How To Make Data Meaningful In Your Content
Words by Zoe Ng
Let’s be real—most people don’t hear the word data and think, “Wow, tell me more.” It’s not usually the part of your content that gets quoted, screenshotted, or shared in the group chat. But when it’s done right, it absolutely can be.
Data isn’t just about numbers; it’s about what those numbers mean. Add a little context (and a little style), and suddenly it’s not just informative, it’s interesting. It can connect, surprise, entertain, and yes, maybe even go viral.
For marketers, founders, and comms teams trying to cut through the noise, data might just be your secret weapon. But like any tool, it only works if you know how to use it well.
Numbers are nothing without a narrative
What makes numbers interesting isn’t the number itself, but what it tells us. Why should your audience care? What story does it tell about their world, their decisions, or their next move?
Finding the story inside a spreadsheet starts with curiosity. What jumps out? What feels surprising? What changes the way you see the topic? Talk to the people behind the data. Interrogate it, if you need to. Then reframe it for the people who actually need to understand it.
If you’re not thinking about what’s useful or human in the numbers, you’re not telling a story; you’re just looking at facts in a nicer font.
Make your message as clear as your chart
You can have the nicest-looking chart in the world, but if no one knows how to read it, it’s just going to be another image.
One of the easiest mistakes to make? Overestimating your audience’s data literacy. Most people aren’t deep-diving into graphs over their morning coffee. It’s your job to walk them through it, not with jargon, but with clarity.
Think of it like this:
“Here’s what A means. Here’s what B means. And here’s why that matters.”
Whether you’re breaking down survey results, sharing performance wins, or presenting industry trends, explain it like you’re talking to a smart friend. It’s a conversation, not a math class.
Just remember that simple does not mean dumbing down what you’re trying to say. The best data commentary is clear, relatable, and easy to understand. That’s not watering it down—it’s respecting your reader’s time (and attention span).
Use data to start a conversation, not end it
When it's done right, data doesn’t just improve, it invites. It gives people a way in and a chance to see themselves in the story.
Sure, there’s space for big, serious topics like COVID trends, interest rate forecasts, and climate data. But it can also be fun, surprising, or oddly personal. Like a chart that compares Sydney vs Melbourne, or Taylor Swift vs. The Beatles. The kind of comparisons that feel less like a report and more like something you’d talk about over lunch.
Ultimately, data isn’t just about being right. It’s about being relevant, showing up in the moments your audience already cares about, and giving them something they want to share, comment on or just quietly enjoy.
Here are a few ways to bring that kind of energy into your content:
Check the calendar. From national holidays to pop culture moments, some of your best content opportunities are already in plain sight.
Treat your brand like a person. What would they be into? What conversations would they naturally join?
Let it be a little weird. The more specific or unexpected the stat, the more it can reveal the personality of your brand and your audience.
Use culture as a bridge. If your data can link to something familiar, like a TV show, a news story, or a shared rivalry, it instantly becomes more accessible.
Invite participation. Polls, comparisons, and friendly debates. These all give people an easy way to weigh in, especially when there’s no right answer.
At the end of the day, the most meaningful data doesn’t end the conversation. It opens one.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Instagram is a great example of this. One day, they’re talking about Valentine’s Day spending habits, the next it’s hot chip preferences by state. Their posts tap into moments people are already thinking about, whether it’s pop culture or public holidays, and pair them with surprisingly fun and surprisingly useful data.
Whether it’s a cheeky comparison or a niche stat wrapped up in a clean graphic, it works because it feels timely, relevant, and is just fun enough to warrant that double-tap.
Tailor it to where it’s going
COPE (create once, publish everywhere) is a smart strategy. However, everywhere doesn’t mean you should copy and paste your content. The best content isn’t just reshaped to fit a platform's visual specs, it’s rethought with the audience in mind.
The way someone scrolls through Instagram is worlds apart from how they skim an email or engage with a LinkedIn post between meetings. Context matters, and so does your tone.
Here are some simple tips to shape your data for where it’s going:
Instagram: Make it visual, clear, and scroll-stopping. This isn’t the place for long explanations. Let the design do the heavy lifting.
LinkedIn: Use a thread or carousel to tell a story. Add context, invite reflection, and speak like a person, not a headline.
Email: Keep it focused. One well-explained takeaway is more useful than ten stats your reader forgets once they’ve left the browser.
Video: Break things down step-by-step. It’s about clarity, not polished content, and animated explainers or lo-fi talking heads can work just as well.
Visual tools like Flourish and Datawrapper are great for turning spreadsheets into something worth looking at, but so is a caption that sounds like it was written by a person, not a PDF. Don’t underestimate what a little human voice can do, even in a chart.
Win over your internal team first
Sometimes the hardest part about doing something creative with data isn’t the data at all, but the people around it.
Maybe it feels too off-brand, or too playful, or too risky. Maybe there’s that one stakeholder who always asks, “But what if no one gets it?” And fair enough. Change is uncomfortable, especially when you’re dealing with something as historically dry as statistics.
The solution is simple: start small. Try one thing first, show the results, then do it all again.
Reward the people who take the leap with you. Share the wins (big or small), and when people start seeing real engagement, real interest, and maybe even a few “this is actually cool” comments, they’re more likely to say yes the next time.
The goal here isn’t to convince everyone all at once. It’s to create momentum.
So, how do you make data meaningful?
Start by remembering this: numbers on their own don’t do much. It’s the why behind them, the tension in the story, the human angle, that makes people pay attention.
Whether it’s surprise, curiosity, clarity, or the rare magical delight, data should make your audience feel something. Because when it does, it stops being just information and starts becoming something else entirely: a spark, a signal, or a reason to care.
At Starr Studio, we help brands turn insights into ideas and ideas into impact. If you want to make your data more meaningful or maybe even more memorable, we’d love to help. Let’s talk. 📞