As part of our Digital Summit takeaways series, we sat down with Kim Richardson, Director of Client Strategy at Pursuant. Kim attended one of the Digital Summit events this year and had some “aha-moments” to share when it comes to storytelling and breaking through the noise.
In order to move the hearts of donors and would-be donors in a way that makes them want to take actions, you must become a storyteller. You don’t need to be a professional or a student of the arts to be a good storyteller, as long as you have compelling content and passion. Nonprofits often don’t like to feel like they are competing against each other, but they are. You are in direct competition for mindshare as well as dollars.
So, what generally holds nonprofits back from telling a good story? Often times content can come across as more of a report than an actual story. Lack of direct quotes from people benefitting firsthand from services can leave your content feeling a bit dry. Consider adding personal testimonies to your stories as opposed to reporting what a field person said about what they did and who they helped. This will help you go beyond communicating impact and truly build your presence.
Here are some of Kim’s top tips for being an effective storyteller:
- How you explain your mission and your method is key.
- Avoid business terms and jargon, break things down as if you were speaking to a friend.
- Know your audience- what is important to them?
- Introduce conflict into your stories that capture people’s attention and bring the mission of your organization to life.
- Understand different means of communication and how they interplay in your story.
For more top tips and examples on how to elevate your brand through effective storytelling, listen to Pursuant’s full podcast here: https://soundcloud.com/user-853787959/telling-your-nonprofits-story-in-todays-noisy-world