Storytelling…it’s the current buzzword in the communication, marketing, and development worlds. Storytelling and authentic narratives are being presented as the hot new way to resonate with your targeted audiences. Is it an excellent and effective way to convey the impact of your organization? Absolutely. Is it a new tactic? No.
Humans have been telling stories since the beginning of time. We were telling and listening to stories long before we even had a written language. Stories help us connect with one another, with groups, with societies. They help us learn. They help us remember. They make us feel. Storytelling makes your audience connect with you on a more personal level, because we, as humans, are wired to respond to stories.
Every organization, every individual, has a story. For nonprofit and purpose-driven organizations, these stories are the lifeblood of the organization. Does your organization help improve access to primary care? There’s a story there – multiple stories, actually.
One story might focus on an individual who received care they otherwise would have avoided, and spotlight what they have been able to accomplish because of that care.
Another might focus on an employee and their experience helping improve the health of their neighbors and community.
A third might center on the economic impact that healthier individuals and families brought to the broader region. The options for storytelling are virtually unlimited.
So, what’s different about storytelling for nonprofits and purpose-driven organizations today? Why has it become such a popular tactic? During the last decade, we’ve had an explosion in the number of formats and channels available to share these stories.
We’ve democratized storytelling. We can take photos, record audio and video all with the phone in our hand. Content creation has become much easier. But the ability to create content does not in itself mean you can identify or tell a good story.
Identifying the most impactful stories and telling them in effective ways is key to an organization’s success. Want to reach the individuals and communities most impacted by your work? Want potential donors to feel connected and reach into their pockets? Want to improve the overall image and brand of your organization? Then you must select stories that will matter to those audiences and tell those stories well. In multiple formats, across multiple channels. Consistently, and always keeping the audience in mind. To do so, ask these questions:
What is the key message you want your audience to take away from this?
What feelings do you want to evoke?
What actions do you want your audience to take?
Why does your audience care about this story or this topic?
Why should your audience care about this? How does it impact their lives, family, local or global community?
How does your audience best like to access information? What format or channels would be most appropriate to reach them?
Answering these questions will help you shape and distribute your story, and ensure you end up with a product and messaging that resonates with your target audiences.
Effective storytelling for organizations is not a one-off. It is part of an ongoing communication strategy that not only selects and shapes those stories, but determines the formats, channels, and messaging that will most effectively and efficiently reach your targeted audiences and convince them to take the actions your organization is looking for. An organization that can use effective and impactful storytelling to help spread its messaging is an organization poised for success.
Need help in identifying and creating impactful stories that connect with your key messages, organizational image, and brand? We’ve got you! Want to learn more about corporate communication for purpose-driven organizations? Subscribe to our newsletter!