Telling your story

Read this if you want to learn how to:

1. Effectively tell people what you are doing

2. Build interest in, and support for, your community action plan

Telling your storyWe all connect to people’s stories better than facts and figures, which is why it’s important to learn how to tell and share good stories. Simple quotes and photos alongside a human-interest story can bring projects to life.Transition Network has a collection of 21 Stories of Transition, showing projects local communities are working on. Before going any further, look at one or two examples of how the projects’ stories are told e.g. Repair Cafe, Pasadena.What makes this a good story?

Why is it important to tell your story?It’s important to let people know about your project for a number of reasons: • To increase support for your project locally • To show the difference your project is making• To celebrate achievements• To attract new volunteers, resources or funding • To enable people to benefit from your project who weren’t previously aware of it• To share what you have learned with and inspire othersPromoting your project doesn’t have to be expensive and there are lots of free resources. In this guide, we’ll share some practical tips you can use to let people know what you are up to.

Key writing principles• Keep your message clear, simple and tangible - even if the issue is complex• Use plain-English, avoid jargon, old-fashioned phrases and acronyms• Always stick to the most important information - what people ‘need to know’?• A key message with three clear supporting points works well• Focus on people and their stories• Experiment and see what works!

Key visual principles• Keep it simple and unfussy• Make sure you follow a basic colour

scheme and never use light text on a light background, or dark text on a dark background

• A good quality image can go a long way – this can be a photo or a logo

• If you’re taking pictures or filming, don’t forget the rule of thirds!

Image from Local Trust

PhotosPhotos can be a great way of capturing your community group‘s work, ethos and impact. It speaks equally to everyone, regardless of their background. It can be daunting to start taking photos, so it can be helpful to remember some key things – you can read our top ten tips for taking better photos, including the legal bit about consent.Things to remember when taking photos:• Captures the personality of the project• Great for social media – most engaging content• Easy with smartphones and apps with filter• Focus on people and activities – bright colours help too!• You can take photos before and after changes to show the difference you’re making

Raising your profileTo raise the profile of your project, you need to look at how residents, partner organisations, community groups etc. like to receive information and provide feedback. This will help you choose the right way to reach them. You might want to think about …• How widely the local newspaper is read – could you get coverage of an event or

milestone that your community project has reached? • Is there a local blog or website that you could write for? • Do you have an active neighbourhood forum you could engage with ? • Are there community events or celebrations where you could have a presence on a stall

or share information about what you are doing? • Are there any community noticeboards or local shops where people go to for information?

Events and FundraisingEssential information to include when promoting events• Date• Time • Location• Cost (or say it’s free!) • Contact person

Essential information to include when fundraising• What the money will go on • The difference funding makes • How to donate (online, by text,

collection at event)

Putting it all together

The Legal Bit… Data Protection and Consent

• Explain who is collecting the data and who this is going to be shared with• Tell people exactly what data you are collecting such as first and last name, email address, area• Explain why you would like to collect their data• Do not collect more data than you need• Consent is optional, it is their choice whether they would like to share their information or not

and they can make a decision at any time to no longer be contacted• You must never share people’s personal data unless you make this clear to them and they agree

to this• If you have filmed or taken photos, you should check with the people involved that they are

happy with the final result. If people are pleased with it, they are more likely to want to share it. If your film or photo includes children or vulnerable adults, first ask their parent or guardian for consent using a consent form.

Getting your story out thereThere are many different ways you can reach people, so here are just a few ideas:• Traditional media (print, radio, TV): Media Trust have a guide on How to hit the headlines,

including hints on how to think like a journalist or editor. They also have a sample press release with some tips of what to include.

• Posters, leaflets, banners• Newsletters (printed or e-newsletters)• Email• Websites and blogs: Wordpress is one of most popular tools to build a website or blog. Just

Act has a simple guide for community groups to set up their own website with Wordpress. • Social media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube): Locality has a handy social media toolkit to get

you started with Twitter and Facebook, including how to setup a profile and top tips.

Social MediaSocial media is a great way to start conversations online. Twitter is a ‘micro-blogging’ platform used for short bursts of information and conversation limited to 140 characters. You can use Facebook to create pages to share information and/or setup groups for people to communicate directly. It’s important to remember …• Talk to people like you would in person –polite and informal• Photos, images and videos get a lot of attention• Keep it up-to-date – even a few tweets a week keep a Twitter account active• Make sure you set aside time to respond – people expect quick responsesLocality has a handy social media toolkit to get you started with Twitter and Facebook, including how to setup a profile and top tips.

Blogs and websitesA blog or a website can tell others what your project is about, and what you get up to. It can be easier and cheaper than delivering flyers, and more permanent that putting up posters in your area. Wordpress is one of most popular tools to build a website or blog – Just Act has a very simple guide to do this. It’s important to remember …• Talk to people like you would in person – polite and informal• Photos, images and videos get a lot of attention• State really clearly who you are and what you do• Don’t let it get out of dateThe BT Community Web Kit is another tool to help projects set up their own website.

The mediaThe media always want good local stories, or a local angle on a national story, especially with a human interest. Media Trust have a guide on how to hit the headlines and a sample press release with some tips of what to include.It’s important to remember …• Focus on people, achievements and key messages – what will make an interesting

story? Can you explain your story using plain English, to a journalist in thirty seconds?

• Journalists are often busy, so writing a press release, followed up by a quick phone call can be a good way to catch their attention

• Be ready to give quotes or answer additional questions – and if you need to check any details, that’s fine, but they will often be working to tight deadlines

• And don’t underestimate the value of building up relationships with journalists, once they know you and understand what you are doing, they are more likely to come back to you for updates or future stories

mycommunity.org.uk

@mycommunityhelp#mycommunityhelp

My Community Rights