Passed on 7 April, 2025

4. Managing and presenting data

Dealing with data can feel a little overwhelming when there’s so much of it. In this lesson, we’ll explore how to organise and present your data so it's easier to manage.

✅ Learning objectivesBy the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:Check the items off as you go.Understand how spreadsheets can be used to organise and analyse data effectively.Discover how AI tools can enhance data management and analysis in spreadsheets.Choose appropriate formats to present digital marketing data clearly and impactfully.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

Understand how spreadsheets can be used to organise and analyse data effectively.

Discover how AI tools can enhance data management and analysis in spreadsheets.

Choose appropriate formats to present digital marketing data clearly and impactfully.

Organise and analyse your data

Let’s find out how you can organise and analyse your data using spreadsheets.

How are spreadsheets useful?

Digital marketing activities can generate a lot of data with some analytics platforms even exporting their data to spreadsheets. Spreadsheets allow you to break this data down into useful information to help you gain actionable insights.

What is a spreadsheet?

A spreadsheet is designed to help organise, analyse and store data. Put simply, spreadsheets create a grid of data, using a principle of rows and columns.

How can I use a spreadsheet?

Once numbers are added to the spreadsheet, you can use automated tools and functions to analyse the information and find the answers you are looking for. Spreadsheet software is incredibly useful when dealing with large amounts of data, such as financial budgets, project plans, and databases.

What types of data can I manage?

Not everything in a spreadsheet is just a plain number. Percentages, currency, dates and duration are just some of the common formats you can use.

How can I organise and analyse my data?

Create tables or use and adapt pre-existing templates. Filter tools allow you to quickly organise your data into a specific order and functions can be used to instantly recalculate values based on a change. You can also visualise your data through charts and graphs, such as pie charts, to make it easier to analyse and gain deeper insights.

✅ ActivityFor this exercise, think about the content calendar you began to plan in theCreating a content calendarlesson. You’re going to plan a basic spreadsheet to help you monitor its success.Check the items off as you go.Make a note of important, relevant data that you want to track. E.g., Clicks through to your website.Identify links between the data that you want to be aware of. E.g., The topic of your content and clicks through to your website, or the social media site of origin and the percentage of purchases.Think about any functions you need the spreadsheet to perform and write those down, too. E.g., Calculating a percentage.

Activity

For this exercise, think about the content calendar you began to plan in theCreating a content calendarlesson. You’re going to plan a basic spreadsheet to help you monitor its success.

Make a note of important, relevant data that you want to track. E.g., Clicks through to your website.

Identify links between the data that you want to be aware of. E.g., The topic of your content and clicks through to your website, or the social media site of origin and the percentage of purchases.

Think about any functions you need the spreadsheet to perform and write those down, too. E.g., Calculating a percentage.

Download PDF

Download PDF

Using AI to manage data

Spreadsheet software may come with AI tools built-in or available as optional add-ons. You can use these tools to create new templates or enhance existing spreadsheets, including those exported from analytics platforms. Let’s explore examples of how AI can help in your chosen spreadsheet application.

Creating templates

Prompt the AI tool to create tables with custom headers, fields, and functions. Templates could help you manage content calendars, digital marketing campaign results, projects, customer databases, and more.

Finding formulas

Prompt the AI tool with the action you’d like it to take, the information you’d like it to use, and where you’d like the answer to appear. It can suggest and apply a formula so you get the results you need.

Identifying trends

Prompt the AI tool to find trends in your data, and even make predictions about how the dataset could change in the future based on past performance.

Summarising data

Prompt the AI tool to summarise or explain the data in your spreadsheet.

Learning new functions

Prompt the AI to teach you about functions that you aren’t sure how to use, such as conditional formatting and pivot tables.

Presenting your data

It is time to present information based on the type of data you have and the needs of your audience.

Know your audience

With so much data and information at our disposal, presenting it in a way people understand is essential to getting your message across successfully. In this case, your audience refers to those reviewing your data—such as colleagues, stakeholders, or investors—not your customers. Ask yourself the following questions to help you identify your target audience.

Present to your audience

Regardless of whether the data is being presented in a meeting or published in a report, overwhelming your audience is the fastest way to lose their attention - so avoid packing in too much information.

Choose your data

Once you’ve identified the needs of your audience, you can make decisions about which data to present. Choose the best data to show to each person.

Submit

Submit

Choose your format

Now that you know why it’s important to understand your audience, you need to decide which format to present your data in. Always choose a visual format that best displays the story you are trying to tell, such as how data has changed positively over time.

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Ask AI

If you use an AI tool with your spreadsheet program, it may be able to help you choose and generate a suitable graph, chart, or diagram to showcase your data. Experiment with prompts usingT-C-R-E-I(Task, Context, Reference, Evaluate, Iterate) until you find one that works.

Check your knowledge

It’s time to find out what you’ve learned so far.

Question 1 of 1

Anya is working on a presentation for potential investors. They would like to see how the demand for public parking has grown in the past three years. How should she present the data so that it is clear and will make the most impact on the investors?

Table of figures

Table of figures

Bar graph

Bar graph

Pie chart

Pie chart

Heat map

Heat map

Submit

Submit

Yes.A bar graph is the most effective way to present the data on public parking demand. The height of each bar visually represents the level of demand for a specific year, making it easy to see the increase or decrease over time. This visual comparison is much more impactful compared to the other options.

A bar graph is the most effective way to present the data on public parking demand. The height of each bar visually represents the level of demand for a specific year, making it easy to see the increase or decrease over time. This visual comparison is much more impactful compared to the other options.

Lesson complete

Great job!You now know more about how spreadsheets can help you manage data, and what to consider when choosing how to present it.Head to the next lesson to discover more about measuring success in content marketing.

You now know more about how spreadsheets can help you manage data, and what to consider when choosing how to present it.Head to the next lesson to discover more about measuring success in content marketing.

Head to the next lesson to discover more about measuring success in content marketing.

Head to the next lesson to discover more about measuring success in content marketing.