the power of storytelling | brand marketing & content

Marina Molenda | @marina81

Emotional Storytelling = Impactful Marketing In an analysis of 1,400 marketing campaigns, those with purely emotional content performed twice as well as those with purely rational content.

31%

26%

16%

EMOTIONAL

COMBINED

RATIONAL

CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVNESS

Source: Institute of Practitioners in Advertising dataBANK Analysis, 2014


A strong story creates a strong brand


Strong brands are more likely to have

ü Greater loyalty

ü More credibility with audiences

ü More efficient & effective marketing

ü Better retention of employees and volunteers

ü Fewer competitive threats


Strategies for success

Meaningful Connections

Audience Engagement

Strategic "Outreach


Meaningful Connections


Consumers choose the brands that engage them on their passions and interests 42% more often than they do those that simply urge them to buy the product being advertised. Source: Google, When the Path to Purchase Becomes the Path to Purpose

“ ”


Connect people with your cause by tapping into what’s important to them. Leverage the different interest points of your organization.


Exercise 1: Identifying Connection Points!

1.  Identify your core story/connection point

2.  Identify secondary connection points based on the work that you do

3.  Identify people that would connect with the secondary points


Exercise 1 Example: beyondBeanie

beyondBeanie is an up-and-coming social clothing company that makes awesome beanies and accessories.

Every time you make a purchase, you are supporting the work of a talented artisan in Bolivia who proudly hand-signs her work while helping to provide meals, school supplies, school uniforms and dental care to children in need.


Exercise 1 Example: Identifying Connection Points for beyondBeanie!

1. Primary Connection Point: !What’s your cause!(in a few words or less) !!Support Bolivian Artisans while Providing Food & Supplies to Bolivian Orphans. !!2. Seeds for Secondary Connection Points: !What’s your product/service!(very basic/high-level description or bullet points)

3. What are your secondary connection points !(1-3 words each) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!4. Who cares about these things!(target audiences)

• woven goods • fashion for good • helping children • preserving culture

stories behind "the artisans

orphaned children

Hand-crafted "woven goods

Fashion-minded philanthropists socially conscious consumer


Exercise 1: Identifying Connection Points!

1. Primary Connection Point: !What’s your cause!(in a few words or less) !!!!!!!2. Seeds for Secondary Connection Points: !What’s your product/service!(very basic/high-level description or bullet points)

3. What are your secondary connection points !(1-3 words each) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!4. Who cares about these things!(target audiences)


Audience Engagement


Once you’ve inspired people, give them something to do. Inspired people can do much more than donate. – Paul Young, Director of Digital, charity: water

“ ”


Give people multiple ways to engage with your organization to appeal to their level of interest


Easy things to start out with and draw people in (sharing content) to bigger commitments (investing, donating, volunteering, etc.)

Low!Who: Broadest audience

Why: Entry point for engagement, way to all level of fans

How: Must be simple and not require a lot of time or money

High!Who: People very invested in your organization

Why: Harnesses their desire to have an impact and gives them meaningful ways to contribute

How: Requires the most effort in terms of time and/or money

Medium!Who: People interested in your cause and/or secondary connection point

Why: Get people more engaged with organization

How: Moderate effort in terms of time and/or money


Exercise 2 Example: Water.org

Low!

High!

Medium!

Start your own fundraiser Monthly donation

Engage with social media post Marina Molenda | @marina81

Exercise 2: Engagement Gap Analysis!

1.  Take an inventory of all the ways people can engage with your organization (online and offline).

2.  Put them easy/light to hard/big commitment.

3.  Identify the gaps and ways to fill them.


Exercise 2 Example: Engagement Gap Analysis for Water.org!

1. Identify all the ways people can engage with your organization!!Online (includes financial options)!!One-time donation Monthly donation E-card Social media follows/interactions Start a fundraiser Sign up for newsletter !!!Offline/In-person (includes financial options)!Cause marketing program Compete in marathon

2. Map these options against level of engagement required & identify gaps!(1-3 words each) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Low!Appeals to broadest audience Simple to do; not a lot lot of time or money

High!Appeals to people very invested in your organization Requires the most effort in terms of time or money

Medium!Appeals to people interested in your cause and/or secondary connection point Requires moderate effort in terms of time or money


One-time donation E-card Social media follows/interactions Sign up for newsletter

Monthly donation Start a fundraiser Cause marketing program Compete in marathon

Exercise 2: Engagement Gap Analysis!

1. Identify all the ways people can engage with your organization!!Online (includes financial options)!!!!!!!!!!Offline/In-person (includes financial options)!

2. Map these options against level of engagement required & identify gaps!(1-3 words each) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Low!Appeals to broadest audience Simple to do; not a lot lot of time or money

High!Appeals to people very invested in your organization Requires the most effort in terms of time or money

Medium!Appeals to people interested in your cause and/or secondary connection point Requires moderate effort in terms of time or money


Strategic Outreach


Marketing isn’t free


Strategic outreach means thoughtfully using the 3 types of media

Paid

Media you pay for such as promoted social post,

paid search, paid content placement

Owned

Channels you own and have cultivated an

audience for such as your website, email

newsletters, and social media accounts

Earned

When other people talk, create, or share content about you (social media

sharing, PR/blogger pitches, reviews, etc.)


A few tips for getting started

Paid

Focus efforts on paid social media

If you are a 501c3 apply for Google Grant for free

search media

Owned

Pick a few channels to focus on a grow before expanding your efforts

Promote and activate those channels

relentlessly

Earned Engage with people that talk about you or topics

related to you

Find influencers to pitch to and co-create with (local media, bloggers,

connected citizens, etc.)


Content Strategy

Have clear goals that your marketing

efforts support (awareness,

funding, sales)

Determine the action(s) you want

people to take (share, invest, buy)

Focus and optimize your

efforts by putting your resources into the things that are

working

Plan out your marketing activities

at a macro and micro level

Goals Actions Plan Optimize

Success requires having a content strategy

Informs: "content & metrics

Informs: "content & metrics

Informs: "content & timing

Informs: "evolving strategy

Example metrics to consider for optimization Goal Action Metrics Awareness Engagement with your

content •  Likes •  Comments •  Shares •  Mentions •  Click through rates •  Reach/impressions

Connection/Loyalty Joining your communities •  Signing up for newsletter •  Following on social media •  Cost per follower/lead

Funding Contributing money •  Donations •  Repeat donations •  Cost per conversion

Sales Purchasing a product •  Purchases •  Conversion rate •  Cost per conversion


Exercise 3: Content Strategy Planning!

1.  Set a goal

2.  Brainstorm who you want to target

3.  Determine how you want to measure impact

4.  Develop content themes


Exercise 3 Example: PAWS Chicago

PAWS Chicago is a leading no-kill shelter that has been helping homeless animals since 1997.


Exercise 3 Example: Content Strategy Planning for PAWS Chicago!

1. Set a goal (focused, clear, actionable)!!!!!2. What action(s) do you need people to take to achieve that goal!!!!!!!3. What metrics could you use to measure success (aim for 1 metric per action)!!!!!

4. Brainstorm key events, holidays, and trends that could influence when and how you activates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Events!Related to your cause, related to your product/service, in your community, hosted by your organization

Trends!Cultural trends that your organization can relate to (buy local, maker culture, startup culture, food sourcing, etc.)

Holidays!National holidays (ex: Christmas) or ‘fun’ holidays (ex: National Chocolate Day) or other major cultural events (ex: Giving Tuesday)


National Volunteer Week (April) National Pet Week (May) Make a Difference Day (October) National Family Volunteer Day (November) Thanksgiving (November) National Shelter Pet Appreciation Week (November) Christmas (December) New Year’s Day (January)

Chicago pride Adopting or helping a shelter pet is seen a helping community and/or doing a good deed Pride in shelter pets Pets are increasingly seen and treated as ‘kids’ in terms of love, attention, and money

Increase volunteer base (including foster homes)

Sign up to volunteer Spread the word

Sign up to volunteer: -  new volunteer registrations -  Increased commitments from current

volunteers or lapsed volunteers Spread the word: sharing content

PAWS Chicago 5k PAWS Beach Party PAWS Fur Ball PAWS Animal Magnetism Adoption Events

Exercise 3: Content Strategy Planning!

1. Set a goal (focused, clear, actionable)!!!!!2. What action(s) do you need people to take to achieve that goal!!!!!!!3. What metrics could you use to measure success (aim for 1 metric per action)!!!!!

4. Brainstorm key events, holidays, and trends that could influence when and how you activates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Events!Related to your cause, related to your product/service, in your community, hosted by your organization

Trends!Cultural trends that your organization can relate to (buy local, maker culture, startup culture, food sourcing, etc.)

Holidays!National holidays (ex: Christmas) or ‘fun’ holidays (ex: National Chocolate Day) or other major cultural events (ex: Giving Tuesday)


Further Exploration


Activation Resources

Fundraising Platform!Classy https://www.classy.org

Visual Content Creation!Canva https://www.canva.com and https://designschool.canva.com/

Search campaigns!Google Ad Grants https://www.google.com/grants

Free Money!Amazon Smile https://org.amazon.com/ref=smi_ge_rl_cc_cc


Platforms for telling stories Tap into built-in, eager to consume audiences

Medium https://medium.com/

LinkedIn’s Pulse https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/


Platforms for sharing/distributing stories


Digital Training

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/business/

LinkedIn https://business.linkedin.com/

Google http://adwords.blogspot.com/ https://www.google.com/adwords/start/


Continuing Education Content Marketing World (Cleveland) September 6-9, 2016 http://www.contentmarketingworld.com/ Chicago Ideas Week October 17-23, 2016 https://www.chicagoideas.com/ Social Media Week November 16-20, 2016 http://socialmediaweek.org/chicago/ Nonprofit Storytelling Conference (Chicago) November 10-11, 2016 http://nonprofitstorytellingconference.com/
