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IOM Blog

September 30, 2021

The Importance of Storytelling in your Marketing and Communications Strategy

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.

Avatar photo
Rebecca Teaff
Chief Executive Officer
Redstart Creative

Rebecca Teaff is the CEO and founder of Redstart Creative- an award-winning branding and digital marketing firm working with mission-driven organizations, particularly those in the nonprofit sector.

Noticing a deficit among small businesses and nonprofits working with experienced design and communication companies who understood their needs and constraints, Rebecca decided to start her own graphic design and marketing company focused on resolving that gap.
Redstart Creative was founded to support those who drive positive change in the world and are leading efforts for social impact and equity in their communities. As a woman-owned and operated business, Redstart Creative supports nonprofits and small businesses working in education, the environment, and human services.

Rebecca received her B.A. in Arts/Communications from Mary Baldwin College. The combined studies of design, marketing, and communications are the basis of her belief that design is a natural method of communication. In Rebecca’s spare time, she dreams up ways to more efficiently color code her calendar and spends time with her family – hubby, son, and two dogs.

To find out more about what we do and how, feel free to reach out at Redstartcreative.com

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