“One page, one chart, one story.” This is Zach Silber’s mantra.
As for Zach’s story? That’s far harder to distill into one page. The short version is this; he’s a preeminent leader in the field of data-driven insights, and a valued NewsWhip client.<span
At Avoq, Zach co-founded the award-winning Insights & Analytics group, providing innovative market research and geopolitical intelligence. He remains a Senior Advisor to Avoq on innovation and corporate development, and is also the principal at his investment firm Storm King Holdings, where he focuses on the intersection of data and strategy in scaling innovative media companies. Throughout his career, Zach has consistently employed targeted use of data, turning it into actionable insights no matter how complex, especially during crises.</span
Given his vast expertise in making sense of data, we asked him to share some tips with fellow insights leaders. For instance, how can you transform complex data into operational insights that will truly matter to your internal audiences?
How to bring the story to your data
During our chat, Zach referenced a scene from Michael Bloomberg’s biography where the billionaire meticulously redesigned charts for the original Bloomberg Terminal. “Every single chart had to tell an actionable, intuitive story,” Zach recounted. “That’s a core lesson for insights practitioners.”
He boils it down to the following three points:
- Showcase your data’s story: Breathing life into data requires a narrative. Much like journalism, you need to think about the intended audience, the headline, what you want to convey in one page, and the main takeaway. If in doubt, ask yourself what the audience should feel/glean from the data in one chart.
- Manage your stakeholders: In a multistakeholder environment, it’s crucial to manage different interests and ensure the data story resonates with each audience. This means being specific about the takeaway for each group.
- Use your data effectively: Avoid overloading your audience. Instead, focus on Zach’s mantra:
- One story: Tailor the message to the needs of your specific audience.
- One headline: Encapsulate the main takeaway.
- One chart: Present one clear, impactful chart.
- Actionable Insights: Explain data usage and what actions should be taken
More data shouldn’t translate to more charts. Focus on the most important insights for your audience. Or, as Zach deftly puts it…
“Just because you’re swimming in data, it doesn’t mean you need to bring everyone into the pool with you. You’ve got to take the drops that matter and think ‘What can I distill?’”
Navigating polarization within your audience
While it’s near impossible for a brand to predict every scenario, Zach says that starting with your business’ core values is a key starting point for managing comms. Without those core values to guide responses, companies risk unnecessary overcorrection, straying from their authenticity, and facing negative outcomes.
“If you have clarity about what you stand for and what you’re willing to stand behind, even in the face of different political waters, that’s gonna be the clarifying guide to how you respond in different situations.”
If you know what you stand for, Silber says, you can then pressure test:
- Consider distinct scenarios to varying degrees
- Role-play these scenarios within a different audience or stakeholder context
- Gauge and prepare viable responses to unique situations
It’s worth noting that – especially in the current political climate – you can’t keep every faction happy, be it your audience, stakeholders, or employees. As Zach puts it:
“There’s a built-in lose-lose situation; you’re always going to upset someone. So, you’re gonna have to go through an exercise to assign a weight and figure out ‘What is the audience that we’re gonna prioritize?’”
“Take DEI. Your employees care the most about workforce issues because they live it everyday. Meanwhile, consumers are probably not thinking about your DEI policy when they buy your product. At the same time, half of Congress might disagree with your policy, investors care from an ESG rating perspective, and the media isn’t paying attention until it becomes a crisis. So what do you do? Start with your employees, communicate with them, be clear about your values, and go from there.”
By clarifying which audience to focus on in various scenarios, you’ll be better equipped to proactively plan strategies and address emerging issues.
Choosing a tech stack to convey your data story
As the social media landscape grows increasingly complex, constructing an effective tech stack to manage emerging issues/general social chaos could be seen as a mammoth task. It doesn’t have to be.
When building a tech stack, Zach says you should focus on metrics aligned with your audience. Choose a tool that helps you understand your audience and convey your core values. Additionally, decide if you need just pure data or if a long-term strategic partnership – like the one we have with Zach – would be more beneficial.
Choosing NewsWhip means having having an expert on hand who can help you:
- Understand what’s happening in your specific industry
- Solve ongoing issues and impromptu crises as they arise
- Adapt your data to reflect your evolving needs
“The NewsWhip example is a true partnership where you’re not getting an anonymous dashboard and interface with charts – if you want to go and use it that way, you can. But having people that you can work with, who can help you solve problems and help you think and adapt their product to reflect your needs – that’s a strategic partnership.”
Key takeaway
Too much data is as good as no data. So, focus on distilling it into clear headlines and stories. You can do this by defining your company’s values, anticipating scenarios, testing them, and prioritizing an audience. If you’re unsure of a starting point, ask yourself what your audience should understand from the data.
“Of course, you have to have workflows and templates, there’s always a procedural part of it. But, culturally, force yourself to scrutinize data with the outcome of ‘I am going to take all of this, put in the work, and synthesize it into one headline, one page, one chart’.”
