Storytelling has become a default buzzword for anyone referring to content generation or creation. However, we’re referring to the literal and consistent brand of storytelling your nonprofit organization or ministry uses to share your mission or vision through story.
The good news is that people love a good story because it’s easier to retain than a list of unique selling propositions.
Stories are human and relational and missional.
Be confident that your audiences want the same things you do. It’s why they support you and your mission. They want a memorable experience that’s worth repeating. A close encounter with your ministry that makes them feel like they were there. A connection with what God is doing in the world through you and maybe through them as well.
Your story can, and will, build relationships. Supporters will begin engaging in live conversations relating to your story. They’ll want to know how the story continues and how you’re accomplishing your mission.
Don’t miss the opportunity for your storytelling to demonstrate your ministry success. Those who support you often pray for you and the success of your ministry. Your storytelling will be confirmation you are worth their support.
Memorable storytelling needs to be well branded.
Here’s a sad story: many people in nonprofit management and ministry don’t see storytelling as a key component to their brand of ministry or work. But your storytelling content is your organization’s voice.
If your organization has an established Brand Standards Guide, you’ll want to refresh yourself on all the standards that need to be considered when determining your storytelling style. If you organization or ministry doesn’t have a Brand Standards Guide, now is a good time to begin formal documentation of your storytelling platform in regard to your copywriting, content, or voice standards.
At the least, you’ll also want to make sure you’re appropriately addressing your organization’s graphic standards like name, mark, logo, color palette, photo, standards, and design platform.
Memorable storytelling is well written.
Good writers are educated and experienced. They are gifted people who are passionate about writing because God builds them that way. Your story is going to depend on you discovering and employing real-live writers who know how to write and who understand how to follow copy and content standards.
Your storytelling also needs those amazing people who can proofread and are grammar wizards because things like typos can make your organization look unqualified and uneducated. It’s a fact that there are major donors who hesitate to fund nonprofits who keep putting a hyphen in the word nonprofit.
Memorable storytelling is integrated.
Cross-channel usage and continuity in storytelling is just good stewardship. That means you’re telling your story exactly the same way through as many of your communications channels as possible.
It’s the age-old advertising formula of Reach Times Frequency — using intentional, integrated tools that present the same storytelling platform and reinforces your mission’s brand. It ensures you capture people’s attention repeatedly in the way they prefer and through the channels that they like most.
There’s more to this story.
Understanding the characteristics of good storytelling is just the beginning. Determining which of the five most common storytelling styles is right for your organization or ministry is the next step to finding your voice.