Non-profit storytelling: How to connect and engage your target audience

At its heart, storytelling is a means of connection – drawing in an audience and making them feel something. And for non-profits, storytelling is a way to engage and connect your target audience with your mission – and keep them coming back for more.

A meaningful connection can make all the difference to your nonprofit, especially as nonprofits contend with budget issues and increased competition to gain donor attention.

So, how do you stand out in a sea of other entities all seeking to connect and engage? Here are some tips from our own expert storyteller, Andrea Walker-Leidy.

1. Know your audience

One of the first things you should do as a nonprofit is to really hone in on who you are trying to reach. Who is your base? Who do you want to talk to the most? Is it a potential client? A potential donor? Once you drill down into your audience, you can craft your stories to speak directly to your audience – making them more compelling, meaningful and memorable.

2. Know your brand

How well do you know your brand? It might seem simple, but if you haven’t sat down with your team and board of directors in a while in a while, now is the time to have a brainstorming session about these elements: What problem are we trying to solve? What solutions do we offer? What societal impact are we hoping to achieve? And what are we asking of our donors/supporters?

3. Know your medium

Storytelling is broad and sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the weeds and then decide it’s too overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. A solid brand storytelling effort can be to focus on your employees’ “why,” Or on your client’s successes. These stories can be told in a blog, in short YouTube videos or even in simple social media posts.

4. Create a strategy

Storytelling is emotional, but it also needs to be strategic. One of the things we always tell clients is to create a strategy. Everything happens when a solid strategy has the plan in place to really take flight. Whether this looks like hiring a professional to help you or simply sitting down and making a calendar so you have deadlines and a plan to get started, setting goals and then working toward them is a strategy – and it doesn’t have to be overwhelming or expensive.

If you want to start telling your nonprofit’s story, Walker Publicity can help. We’ve guided clients down this path and can help you with a clear strategy. Contact us today!