales vs. cost projections, etc… On th
e contrary, we are most likely doing it all wrong. There have been many studies and
published articles that debunk this MBA/classroom method and reinforce the one of
oldest and most fundamental communication methods.
Because of this difference in understanding  success metrics, marketers need to tak
e all of the Analytics data (which are considered very complex by clients) and transfo
rm them into a story/language that they can understand. For example, lets suppose t
hat the client saw a 50% increase in sales coming from their “Brand Terms” in Adwor
ds as compared to the previous month. Instead of just providing them with increased
performance metrics such as CTR%, Conversion rates, etc.., marketers need to do a
little digging around and form a story that they can understand.
Trying to explain all of the intricate metrics and what they mean to a client is hard en
ough. But simplifying the data and creating a story around it, even as an “ice-breake
r” at the beginning of the conversation, helps the client feel like they made the right c
hoice in hiring you.
Links
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brentdykes/2016/03/31/...
https://www.readz.com/storytelling-in-marketing

13 RED FLAGS TO WATCH OUT FOR WHEN SELECTING A DIGITAL MARKETING

AGENCY.
In every digital marketing agency, there’s what they call the “Must have characteristics”. And
they are as follows;

 Capable to deliver desired services.

 Simple and clear process.
 Measurable.
 Cost-effective.
 A website optimized for inbound.
There are some criteria needed when selecting an agency, and these are as follows;

 Area of expertise.
 Quality of existing clients.
 Reputation of principals and experience of staff.
 Agency fees and methods of charging/payment.
 In-house resources.
 Geographical cover.
RED FLAGS LIST.
While choosing an agency for your business, you have to watch out for “red flags” these can
also be defined as warnings or indicators suggesting that there is a potential problem or threat with a
company’s stock, financial statements, or news reports.
Some of the red flags are;

 Poor communication.
 Lack of transparency.
 Unwillingness to offer a personalized service.
 They skip over the competitive analysis.
 Slow response time.
 How they promote themselves.
 They claim to have a secret formula.
 Inadequate social media marketing strategy.
 Poor client retention.
 They say they can do everything.
 They promise specific results.
 Excessive use of buzzwords.
 They don’t eat their own dog food.
We shouldn’t ignore red flags because all red flags, whether highly diagnostic or not, general or
specific, warn us the possibility of life-threatening disorders. There’s a saying about red flags and it
say, “Red flags are moments of hesitation that determine our destination” and this can be related to
our business destinations also because a business cannot be successful with an unsuccessful agency.
Links

13 Red Flags To Watch Out For When Selecting A Digital Marketing Agency
(forbes.com)