Nothing stirs the imagination like a great story, making them the ideal tool to make your organization’s mission, message, and product benefits truly come to life. Whether you are a nonprofit making your cause resonate with donors and volunteers or a small business capturing the attention of potential customers and clients, stories paint the picture of your message in the most compelling way possible.
Many accountants, lawyers, and other service professionals use stories to show how their insights and advice make a difference in their clients’ lives. Rather than touting a product’s benefits in the usual traditional ways, creative businesses illustrate them with vivacious, humorous tales or powerful, touching stories. Hospitals share heartfelt, moving testimonials from patients of how their doctors saved their loved ones. Stories are spread in as many modes as possible including social media, ads, videos, podcasts, articles, seeking media coverage, and encouraging people to share them. Vivid, active images reinforce the message.
At my previous association we shared stories of how four young professionals in that industry made a difference in their communities and how membership in the organization helped them get it done. This unique next generation membership campaign met our dual goals of membership recruitment and retention while showcasing the incredible contributions these professionals were making in their field and to their communities.
Mark Howarth, founder of Invisible People TV, talks about the creative, high impact story telling strategies he uses to convey the real life challenges of homeless people in the February Chronicle of Philanthropy Social Good podcast hosted by Michael Margolis, founder of the consultancy Get Storied, and nonprofit expert Allison Fine. Mark says in the podcast “we have to have a personal connection… When you look at a social crisis like homelessness you think, it’s too big, I can’t do anything about it…but if you…get to know that person, you [feel]… I’ve got to do something.”
How have you used stories to convey your message or convince your customers or members they should use your products or services?
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