In a world dominated by scrolling feeds and fleeting attention spans, your data needs to make an impact. Whether you’re a journalist, analyst, or marketer, creating engaging data visualizations for social media is one of the most effective ways to tell a story that sticks. In this post, we’ll show you how to create social-media-optimized charts using a fascinating and relevant topic: the decline of coal mining jobs in the United States.
Why Coal Mining?
The coal mining industry offers a rich narrative arc: dramatic job loss, political attention, and regional economic consequences. It’s a topic with emotional weight and policy relevance, making it ideal for data storytelling.
Plus, the data is publicly available and spans several decades, allowing us to create striking visuals with meaningful trends.
Data Sources
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Loius (FRED): Employment trends in mining.
- Company reports (e.g. Walmart, Amazon) for employee counts.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA): Coal mine locations and output.
Chart 1: The Decline of U.S. Coal Mining Jobs (Line Chart)
Our first chart shows a long-term decline in U.S. coal mining employment, from over 178,000 jobs in 1985 to just over 41,000 by June 2025
Here’s how a chart could look like for online usage
Let’s make some tweaks and optimize this for Social Media
Design Tips for Social Media:
- Increase font sizes
- Increase line width
- Use a bold headline: “Coal Mining Jobs Down 77% Since 1985”.
- Change the animation duration to 3 seconds for a more dramatic feel.
- Export as a square video (1:1 aspect ratio).
In everviz: When selecting Instagram, the platform automatically suggests the optimal size and aspect ratio. perfect for square or portrait-style posts that grab attention in the feed.
Here’s the final result in a Instagram post
Chart 2: How Big Companies Outscale the Coal Industry (Bar Chart)
To put things in perspective, our second chart compares coal mining employment to major U.S. employers:
- U.S. Coal Mining: ~41,000 employees
- Amazon: 1.5M+
- Walmart: 2.1M+
- UPS: 500,000+
Design Tips for Social Media:
- Use a horizontal bar chart to accommodate long labels.
- Highlight “Coal Mining” in a contrasting color.
- Caption: “Walmart Outpaces Coal Jobs by 50x”
- Use everviz’s grouping and color settings to keep your message clear.
- Bigger fonts than normal online chart
- Add labels instead of y axis to make it easier to read in a video
- Export as a square video (1:1 aspect ratio).
Here is the final result
Chart 3: Where Coal Still Lives (Zoom Map – Satellite View)
Our third chart is a zoomed-in satellite map highlighting the North Antelope Rochelle Mine in Wyoming, the largest coal mine in the United States by output. Instead of a full national view, this map zeroes in on one location to visually emphasize the scale and geography of modern coal operations.
Design Tips:
- Use a satellite base layer to give a real-world, textured backdrop.
- Apply a smooth zoom effect to draw attention to the mine’s location.
- Label the pin simply (e.g., “North Antelope Mine”) and keep overlays minimal.
- Let the satellite imagery tell the story. Focus on clarity and contrast.
- Export as a square video (1:1 aspect ratio).
Social Media Tip:
A close-up like this works great for vertical stories or Instagram posts. Use movement or subtle animation to enhance the zoom-in effect and hold attention.
Here is the final result:
Note: The final version appears to have noticeable compression when published to Instagram, affecting quality. We’re actively working on improving this.
Tips for Sharing on Social Media
Creating the charts is just half the work. To get noticed on social media, you need to optimize for visibility and engagement:
- Format: Use square or vertical layouts.
- Text: Short, bold titles with key numbers.
- Contrast: High contrast color palettes for mobile.
- Captions: Add context or a provocative question.
Powered by everviz
All of the examples above were created using everviz. Whether you’re working with CSV data or pulling stats from a spreadsheet, everviz makes it easy to:
- Choose from dozens of chart types.
- Customize for your brand (colors, fonts, etc.).
- Export in formats perfect for LinkedIn, Instagram, X or newsletters.
Final Thoughts
Telling a story with data isn’t just about numbers. It’s about impact. The decline of coal mining jobs is a story of economics, policy, and human lives. And with the right chart, you can help that story reach and resonate with thousands.
Try building your own version today in everviz, and let your charts speak volumes on social.
Related reading
If you’re looking for more design-specific guidance, check out our earlier post: Tips for Charts for Social Media It covers best practices for format, color, and text specifically optimized for platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn.
