How do you use the data and insights to tell better stories?

Qualitative data: There is little than qualitative research - customer interviews, listening to sales call recordings, beta group message testing - to understand the trends of what motivates and matters to your target audience. Often times qualitative data takes a back seat to quantitative, but for storytelling this is where the story really comes together in the specific words, observed emotions and examples of real people. A few examples from my past:

• In preparing for the launch of Ops Hub - a suite of tools for revops professionals at HubSpot, we listened and read through hours of transcribed interviews with ops professionals on what bothered them and a pattern emerged. Underneath all of the specific features they needed and "jobs to be done" there was a clear sense that this was a cohort of people who have immense responsibility in the organization but often don't have a seat at the table. So many of the conversations came with a sense of feeling unheard and unsung. That became a big ethos in our messaging.

• We recently had a peer discussion with a particular group of people responsible for sustainability reporting. Some of the most telling hints on messaging came not from what this group told us directly, but from how the spoke with each other. Where did the group become most passionate or animated when speaking with their peers about the work.

AI has made synthesizing customer calls like these and interviews into themes a lot more efficient at scale. In addition though, never underestimate the power of being in the room if you can to hear what matters.

Quantitative data:

I like using test balloons to try out different messages online and get quick quantifiable data as to their resonance. A few examples:

• A linkedin or other social post from someone who has a good portion of your target audience in their followers. Try a few different angles and see which ones attract the best interactions from that audience.

• Search or social ads: If you can distill your messaging down to a few lines, a one-off testing series of ads are a good way to get in front of a targeted audience at scale prior to rolling out in a big way.

• A/B testing of web copy: This is a classic, but worth mentioning. Which phrasing of your positioning drives action?

I hope that's helpful!

Typically as proof points for the product benefits. Yeah we make you faster, but how much faster? Well (for example) at both Pomerium and Algolia, we could quantify latency reductions…so use that. I also think data and insights about where people are naturally going on your website can be helpful too. For example, I’ve been surprised to see where a lot of our organic search traffic ends up. Our blog and glossary pages at Pomerium are highly technical and not necessarily focused on our product but on adjacent products. So how can we do webinars or build better guides to capture more user intent around those search terms? Same with our docs search itself. We’re actually using insights from Algolia’s backend to help us understand what users are searching for, and making sure that we eliminating any no results pages that might come up.

Yes, its so key to be able to do this! A few ways you can do this:

Use data to frame the problem: Start with data that highlights the pain points your audience is facing. For example, if a product helps improve operational efficiency, cite industry statistics or internal data showing the common inefficiencies or bottlenecks in similar businesses. This grounds the story in a relatable problem.

Customer Segmentation: Use insights about your audience segments to tailor the story to their specific needs. Different personas or industries have different pain points, so incorporating relevant data helps make the story feel personalized. For example, executives might care more about strategic outcomes, while product teams focus on technical performance.

Quantify outcomes: Use data to show the tangible impact of your product or service. Instead of telling your audience what your product does, show them how it has made a difference with numbers that reflect success. Use metrics such as time saved, error reduction, or customer satisfaction increases to provide concrete proof.

Benchmarking against competitors: If possible, use comparative data to highlight why your product stands out in the market. Use competitive insights to frame how your solution outperforms others in critical areas.

Combine qualitative and quantitative insights: Pair customer testimonials or use cases with supporting data to humanize the story. While data provides credibility, stories from real customers help to create an emotional connection.

Identify patterns: Use aggregated data from multiple customers or industries to highlight patterns that make your story more compelling. Data trends provide a broader narrative, allowing you to show how your solution solves widespread issues.