One of the most cited mantras of modern marketing is “you have to tell your story, authentically.” It rolls off the tongue of the content marketing guru like water off a duck’s back.
Yet, while saying “you have to do storytelling” is easy, implementing it is not.
However, when done well, with the right strategy, tactics and technology, storytelling is one of the most effective arrows in the nonprofit marketer’s quiver. It’s a proven approach that serves awareness building, fundraising, advocacy and other nonprofit goals.
In this lab, Russell Sparkman and Kevin Sparkman, veteran content marketers in the nonprofit space, will lead instruction and hands on sessions so that each participant returns to their organization with a storytelling initiative in hand, ready to pitch.
Key takeaways will include:
- Real world understanding of storytelling pros, and cons, for nonprofit communications professionals
- How to communicate storytelling benefits to stakeholders, boards of directors
- How to budget for storytelling initiatives, and how to get them funded
- How to discover opportunities, and avoid pitfalls
- How to align organizational purpose with audience needs as a basis for story development
- What constitutes a “story,” and which approach to storytelling is the best fit for the story, for a particular audience
- Understanding of story types, from documentary to data visualization
- How to build partnerships around storytelling initiatives
- How to align storytelling with calls to action
- How to create, distribute and promote stories
- How to measure and report results
