Texas Nonprofit Summit - Storytelling for Impact

STORYTELLING FOR IMPACT

Monday, September 9, 13

STORYTELLING IS IN MY BLOOD


STORYTELLING IS IN ALL OFOUR ROOTS


BUT WE KNOW STUFF THAT NOBODY ELSE DOES


HISTORICALLY NONPROFITS HAVE

TAKEN ON THE ROLE OF EXPERTS AND EVANGELISTS OF

THEIR CAUSE


THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO


TODAY EVERYBODY THINKS THEY ARE AN

EXPERT AND EVERYBODY HAS A

PLATFORM



YOUR AUDIENCE IS IN CONTROL OF YOUR MESSAGE

“Ideas today are never fixed: they’re owned and modified by everyone. They move through networks at the will of their members and without that activity, they die.”

Jonah Sachs, “Story Wars”


TO TELL A GOOD STORY, YOU MUST KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

• Who needs to know your story

• What about your story will move your audience

• Know your end game


YOU MUST UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE THINKS THEY KNOW ABOUT

YOUR CAUSEMonday, September 9, 13

USE LOW-COST METHODS TO

REINFORCE WHAT THEY DO KNOW, AND WHAT

THEY ARE ALREADY SHARING ABOUT YOUR

CAUSE


LOW-COST STORYTELLING METHODS - GO VISUAL

• Pinterest now has 70 million users• Pinterest had the largest year-over-year

increase in audience of any social network in 2012

• Instagram has over 120 million monthly active users and was bought by Facebook for $1 Billion

• Photos receive 2x more likes than text posts on Facebook

• Videos are shared on Facebook 12x more than text posts and links combined

• On YouTube 100 million users are taking social actions (liking, sharing) every week


EMOTIVE CONTENT GETS SHARED.

CONTENT THAT GETS SHARED THE MOST APPEALS TO THESE EMOTIONS:

AMUSINGANGER

CONTROVERSIALCUTE

FEARFULILLUMINATING

INSPIRINGSHOCKING

THE JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2011


GOD MADE A DOG


KEYS TO CREATING STRONG SOCIAL VIDEOS

• Design it to be sharable

• Have a beginning, middle, and end

• Create conflict

• Don’t lecture

• Use classic storytelling techniques

• Get people hooked in the first 30 seconds


THEN FIND A WAY TO TEACH THEM WHAT THEY DON’T KNOW


FOR COMPLEX AND HIGHLY COMPELLING

ISSUES ENSURE SUCCESS BY PROVIDING MULTI-

DIMENSIONAL WAYS TO ENGAGE



MAKE YOUR CAUSE THEIR CAUSE

• Find your voice

• Be transparent & authentic

• Be relevant & intentional

• Reach people where they are


WHAT STORY WILL CREATE THE GREATEST PASSION?

‘Supporters generally need a strong cause to rally around and support. While it can be about a global or national issue, it must have some personal and/or local relevance.Most causes have emotional as well as rational drivers —something participants are passionate about, and can “put their heart into.”’

Ogilvy 2013 study on social movements


- INVISIBLE CHILDREN USED STORYTELLING TO SHINE LIGHT ON A LITTLE KNOWN WAR CRIMINAL

- THE RESULTING DOCUMENTARY WAS A VIRAL VIDEO PHENOMENON

- 3.7 MILLION PEOPLE PLEDGED THEIR SUPPORT OF THE EFFORTS TO ARREST JOSEPH KONY


CARING EQUALS

• Increased funding

• Increased support

• Increased engagement

• Increased resources

• Improved outcomes


ONCE THEY CARE, THEIR MUST BE A SIMPLE WAY FOR THEM TO ENGAGE



IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO CREATE EXCITEMENT WITHOUT ONGOING

ENGAGEMENT



YOUR MARKETING EFFORTS SHOULD BE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL

• Multiple platforms: online + offline

• Multiple voices: yours + your audience

• Multiple activities: support + action + advocacy

• Multiple outcomes: short + long-term



DON'T LEAVE THEM HANGING


SHOW THEIR IMPACT ON YOUR CAUSE

• 93% of consumers want to know what organizations are doing to make the world a better place

• 89% of global consumers take part in activities to address societal issues

• 71% report being confused by the messaging organizations are using to talk about their efforts/impact

Edelman goodpurpose study Monday, September 9, 13

WHAT'S YOUR STORY?


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Texas Nonprofit Summit - Storytelling for Impact