THE ART OF STORYTELLING IN THE DIGITAL AGE Julia Campbell, MPA www.jcsocialmarketing.com TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL ABOUT ME Mom of 2 Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Senegal 20002002) Former Development and Marketing Director at small shops Author, Storytelling in the Digital Age: A Guide for Nonprofits Passionate digital storytelling evangelist Tweet: @JuliaCSocial TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL Connect Slides, notes and resources http://jcsocialmarketing.com/volunteerism 1. Presentation Slides 2. Storytelling in the Digital Age Workbook 3. Content Calendar template What We Will Cover Today Why digital storytelling is the best way to build relationships with volunteers and supporters The 3 essential elements of nonprofit storytelling that persuades How to create a system to collect and craft the best stories across your organization Free and low-cost tools you can use to enhance your digital storytelling TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL WHAT CAN STORYTELLING DO? TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL PEOPLE WANT STORIES! Resource: https://www.classy.org/blog/want-donors-to-give-again-read-this/ TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL SO HOW DO WE “DO” EFFECTIVE DIGITAL STORYTELLING WITH INTENTION AND PURPOSE? TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL 3 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF NONPROFIT STORYTELLING THAT PERSUADES TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL ETHOS – THE ETHICAL NATURE Trust and credibility Speaker bio Branding Why should we listen to you? Why should we believe what you are telling us? TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL https://www.denverrescuemission.org/stories ETHOS – THE ETHICAL NATURE TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL HOW TO CREATE ETHOS Appropriate language Compelling, authentic character Brand reputation TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL LOGOS – THE LOGICAL RATIONALE Appeals to logic and reason Why is this issue important? Why is this story vital to understanding this issue? What is the problem? Does the evidence support you? TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL HOW TO CREATE LOGOS Facts and statistics Analogies Citing authorities Case studies TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL In Hungry Kate: The Girl with the Belly Ache, The Community Foodbank of New Jersey highlights the problem inside the story: Kate is one of 400,000 kids who struggle with hunger in New Jersey. HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/FU RUEIWOVNG TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL PATHOS – THE EMOTIONAL APPEAL Only stories that resonate at a deeply human, universal level, beyond a recounting of “things that happened”, are going to move people from passive to passionate. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL DON’T JUST “PULL HEARTSTRINGS”. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL EVOKE PRIDE TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL GREENPEACE STORY & CONTENT GUIDE “The story Greenpeace tells, and has always told, is that a better world is possible, and brave individual and collective actions can make it a reality. Now, to save the world, we’re going to get a billion other people to smash their own impossibles. We will tell stories using language that is optimistic, bold and includes a humorous wink. We will rebel against convention and make beauty in the face of dreary and stale.” TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL Different emotions can lead people to different actions. What do you want people to believe and do? Think about how they would feel if they were taking that action. Think about stories that would make them feel that way. USE EMOTION WITH INTENTION TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL Effective storytelling involves a deep understanding of human emotions, motivations, and psychology in order to truly move an audience. People do what the heart tells them, and then they rationalize their decisions using logic and reason. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL SIX WORD STORY TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL Emotional connection to a real person. “KATIE STEALS TO FEED HER KIDS.” Compelling fact. Bonus: Call to action TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL Create at least one 6 word story about someone whose life is different because of your organization. SIX WORD STORY EXERCISE TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL YOUR STORIES MAKE YOUR IDEAS REAL FOR YOUR AUDIENCE. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL HOW TO CREATE YOUR DIGITAL STORYTELLING PLAN TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL What would you do if you couldn’t fail? 1) DETERMINE YOUR GOAL What do you hope to achieve with digital storytelling? What does success look like? What do you want people to do? TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL THINK DEEPER “Getting on Facebook” “Start tweeting” “Get 5,000 fans” THERE ARE NOT GOALS – they are tactics to get to your goals TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL 2) IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL Purpose and meaning HUMAN MOTIVATIONS Growth and learning Valued connections TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL What does your target audience already know about you? What misconceptions may they have about the population you work with or the work that you do? WHERE ARE THE KNOWLEDGE GAPS? TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL QUESTIONS Who are your supporters? What do they value? Why are they interested in your work? What drives them? TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL 3) COLLECT THE STORIES TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL WHERE TO FIND STORIES Think like a journalist. Write every story idea down, no matter how small. Look at current events to see what’s newsworthy. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL WHERE TO FIND STORIES Review all print materials and collateral. This includes annual reports, grants, event programs, press releases, brochures, etc. Re-examine past and present events. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL WHERE TO FIND STORIES Peruse “thank you” letters. Ask your donors. Donors are usually very willing to give you information that is not a donation! Ask your volunteers. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL “SO, TELL US YOUR STORY…” What is your favorite memory? How has our organizations made you feel? How did you feel when you first discovered us? What is one reason that you continue to support us? Benefits, not features. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL WHY SHOULD SOMEONE VOLUNTEER? 1. Find a partner and introduce yourself. 2. Share one reason why someone should volunteer with your organization. 3. Find another partner when alerted. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL 4) CRAFT THE STORIES TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL HOW TO WRITE A COMPELLING STORY 1. Have a hook. 2. Go beyond a recounting of “things that happened”. 3. Use visual, evocative language. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL IMPACT STORY TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL INSIDER STORY TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL 5) SHARE THE STORIES TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL “Think of the story itself as gold. YOUR STORIES ARE THE GOLD. You mine the gold, you capture the story. Then you bring it back to your office and you need to pound that gold into difference shapes and sizes, depending on whom you’re talking to, or also where you’re telling it.” ~Andy Goodman TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL YOUR WEBSITE TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL https://www.denverrescuemission.org/stories FEATURE YOUR BEST STORIES https://www.amirahinc.org/blog https://www.stbaldricks.org/blog/category/real-lifestories TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL EMAIL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL Where is our target audience? Which platforms do we enjoy using? What is manageable? SOCIAL MEDIA TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL FACEBOOK LIVE TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL BATTLE-TESTED TOOLS Canva – https://about.canva.com/ en_in/canva-fornonprofits/ WordSwag mobile app – http://wordswag.co/ Adobe Spark – https://spark.adobe.com/ edu/ TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL Animoto – https://animoto.com/business/nonprofit VIDEO CREATION TOOLS Unfold – http://www.unfoldstori.es/ Nutshell by Prezi – https://prezi.com/nutshell/index_en.html Lumen5 – https://lumen5.com/pricing/ TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL Hootsuite – https://hootsuite.com/pages/landing/non-profitdiscount-application SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS Buffer – https://buffer.com/nonprofits Later – https://later.com/ BuzzSumo – http://buzzsumo.com/nonprofits/ TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL HOW DO WE INSPIRE A CULTURE OF STORYTELLING AT OUR ORGANIZATION? TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL EMBED STORYTELLING EVERYWHERE Meetings. Orientations. Volunteer events. Any and all in-person and virtual get togethers. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL INVITE CLIENTS Direct involve the people that you serve in telling their own story. Empower them. Make them a vital part of the storytelling culture and crafting the storytelling plans. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL LEAD BY EXAMPLE Write down stories about your own life. What makes these stories memorable? Create and share examples. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL STORY IDEA BANK Create a Story Idea Bank for everyone to access. Keep ideas in Dropbox or Google Docs. No idea too small! TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL ASK YOURSELF: Are you telling real stories, or just sharing messages? What new insights will your audience gain from your stories? Are they interesting? Are they challenging assumptions in creative and engaging ways? TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL STOP THINKING OF STORYTELLING AS A MEGAPHONE TO PROMOTE YOUR AGENDA. THINK OF IT AS A GIFT FOR YOUR VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS. TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL QUESTIONS? Email me: [email protected] Slides: www.jcsocialmarketing.com/volunteerism Join the Nonprofit Social Media Storytelling Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/soci almediastorytelling/ TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL
