Storytelling is an important tool for charity communicators, but it must be done creatively
With an increasing number of charities joining the social media space to compete for supporters' attention, the importance of providing engaging content and meaningful experiences has become paramount.
As the third sector attempts to keep pace with the power of social media, it's interesting to witness the diverse ways digital and social tools can be used to tell stories, grow reach, response and value for charities.
Whether the goal is awareness, fundraising or volunteer recruitment, telling your story online requires clarity, brevity and creativity. This isn't easy and it can be hard for your message to stand out above the noise. However, huge opportunities exist for creative storytelling online making this an exciting time to be working in the voluntary sector.
*Storytelling through social media*
Whether you use images or infographics, video or Vine, promoting your cause using digital storytelling methods means you're not just relaying information, but making that information come to life.
Dry, text-heavy web pages are a thing of the past as users expect more easily-digestible content in a medium that compliments the subject matter. Even highly-complex issues can be succinctly delivered through effective digital storytelling. One good example of this is the girl effect, a simple but high-impact video which injects a new urgency into the issue of global child poverty.
Whatever message you're trying to communicate, social and digital tools provide creative ways to get it across. Whether you're asking walkers to donate their old boots to get them thinking about the wear and tear effect they have on Scottish mountains or promoting specialist skills in your organisation social media provides a targeted and concise way to communicate digestible information which helps drive awareness.
*Reaching diverse audiences*
Every organisation, whether commercial or charitable, deals with diverse stakeholders who often have competing priorities. A family planning their next day out expects a very different experience from a charity like the National Trust for Scotland when compared to a passionate horticulturalist. However, the social space allows non-profits to communicate clearly on a range of aspects of their work. Instead of restricting our messages to events news or membership offers, we're able to introduce our conservation principles to visitors before and after their visits, which help to raise the profile of aspects of the organisation which they may be unaware of.
Our social media audience expects varied content which is multifaceted and multi-disciplined. We cover everything from gardening tips and holiday accommodation, to the plight of rare breeding seabirds on St Kilda. This could be construed as having too many competing messages, but by keeping a consistent tone of voice we're able to bring messages together under one brand voice and promote wider issues important to our cause.
As a heritage organisation, our social following may come to us for one reason, but through these social media we're able to expose them to the diversity of our work, which ultimately furthers our cause and builds our brand personality online. Non profits have to ask themselves: Are our social communications accurately reflective of the spirit and importance of our cause?
In organisations with wide-ranging audiences it's not easy to create one-size-fits-all content to deliver a clear message, so a huge importance is placed on clear messaging.
*Creativity is key*
In a time of low - or no - budgets, creativity is key to raising your cause above the digital noise to connect with supporters, funders and volunteers. Working in the heritage sector there's a wealth of expertise and specialist skills which have a committed and dedicated global audience, and digital media provides the means to engage with these groups for the benefit of your cause, so what are you waiting for?
Adam Coulson is digital marketing executive for the National Trust for Scotland. Adam is speaking about the National Trust for Scotland's social media strategy at Social Media for Social Good at the Albany Centre in Glasgow on 17 May. Tickets available here.
*This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. To join the **voluntary sector network**, **click here**. * Reported by guardian.co.uk 2 days ago.
With an increasing number of charities joining the social media space to compete for supporters' attention, the importance of providing engaging content and meaningful experiences has become paramount.
As the third sector attempts to keep pace with the power of social media, it's interesting to witness the diverse ways digital and social tools can be used to tell stories, grow reach, response and value for charities.
Whether the goal is awareness, fundraising or volunteer recruitment, telling your story online requires clarity, brevity and creativity. This isn't easy and it can be hard for your message to stand out above the noise. However, huge opportunities exist for creative storytelling online making this an exciting time to be working in the voluntary sector.
*Storytelling through social media*
Whether you use images or infographics, video or Vine, promoting your cause using digital storytelling methods means you're not just relaying information, but making that information come to life.
Dry, text-heavy web pages are a thing of the past as users expect more easily-digestible content in a medium that compliments the subject matter. Even highly-complex issues can be succinctly delivered through effective digital storytelling. One good example of this is the girl effect, a simple but high-impact video which injects a new urgency into the issue of global child poverty.
Whatever message you're trying to communicate, social and digital tools provide creative ways to get it across. Whether you're asking walkers to donate their old boots to get them thinking about the wear and tear effect they have on Scottish mountains or promoting specialist skills in your organisation social media provides a targeted and concise way to communicate digestible information which helps drive awareness.
*Reaching diverse audiences*
Every organisation, whether commercial or charitable, deals with diverse stakeholders who often have competing priorities. A family planning their next day out expects a very different experience from a charity like the National Trust for Scotland when compared to a passionate horticulturalist. However, the social space allows non-profits to communicate clearly on a range of aspects of their work. Instead of restricting our messages to events news or membership offers, we're able to introduce our conservation principles to visitors before and after their visits, which help to raise the profile of aspects of the organisation which they may be unaware of.
Our social media audience expects varied content which is multifaceted and multi-disciplined. We cover everything from gardening tips and holiday accommodation, to the plight of rare breeding seabirds on St Kilda. This could be construed as having too many competing messages, but by keeping a consistent tone of voice we're able to bring messages together under one brand voice and promote wider issues important to our cause.
As a heritage organisation, our social following may come to us for one reason, but through these social media we're able to expose them to the diversity of our work, which ultimately furthers our cause and builds our brand personality online. Non profits have to ask themselves: Are our social communications accurately reflective of the spirit and importance of our cause?
In organisations with wide-ranging audiences it's not easy to create one-size-fits-all content to deliver a clear message, so a huge importance is placed on clear messaging.
*Creativity is key*
In a time of low - or no - budgets, creativity is key to raising your cause above the digital noise to connect with supporters, funders and volunteers. Working in the heritage sector there's a wealth of expertise and specialist skills which have a committed and dedicated global audience, and digital media provides the means to engage with these groups for the benefit of your cause, so what are you waiting for?
Adam Coulson is digital marketing executive for the National Trust for Scotland. Adam is speaking about the National Trust for Scotland's social media strategy at Social Media for Social Good at the Albany Centre in Glasgow on 17 May. Tickets available here.
*This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. To join the **voluntary sector network**, **click here**. * Reported by guardian.co.uk 2 days ago.