There was a story that moved the hearts of readers. It compelled them to get involved, to donate, to support a cause.
How? How do you write a story to gets a response from your readers?
By keeping it relatable.
Make sure the people have a name, an age, and a voice in the story. Readers want to be able to relate to whomever they’re reading about. A mission will have more traction if supporters can connect to what they’re working towards! See below, Instagram is a great platform for sharing successes. Barbells for Boobs shared Cheri’s original post and images while celebrating her achievement!
By keeping it brief.
Stories that come to readers via email, social media, and newsletters have the challenge of captivating attention. Most scrollers mindlessly go through their feeds to pass the time, so storytellers need to captivate in the first sentence or image. Once they have someone’s attention, quickly share their pitch. Below, Liberty in North Korea shares a few short stories about the people they’ve helped.
By not waiting for The End to share.
Use social media platforms to build momentum as stories are happening. Live-tweet an event, host a twitter takeover with someone, go live on Facebook, and more. One of the many beauties in today’s digital world is our ability to share life experiences as they happen. This can help raise awareness quicker and motivate people to get involved!
By using images.
Generosity.org does an impressive job of capturing candid pictures of the communities that they serve. Not only does this build trust with their followers, but it offers a chance for supporters to follow the story as it’s happening.
Epilogue
Consider giving the pen to someone that your organization has worked with! By letting them tell the story from their point of view, it creates authenticity. Don’t forget the goal behind storytelling: to tell your story. Strike up emotion among the reader to spread your mission and help others!
Does your organization tell stories? Do you have a favorite from another? Tweet us @AmDeeLLC and share it with us!
Elena S.
Amar T.
Amar is the president and co-founder of AmDee. He has been an industry leader in accessibility compliance—auditing and remediating websites, publishing articles, delivering presentations to national audiences, and training content editors and developers in accessibility best practices.
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