Brent Dykes

Master the art and science of data storytelling―with frameworks and techniques to help you craft compelling stories with data.

The ability to effectively communicate with data is no longer a luxury in today’s economy; it is a necessity. Transforming data into visual communication is only one part of the picture. It is equally important to engage your audience with a narrative―to tell a story with the numbers. Effective Data Storytelling will teach you the essential skills necessary to… Show more

Master the art and science of data storytelling―with frameworks and techniques to help you craft compelling stories with data.

The ability to effectively communicate with data is no longer a luxury in today’s economy; it is a necessity. Transforming data into visual communication is only one part of the picture. It is equally important to engage your audience with a narrative―to tell a story with the numbers. Effective Data Storytelling will teach you the essential skills necessary to communicate your insights through persuasive and memorable data stories.

Narratives are more powerful than raw statistics, more enduring than pretty charts. When done correctly, data stories can influence decisions and drive change. Most other books focus only on data visualization while neglecting the powerful narrative and psychological aspects of telling stories with data. Author Brent Dykes shows you how to take the three central elements of data storytelling―data, narrative, and visuals―and combine them for maximum effectiveness. Taking a comprehensive look at all the elements of data storytelling, this unique book will enable you to:

- Transform your insights and data visualizations into appealing, impactful data stories
- Learn the fundamental elements of a data story and key audience drivers
- Understand the differences between how the brain processes facts and narrative
- Structure your findings as a data narrative, using a four-step storyboarding process
- Incorporate the seven essential principles of better visual storytelling into your work
- Avoid common data storytelling mistakes by learning from historical and modern examples

Effective Data Storytelling: How to Drive Change with Data, Narrative and Visuals is a must-have resource for anyone who communicates regularly with data, including business professionals, analysts, marketers, salespeople, financial managers, and educators. Show less

As a prequel to my Web Analytics Action Hero book, this primer on digital analytics is intended for marketers and business professionals who want to gain a better understanding of the essentials for this technology. Web Analytics Kick Start Guide starts by exploring the evolution of the web analytics industry and then it dives into the business, technical, and process essentials that all aspiring, data-driven professionals should know. It provides this concise overview in less than 160 pages… Show more

As a prequel to my Web Analytics Action Hero book, this primer on digital analytics is intended for marketers and business professionals who want to gain a better understanding of the essentials for this technology. Web Analytics Kick Start Guide starts by exploring the evolution of the web analytics industry and then it dives into the business, technical, and process essentials that all aspiring, data-driven professionals should know. It provides this concise overview in less than 160 pages and is available for free download as an ebook from the Adobe Press website. Show less

Companies need more than just web analysts and data-savvy marketers to be successful–they need action heroes! While most of us never battle evil scientists or defuse nuclear warheads, successful web analysts benefit from the same attributes that fictional action heroes embody. As a web analyst, your main goal is to improve your organization’s online performance. You can become an “action hero” by translating analysis insights into action that generates significant returns for your company. How… Show more

Companies need more than just web analysts and data-savvy marketers to be successful–they need action heroes! While most of us never battle evil scientists or defuse nuclear warheads, successful web analysts benefit from the same attributes that fictional action heroes embody. As a web analyst, your main goal is to improve your organization’s online performance. You can become an “action hero” by translating analysis insights into action that generates significant returns for your company. How you approach analysis is critical to your overall success.

In this book, web analytics expert Brent Dykes addresses the unique challenges facing analysts and online marketers working within small and large companies, teaching you how to move beyond reporting and toward analysis to drive action and change. Taking a principle-based rather than a tool-specific approach, Brent introduces you to the Action Hero Framework that breaks down the analysis process into three key stages: Prioritize (what to analyze), Analyze (how to analyze), and Mobilize (how to drive action). And he reinforces these topics with real-world examples and practical tips from seasoned analysts at leading companies.

- Defines the type of environment in which action heroes thrive–not just survive–as well as how to defeat the villains of web analytics that stand in the way
- Arms web professionals with a strategic framework for executing online analysis, as well as an arsenal of analysis techniques
- Reveals how companies need to be both data-driven and action-agile to drive business value from web analytics Show less