How to Use Excel Power Map for Geographic Data Visualization

If you have a spreadsheet containing sales figures across 500 different cities, presenting that data in a standard bar chart or a PivotTable is not particularly inspiring. While you can see which city has the highest numbers, you miss the geographic context—are all your low-performing stores clustered in a specific region? To truly visualize location-based data, you need to plot it on a globe. You don’t need expensive GIS software to do this; Microsoft includes a powerful, 3D visualization tool directly inside Excel called 3D Maps (formerly known as Power Map).

Step 1: Prepare Your Data

For 3D Maps to work, your data must contain geographic identifiers. This doesn’t require precise latitude and longitude coordinates (though those work perfectly). Excel relies on Bing Maps to geocode your data, meaning you can simply use columns for Address, City, State, Zip Code, or Country.

Ensure your data is formatted as an official Excel Table:

1. Click anywhere inside your dataset.
2. Press Ctrl + T and click OK.
3. Ensure your geographic columns have clear headers (e.g., “City”, “Revenue”).

Step 2: Launch 3D Maps

1. Click anywhere inside your newly created data table.
2. Navigate to the Insert tab on the ribbon.
3. In the “Tours” group (usually near the middle-right), click the 3D Map button and select Open 3D Maps.

A completely separate window will open, displaying an interactive, rotatable 3D globe.

Step 3: Map the Geographic Fields

Excel will attempt to automatically guess which columns contain your location data. You need to verify this on the right-hand Layer Pane.

1. Under the Location section, ensure your geographic column is listed.
2. If you have a “City” column, ensure the dropdown next to it is set to “City”. If Bing Maps misunderstands the column, it will place your data points incorrectly.
3. You will see small dots appear on the globe corresponding to your locations.

Step 4: Visualize the Data (Height and Category)

Dots on a map are helpful, but they don’t show the value of the sales.

1. In the Layer Pane, scroll down to the Height section.
2. Click + Add Field and select your “Revenue” column.
3. The flat dots on the globe will instantly transform into 3D columns stretching into the sky. Taller columns represent higher revenue.
4. To add more context, scroll to the Category section.
5. Click + Add Field and select a grouping column (e.g., “Product Type”).
6. The 3D columns will now be segmented by color, showing the breakdown of which products are selling in which cities.

Step 5: Add a Time Dimension (Animation)

If your dataset includes a Date column (e.g., “Date Sold”), 3D Maps can animate the data to show growth over time.

1. Scroll down to the Time section in the Layer Pane.
2. Click + Add Field and select your Date column.
3. A timeline scrubber will appear at the bottom of the screen.
4. Press the Play button.

The globe will animate, with 3D columns sprouting up and growing in real-time as the timeline progresses through the months and years of your dataset. This creates an incredibly compelling visual narrative for presentations.

Step 6: Create a Video Tour

You cannot simply copy and paste a 3D interactive globe into a PowerPoint slide or an email. However, 3D Maps allows you to export your visualization as an MP4 video.

1. Configure the globe exactly how you want it (zoom in on the US, adjust the angle).
2. Click the Create Video button on the ribbon at the top left.
3. Select your desired resolution (e.g., 1080p HD) and click Create.

Excel will render the animation and save it as a video file that you can effortlessly embed into a presentation, guaranteeing a “wow” factor from your audience.