What Stories Haven't You Told Yet?
I often talk about telling stories in marketing.
Why telling stories is valuable. Why your audience needs to hear your stories. And how you can start sharing those stories in your marketing.
But how do you actually find the stories you want to tell?
At my last networking event, Ashley Pfund, Director of Public Relations at Lenawee Intermediate School District, shared a presentation titled “When Information Isn’t Enough: Why Storytelling Is the Most Powerful Marketing Tool We Have.”
She said that we often see sharing stories on social media as something we have to come up with, when we should be thinking about it through a different lens:
Whose story can we tell that we haven’t yet?
I love that way of looking at using storytelling in your marketing.
There are millions of stories out there waiting to be told, and that kind of content is memorable, really sticks with people, and helps them remember your nonprofit.
So, where can you look for these hard-hitting stories that haven’t yet been told?
According to Ashley’s presentation, there are a ton of different ways local businesses can tap into untold stories — and here are a few for nonprofits specifically.
- Ask a program participant how the program has helped them specifically, or what they enjoyed most about their experience.
- Ask a volunteer about their role, the impact they have, or a memorable experience they had with a visitor/guest/program participant.
- Ask a student or intern why they chose your specific nonprofit, or get them to celebrate a recent accomplishment or career progress.
- Ask a new staff member what they do for your nonprofit, or what kind of unique experience they have that might apply to their new role.
- Ask a Board Member why they serve on this particular board, or something that a new supporter would be surprised to learn about the organization.
- Ask an event sponsor why they chose to support your specific nonprofit, or how the nonprofit’s work supports the sponsoring organization’s mission/vision/values.
The reality is that people remember stories so much more than statistics or numbers.
Social media posts highlighting real people and telling real stories typically get more engagement than generic posts, and they’re shared more often than high-level posts about programs or events.
Story-focused content is also a great way to recognize volunteers, employees, and event sponsors, which can go a long way in building (and maintaining) invaluable relationships.
And remember: telling stories doesn’t have to take hours or be complicated.
For example, I help the nonprofits I work with create simple staff highlight posts, teasing out stories with questions like, “What does a typical day at work look like for you?” or “What do you wish more people knew about the organization?”
It really can be that straightforward!
So, next time you’re stressed out about creating content and struggling to come up with a new and exciting story, reframe your thinking.
You don’t have to find a story to share on social media.
You get to share a story about the people most connected to and invested in your organization.
That’s invaluable for your audience — and priceless for the people involved.
See you in three weeks!
Catrina
P.S. Even if you’re excited about getting to tell stories, knowing where to start can still feel impossible. That’s where I come in! I help nonprofits and community organizations increase awareness and reach with consistent and effective marketing. Reply to this email and let’s chat about how I can help your organization.
