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Storytelling in the Digital Age

How to Use Storytelling and Social Media to Recruit and Engage Volunteers

About the Presenter• I have worked in the nonprofit

sector as a one-woman development and marketing shop.

• My new book is Storytelling in the Digital Age: A Guide for Nonprofits.

• I have helped dozens of nonprofits, small and mid-size, harness the power of stories and use them to recruit volunteers and connect with supporters.

Learning Objectives• How to use emotional, heart-centered storytelling

to recruit volunteers and build community; • How to collect and craft compelling stories that will

attract a younger generation; • How to repurpose the stories that you already use

on more traditional channels and adapt them for digital.

Part 1: Start with Why.

What does success look like?

Start with why. • If we could wave a magic wand right now and know

success from our storytelling efforts in one year, what would that look like?

Set goals.What are our goals? What do we hope to achieve?Examples: • To recruit new volunteers.• To build community with existing volunteers so that

they stay involved and motivated. • To attract a younger generation to keep the

volunteer pipeline full.

Do we know WHO we need?Goal: To recruit new volunteers.• WHO: New people who may be interested in and

have the time available to volunteer.

Do we know WHO we need?Goal: To attract a younger generation to keep the volunteer pipeline full. • WHO: New, younger people who may be interested

in and have the time available to volunteer.

Do we know WHO we need?Goal: To build community with existing volunteers so that they stay involved and motivated. • WHO: Existing volunteers.

What do we know about them?• What are the top 5 reasons that your volunteers

support you?

Ask yourself…• What are some common characteristics of this

audience?• Describe them to me, as if I have never met them.

What do they care about?• Helping others• Giving back to their community• Making a difference

How can we address obstacles? • What are some common obstacles to volunteering,

and how can we address these obstacles with our stories?

Create a list of story ideas.• What does the target audience care about that we

can express through storytelling?

Create a list of story ideas.• What are some common volunteering obstacles

that we can address with storytelling?

GROUP EXERCISE #1Pick up the Storytelling in the Digital Age Workbook and fill out Part 1. 1. Start with why.2. Know your audience. 3. Create a list of story ideas.

Yay! We have some story ideas!That’s Part 1. Part 2 – Collect the stories. Part 3 – Craft the stories.Part 4 – Share the stories.

Part 2: Collect the Stories.

Make a story collection plan.

Make a story collection plan. • What type of story are we collecting?

• New volunteer• Veteran volunteer• Casual volunteer• Parent volunteer • Older volunteer• Specific other types of volunteers

Make a story collection plan. • What makes this story worth capturing?

Part 3: Craft the Stories.

Make a story collection plan.

What is Great Storytelling?1) Grabs attention; piques interest.2) Elicits an emotional response.

Think: “People like us do things like this.”

3) Compels the reader or viewer to take an action.

Grab attention, pique interest. • The story must have a hook.

“In 2010 I was 26 and ready to start an amazing adventure…”

https://www.facebook.com/UCSFMedicalCenter/videos/10154930820241646/

Rebooting Kimberly’s Brain• Kimberly is a current School Room Volunteers in

Benioff Children’s at UCSF, and she also volunteers at: Zen Hospice, The Asian Art Museum, and The Epilepsy Foundation.

Tease out the story.• What questions can we ask to tease out the story?

What is the story’s purpose?• What is the single most persuasive idea that we can

convey with this story?

Learnings, experiences.• “I’ve learned more about patience and

perseverance — what it takes to come back from the adversity of a stroke or other physical challenges that come with age and serious illness. You meet fascinating individuals that can teach you about life.”

• http://www.ourhealthcalifornia.org/blog/article/the-faces-of-giving

WIIFM?• What’s In It For Me?• “Conversing with a lonely hospitalized patient

whose family hasn't visited yet. Laughing with the patient over some funny childhood stories. Listening to their hopes, fears and passions. Overall, my current role as a volunteer involves being a listener for someone in a time of need.”

• http://www.ourhealthcalifornia.org/blog/article/the-faces-of-giving

Elicit an emotional response.• People don’t remember bullet points.

“What do we stand for?”“We want them to hit the ground running with insight into just how we exemplify The Sharp Experience here at SGH.”• Grossmont Welcomes YOU video

To watch: https://youtu.be/RWihhF6qsLs

“What advice would you give?”• Fairchild Medical Center Auxiliary is looking for

volunteers to drive its patient transport van.• “Asked what he would tell others who are

considering volunteering to transport patients, Douke related that the volunteer position is ‘a lot simpler than you’d think.’

“What’s your favorite part?”• “His favorite part about driving patients is getting

to talk to different people and hear a lot of interesting stories,’ Douke said.

• ‘It’s a great thing helping your community.’”

To read: http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/news/20180122/volunteer-profile-volunteer-drivers-get-fairchild-medical-center-patients-to-their-appointments

Story should compel an action. • Action all depends on your goals.

GROUP EXERCISE #2Pick up the Storytelling in the Digital Age Workbook and fill out Parts 2 and 3. 4. Make a story collection plan.5. Craft the story/stories.

Part 4: Share the Stories.Repurpose the stories for digital channels.

Mold the stories into gold.“Think of the story itself as gold. You mine the gold, capture the story.Then you bring it back to your office and you need to pound that gold into different shapes and sizes depending on whom you’re talking to, or also where you’re telling it.”~Andrew Goodman, The Goodman Center

4 ideal digital storytelling platforms

• Blog• Email• Facebook• Instagram

Each platform is unique

Etiquette

Language Culture

Community

2 Step Content Strategy1) Become a go-to resource, sharing helpful, useful

information that your specific audience wants to read, watch, and see.

2 Step Content Strategy2) Share inspiring stories that address concerns,

needs, and interests of your audience.

It is NOT about you.It’s about your audience!

Become a trusted, go-to resource.

Audience first!

Share inspiring stories!Audience first!

Repurpose your stories.• Take those PDF newsletters and chop them up into

bite-size, snackable pieces!

Repurpose your stories.• Take those long Facebook posts and put them up

on a blog.

Why do we do this work?• “Our holiday stocking tradition is a favorite among

our patients, their family and our staff,” RCH CEO James Holmes said in a news release. “We are grateful to selfless volunteers who helped keep the tradition alive. Her legacy will undoubtedly continue through this beautiful keepsake.”

To read: https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2017/12/21/redlands-community-hospital-gives-thanks-to-those-behind-christmas-stockings/

Videos can tell a story. • Videos can tell a story without a traditional

narrative arc.

Make video on a shoestring.• Take a great video with just a smartphone!• Make slideshow videos within Facebook or with

free and low-cost tools like Animoto and Lumen5.

To watch: https://www.facebook.com/MissionHospital/videos/1701114249909665/?permPage=1

To watch: https://www.facebook.com/torrancememorial/videos/1936521316365080

Use live video.• Facebook users spend 3x more time watching live

videos than a video that’s no longer live. • Facebook live videos get 6x more interactions than

regular videos. • They also comment more than 10x more during live

videos.

To watch: https://www.facebook.com/elcaminohospital/videos/1911415382220257/

To watch: https://www.facebook.com/CYMGorg/videos/1307861355943129/

Use Instagram.• Instagram has over 800 million monthly active

users. • 59% of Instagrammers in the U.S. are under 30.

Storytelling posts that inspire• Share colorful action photos with a story of your

program in action.

Storytelling posts that inspire• Share stories about a volunteer and their family,

and encourage your online community to share their stories.

Storytelling posts that inspire• Ask for messages of support and encouragement to

the people that you serve.

Have fun!

Have fun!

GROUP EXERCISE #3Pick up the Storytelling in the Digital Age Workbook and fill out Part 4. 6. Mold the stories into gold.

Nearly 1 Million Californians who support and advocate for access to

high-quality, affordable health care.

Stories that help inform and engage health-interested Californians and voters about health care issues.

Our Stories, Our Connections

Tracy Campbell, APRVice President, Digital AdvocacyCalifornia Hospital AssociationOffice: 916-552-7594tcampbell@calhospital.org

Julia Campbell, MPADigital Marketing Strategist & Author, Storytelling in the Digital Age: A Guide for NonprofitsCell: 978-578-1328julia@jcsocialmarketing.com

Share this experience and information with your colleagues. Partner with your communications/marketing colleagues. Questions?

© 2018 J Campbell Social Marketing – www.jcsocialmarketing.com

Storytelling in the Digital Age Workbook Created for the California Hospital Volunteer Leadership

Conference, February 21, 2018

PART ONE

1. Start with why.

• What is it that we hope to achieve by sharing our stories?

• What would success look like if we achieve our storytelling goals in 2018?

2. Know your audience.

In their words, what are the top 5 reasons that your volunteers support you?

What ELSE do they care about (besides your specific organization)?

What are some common obstacles to volunteering? Misconceptions, knowledgegap, mistrust, lack of empathy, stereotypes, etc.?

3. Looking at the profile of your audience and what they care about, writedown a list of story ideas:

2 © 2018 J Campbell Social Marketing – www.jcsocialmarketing.com

PART TWO

4. Make a story collection plan. Repeat this section out for each individualstory you plan to collect.

What type of story are we collecting?

Who is the lead on gathering and collecting this story?

What is the person’s connection to the organization?

What makes this story worth capturing?

What barriers may we face in getting this story out publicly?

What unique challenges is this person facing that we need to be sensitive to?

3 © 2018 J Campbell Social Marketing – www.jcsocialmarketing.com

PART THREE

5. Craft the story.

What questions can we ask to tease out the story? Remember that it can be intimidating and scary to hear someone ask, "So, tell us your story.” Alternatives:

What was your favorite memory going through the program? What is your most formative memory of a client when their life changed for the

better? How did you feel when you first spoke with a patient? What is one reason that you continue to support us? What impact have you witnessed in the community because of our work?

a)

b)

c)

Whom are we telling this story to? Think of your target audience.

What do they currently think?

What would we like them to think?

What is the single most persuasive idea that we can convey with this story?

Why should they believe it?

4 © 2018 J Campbell Social Marketing – www.jcsocialmarketing.com

PART FOUR

6. Mold the stories into gold.

List out any existing visual assets that can accompany this story, like video orphotos.

List out the channels you will use for distribution: (Examples: Website, emailnewsletter, blog, social media channels, etc.)

What visual element can we add to this story so it will grab attention? (Video,photo, graphic, Boomerang, etc.)

What emotion are we attempting to elicit from our audience? (Inspiration,aspiration, anger, sadness, hope, happiness, etc.)

What ONE THING do we want them to do after viewing/reading this story?(Donate, volunteer, sign up, sign a petition, download a paper, etc.)

What will inspire people to share this story with others?