Pink Slime. The Boy Scouts of America. Trayvon Martin. Each of these news stories started with an online petition that led to real, tangible impact. Each represents the power that people and organizations have today to engage and motivate hundreds and thousands of supporters to take action. The internet, social networks and mobile technology provide an unprecedented opportunity to increase the efficiency and impact of the time proven model of collective action, but you still need a story. Learn lessons from Change.org about how to not only tell a good story, but how to tell the right story. Takeaways: > Key elements of online campaigns that tell an engaging story for your cause, campaign or organization > How to tell the right story to meet your objectives and align with your campaign strategies > Overview of tactics to motivate supporters and create the biggest impact with your story, such as online petitions, social media, email, SMS, etc. This webinar was presented on Tuesday, June 11 as part of the Tech Tuesday webinar series for nonprofits at 4good.org. Slides 17-23 on storytelling narratives courtesy of Kate Stayman-London (http://katestaymanlondon.com).

2. Telling the right story
for your online campaign
Lawrence Grodeska
Director of Nonprofit Community

10. Agenda:
• Why are stories important?
• Elements of a good story
–Narrative
–Presentation
• What’s your story?
• Storytime
• Tips & tools

12. Why are stories so
important?

17. Narrative
Elements of a good story

18. A story follows the journey of
someone who wants something
badly and is having difficulty
getting it.

20. A character having a problem
creates sympathy.
A character seeking a solution
creates empathy.

22. Stakes or implications up the
ante for empathy.

24. Presentation
Elements of a good story

26. 3 principles of visual communications
1) Humans are visual first, verbal second.
2) Our actions are based more on
emotions than rational thought.
3) Visuals most effectively evoke emotion
and inspire people to take action.
Seeing is Believing: A Guide to Visual Storytelling Best Practices, 2013 Resource Media

27. The medium is the message
Objective Channel
Educate video, infographic, petition
Engage /
action
video, image, petition, sms,
email
Fundraise email, social media
Brand /
credibility
video, infographic, press,
petition

28. What’s your story?

29. Define your goals
• What is the outcome you want for this
campaign?
Know your audience
• Whose hearts and minds do you need
to win over?

30. Choose your tactics
Objective Channel
Educate video, infographic, petition
Engage /
action
video, image, petition, sms,
email
Fundraise email, social media
Brand /
credibility
video, infographic, press,
petition

31. Pick your character
• Remember:
– Interest
– Sympathy (problem)
– Empathy (solution)
– Stakes
• People power your
story!

32. Tell your story!
• Vet your stories to be credible
• Circulate story among peers or
colleagues for feedback
• Build education into continuum of action
• Share your success along the way

33. Storytime

35. ForestEthics Enbridge
campaign
Problem:
Planned pipeline from Alberta's Tar Sands to the coast
would introduce mega-tankers into pristine waters for
the first time. Huge threat to wildlife, thousands of rivers
and streams, and Canada’s fisheries.

36. Objectives, audience & tactics
• Long term objective: stop the pipeline
– Short term: Create online action opportunities for
supporters to create offline change
• Audience: environmentalists and
concerned citizens
• Tools and tactics:
– Petitions
– Targeted actions
– Signup, donation & thank you pages

37. Campaign story
Characters:
• Wildlife
• Activists
Problem:
habitat & democracy are threatened
Solution:
listen to public & stop the pipeline
Stakes:
loss of wildlife, government overreach

38. Actions

39. Government response
“ Unfortunately, there are environmental and other
radical groups that would seek to block this opportunity
to diversify our trade(…)
These groups threaten to hijack our regulatory system to
achieve their radical ideological agenda. They seek to
exploit any loophole they can find, stacking public
hearings with bodies to ensure that delays kill good
projects…” – Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources

40. Shift story narrative

41. Fundraising asks

42. Rallies & news events

43. Tips & Tools

44. Storytelling takes time
• Listen!
• Record and store your stories
• Evaluate your success over time
• Experiment
• Don’t be afraid to fail

45. Visual presentation
• Test images
• Combine images & text (LOLcats)
• Make images with your message
• Use authentic images from your campaign
• Choose subjects to maximize connection
(eyes)
• First impressions matter, invest in good
images

46. Storytelling tools
• Storify.com
• Vine app
• Google maps (victories)
• QuickMeme.com
• visual.ly
• Zeega.com
• Youtube editor

47. What are YOU changing?
Web: Change.org/organizations
Social: @ChangeOrgs
/ChangeOrgs
@lsgrodeska
Email: Lawrence@change.org