From CIL-NET Social Media Training Wiki
The Art of the Story
Much of the value of social media is in its power to help individuals and organizations tell their stories. Blogs, podcasts, videos, photos--these are all ways for an organization to "talk" about who they are, what they believe in, how they operate and what they do in the world. These are also tools that organizations can use to facilitate others in being able to tell their own stories--giving people a voice where once they didn't have one.
To get the most out of your social media efforts, you have to be able to tell good stories. Stories engage people at the deepest, most emotional level. They encourage people to respond and to act. They build community. Stories are central to social media. Here are some resources to help you begin telling your organizational story.
Stories Can Help You Advance Your Mission
- Stories help people make sense of data. This is true internally and externally. Finding the intelligence, main point, story arc, meaning, etc. in the sea of information in your average in-box is hard. Once you do find the value in information, by all means share it - and share it in a way that enables as many people to benefit as possible. Tell stories (about what's important, how you know, and why it matters).
- Stories connect people (staff or external stakeholders) who do technical jobs to the meaning and purpose of their work. The IT and accounting folks in our organization and the contracts and legal staff in our community partnerships need ways to connect to the program, strategy, and policy work of their peers and colleagues (and vice versa) so that we can all move forward more effectively and efficiently. Stories about collective impact ("how we made a difference") really matter as we work to accomplish shared goals.
- Stories help provide a context for change as organizations or partnerships evolve. We are all under pressure to become more agile, flexible, responsive, etc. At the same time, we're trying to be more accountable, track performance more effectively, and develop better metrics for assessing impact. These objectives can compete with one another (e.g.,"if we change the way we do this now, we won't be able to measure our performance"). Stories can help provide the context for these kinds of important decisions - they explain the "why" (...to change, or not to change...) more effectively than simple pro-con arguments.
Stories are Engaging
We know that people are more likely to engage with your organization's cause or contribute money if they hear the story about the impact of your organization's programs versus the dry statistics. Stories help build momentum, energize, and make a social media strategy come alive. Storytelling is an important and wonderful way to engage in a conversation with someone which is the heart and soul of social media. And, having your stakeholders create your organization's story in their words is even more powerful.
AUTHENTIC storytelling is the emotional hook and is the reason people act. The numbers rationalize the person's decision to act based upon their emotional decision based upon the story.
The challenge in using storytelling in fundraising is for it to be honest, authentic, and true. Donors will read right through a "phoney" story and can sense when they are being "sold"
This is what some nonprofit leaders have to say about the power of stories:
Says Rachel Happe, "humans remember and act on things that are emotionally relevant to them and the only way to make information emotional is by wrapping it up in a story. In the non-profit world there are fewer levers to influence your constituents so the emotional attachment is at the core of how you attract attention/funding/resources. (Rachel Happe's Blog)
Scarlett Swerdlow says, "our organization's brand is a collection of your organization's stories and icons: the total of experiences a person has with your organization. Stories are important to nonprofits because stories are your brand, your reputation. Stories are what people remember. Stories live in the minds of your constituents. Stories are also a way to communicate your past while ushering in the future. A story explains why you have the vision you do, how you came to it. Social media allows nonprofits with small budgets but rich histories to tell their amazing stories.(Scarlett Swerdlow's Blog)
Lynn Fillmore of Angel Covers says, "storytelling gives them a picture in their mind that they can remember. It brings a real face to the problems that we work with. That is what strikes a chord with people that have a more emotional side. Others need facts and numbers. They need it to make logical sense. To reach both types at the same time, the facts and numbers have to be woven into the story or presented in two different forms..
Examples of Great Story Telling
- The Transforming Lives awareness campaign was launched by CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) in May 2005. The campaing features celebrities and non-celebrities alike sharing their personal stories with mental illness and addiction in advertisements which appear in print and on radio. These stories are now available on a unique website. The goals are: to break down stigma, to increase awareness of the services available at CAMH, and to encourage people to seek help.
- I Love Mountains.org Blogger's Challenge - this campaign engages bloggers in spreading the word to stop mountain-top coal mining by providing bloggers with tools and information to incorporate into their blogs.
- The Easter Seals Autism Blog tells the stories behind autism, along with providing news and information.
- Glenda Watson Hyatt's Do It Myself Blog tells Glenda's personal story of living and working with Cerebal Palsy.
Resources for Telling Stories
Getting Others to Tell Your Story
Sometimes the most powerful storytelling will come from other stakeholders. Here are some tips and techniques from the WeAreMedia project on getting others to tell your story using social media tools.
Below are some additional tips that come from 50 Tips for Implementing User-Generated Content In Your Library
- Specifically ask users to contribute: Make sure that library patrons know that your user generated content exists, and ask them to contribute.
- Allow things to be messy: User-generated content just isn’t going to be as organized as something the library puts together on its own, but seemingly unimportant tags may help users find what they’re looking for.
- Know when to moderate: Although you should allow lots of freedom in content, it’s important that you keep some sense or organization and order, so don’t hesitate to correct spelling errors, misleading content, and other troublesome items.
- Get all of your staff involved: In the early stages, it’s important to get started with a strong community, so encourage interaction by asking nonprofit staff to participate in creating content.
- Create tags and encourage users to adopt them: If you’re creating a class tag, for example, make sure that the students in that class know how to use them.
- Encourage corrections: With many eyes on your content, users are bound to point out when you make a mistake, so allow user-generated content to provide good feedback.
- Create a question and answer section: Encourage participation by designing an area where users can ask for specific help and information.
- Enable notification features: Keep your users coming back and contributing by letting them know when there’s a response to something they’ve created.
- Host a contest: Nothing will get users contributing faster than a little friendly competition. See who can collect the most useful links, or just refer the most friends.
- 'Create a space for content creation: Draw attention to content creation by using a specific workstation for taking photos, uploading files, and tagging items.
- Make things personal: Don’t just offer information, offer personal service, too. Give feedback and offer conversation to the users who are creating content for you.
- Give them a reason to participate: Provide some sort of motivational compensation for users to contribute.
- Treat your users with respect: Recognize that your users aren’t just that– they’re owners now, too.