THE ART OF STORYTELLING IN THE DIGITAL AGE

THE ART OF STORYTELLING IN THE DIGITAL AGEJulia Campbell, MPAwww.jcsocialmarketing.com

TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL

ABOUT ME

Mom of 2

Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Senegal 2000-2002)

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

ConnectSlides, 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

WHAT CAN STORYTELLING

DO?


PEOPLE WANT STORIES!


Resource: https://www.classy.org/blog/want-donors-to-give-again-read-this/

SO HOW DO WE “DO” EFFECTIVE DIGITAL

STORYTELLING WITH INTENTION AND

PURPOSE?


3 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF

NONPROFIT STORYTELLING

THAT PERSUADES


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?

ETHOS – THE ETHICAL NATURE TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL

https://www.denverrescuemission.org/stories

HOW TO CREATE ETHOSAppropriate language

Compelling, authentic character

Brand reputation


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?


HOW TO CREATE LOGOSFacts and statistics

Analogies

Citing authorities

Case studies


HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/FURUEIWOVNG


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.

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.


DON’T JUST “PULL HEARTSTRINGS”.


EVOKE PRIDETWEET: @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.”


USE EMOTION WITH INTENTION


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.

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.


SIX WORD STORYTWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL

“KATIE STEALS TO FEED HER KIDS.”


Emotional connection to a real person.

Compelling fact.

Bonus: Call to action

SIX WORD STORY EXERCISE


Create at least one 6 word story about someone whose life is different because of your organization.

YOUR STORIES MAKE YOUR IDEAS

REAL FOR YOUR AUDIENCE.


HOW TO CREATE YOUR

DIGITAL STORYTELLING

PLAN


1) DETERMINE YOUR GOAL

What would you do if you couldn’t fail?

What do you hope to achieve with digital storytelling?

What does success look like?

What do you want people to do?


THINK DEEPER

“Getting on Facebook”

“Start tweeting”

“Get 5,000 fans”

THERE ARE NOT GOALS – they are tactics to get to your goals


2) IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE


HUMAN MOTIVATIONS

Purpose and meaning

Growth and learning

Valued connections


WHERE ARE THE KNOWLEDGE GAPS?

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?


QUESTIONS

Who are your supporters?

What do they value?

Why are they interested in your work?

What drives them?


3) COLLECT THE STORIES


WHERE TO FIND STORIESThink like a journalist.

Write every story idea down, no matter how small.

Look at current events to see what’s newsworthy.


WHERE TO FIND STORIESReview all print materials and collateral.

This includes annual reports, grants, event programs, press releases, brochures, etc.

Re-examine past and present events.


WHERE TO FIND STORIESPeruse “thank you” letters.

Ask your donors.

Donors are usually verywilling to give you informationthat is not a donation!

Ask your volunteers.


“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.


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 whenalerted.


4) CRAFT THE STORIES


HOW TO WRITE A COMPELLING STORY


Have a hook.1.

Go beyond a recounting of “things that happened”. 2.

Use visual, evocative language.3.

IMPACT STORYTWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL

INSIDER STORY


5) SHARE THE STORIES


YOUR STORIES ARE THE GOLD.


“Think of the story itself as 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

YOUR WEBSITE


FEATURE YOUR BEST STORIES

https://www.denverrescuemission.org/stories

https://www.amirahinc.org/blog

https://www.stbaldricks.org/blog/category/real-life-stories


EMAIL


SOCIAL MEDIA


Where is our target audience?

Which platforms do we enjoy using?

What is manageable?

FACEBOOK LIVE


BATTLE-TESTED TOOLS

Canva –https://about.canva.com/en_in/canva-for-nonprofits/

WordSwag mobile app –http://wordswag.co/

Adobe Spark –https://spark.adobe.com/edu/


VIDEO CREATION TOOLS

Animoto – https://animoto.com/business/non-profit

Unfold – http://www.unfoldstori.es/

Nutshell by Prezi –https://prezi.com/nutshell/index_en.html

Lumen5 – https://lumen5.com/pricing/


SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS

Hootsuite –https://hootsuite.com/pages/landing/non-profit-discount-application

Buffer – https://buffer.com/nonprofits

Later – https://later.com/

BuzzSumo – http://buzzsumo.com/nonprofits/


HOW DO WE INSPIRE A CULTURE OF STORYTELLING AT OUR ORGANIZATION?


EMBED STORYTELLING EVERYWHERE

Meetings.

Orientations.

Volunteer events.

Any and all in-person and virtual get togethers.


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.


LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Write down stories about your own life.

What makes these stories memorable?

Create and share examples.


STORY IDEA BANK

Create a Story Idea Bank for everyone to access.

Keep ideas in Dropbox or Google Docs.

No idea too small!


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?


STOP THINKING OF STORYTELLING AS A MEGAPHONE TO PROMOTE YOUR AGENDA.

THINK OF IT AS A GIFT FOR YOUR VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS.


QUESTIONS?

Email me:

[email protected]

Slides: www.jcsocialmarketing.com/volunteerism

Join the Nonprofit Social Media Storytelling Facebook Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/socialmediastorytelling/


THE ART OF STORYTELLING IN THE DIGITAL AGE

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