Storytelling is a tool that not only creates trust and loyalty among your target market, but with the right guidelines, is easy to compose. Here are some steps in which you can effectively communicate why your organization matters:
1. Identify your goals.
Knowing what you’d like to achieve can help you place your narrative effectively and impactfully. Are you trying to fundraise? If so, a success story can be good here. Are you trying to raise awareness? A short explanation of your origin story can be powerful here. Not every page of your website, for example, needs to contain storytelling components, but when placed in the right areas, these stories bring your organization, and its cause, to life.
2. Keep it simple.
You still want to be authentic in all your communications and uncomplicated text will help. It’ll prolong interest and inspire, rather than deter the reader. (People like to skim vs read.) Choose the stories worth telling; testimonials, personal stories, and anecdotes can all be used to great effect and can also be simplified to get the message across while retaining a lot of the heart and empathy. Human stories and human experiences are what make strangers become supporters of your organization because they are real and relatable. Keeping it simple makes it easier to emotionally connect.
3. Explain what you want.
The last step in using storytelling as part of your marketing and communications strategy is to convey clearly what your end goals are. Don’t leave your reader hanging- explain your objectives and what you’d like to achieve with their support. As with every successful story, your narrative should always have a conclusion to showcase what that extra support, additional funds, or even bolstered awareness can do. Revealing the results will enable your audience to understand clearly how they can help and will encourage their generosity.
Storytelling isn’t a new technique in marketing, but it’s an incredibly useful tool when it comes to organizations that focus on nonprofit efforts. Tailoring your communications material to be more relatable, real, and genuine is what will help you stand out. Your stories are what make you and your organization unique. Don’t be afraid to share them.
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