Hurricanes, Headlines, Hoo-Has and Hashtags: What Nonprofits Can Learn from Storytelling Gone Wrong

Storytelling is a key component of nonprofit fundraising and marketing. Over the last twenty years, I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. There is much to be learned from marketing campaigns that performed flawlessly and those that were a big dud or even worse, caused massive backlash. We’ll discuss the elements of modern-day storytelling, learn how to use them to engage followers, build relationships, mobilize people to take action and ultimately increase donations. You’ll cringe, you’ll smile, you’ll groan, you’ll roll your eyes out the back of your head but most importantly, you’ll go back to the office with a bunch of simple tricks to use as you engage with donors, online followers, volunteers and your organization’s cheerleaders.

Key Takeaways

• Know how to use storytelling to help engage followers
• Incorporate hashtags, images, humor and more to help reach your target audience
• Focus on marketing strategies and upgrade your content