One of the toughest jobs you face is telling your organization’s story in a meaningful and interesting way. Using your website, social media, email and print, it's something you can learn and practice doing over and over again in creative ways to reach and engage wider audiences. From brand journalism to studying what makes a great story, this presentation gives you tools and tips on how to create an engaging narrative for your organization through storytelling using new media.

1. our stories
finding and telling stories that make a difference for our organizations
with Teresa Decker

2. One year ago…

3. stories…
• Help us understand the world; collections of
narratives that bring meaning
• Past, present and future
• From interviews to our favorite songs, stories
help explain who we are and build identity

4. “Each of us is a hero
in our own personal myths.”
― Jonah Sachs, Winning the Story Wars

5. a good story
• Easy to understand and focused message
• Has someone in mind as the audience
• Makes you curious, think, feel or do
• Is personal and real
• Beginning, middle and end?

6. who is your brand?
• Your brand as a person
• You are the brand mentor, not the hero
• Yoda vs Luke Skywalker
Jonathan Sachs | Winning the Story Wars

7. 1. brand archetypes
• Archetypes are characters in stories seen
throughout time
• Remember brands are like people; and
people are characters
• Nurturer, Artist, Connector, Traditionalist,
Dreamer, Motivator, etc.
40 Design | forty.co

8. 2. brand value examples
Compassion
Truth
Justice
Playfulness
Perfection
Beauty
Simplicity
Wholeness
Uniqueness
Competence
Efficiency
Order
Imagination
Innovation
Health
Change
Love
Prosperity
Knowledge
Creativity
Optimism
Courage
Relationships
Dignity

9. brand heroes
• Who? Someone living or experiencing your
brand values
• Doesn’t have to embody every value
• When people tell their story it builds a
platform to tell our organizations’ story

10. Our brand values are
expressed through the
heroes of our stories.

11. brand journalism
• We’ve all become “news” organizations
• Content creation (reporter) and curation
(editor)
• Think like a journalist for your brand

12. “Brand journalism creates an evolving brand
story. It is the best way to attract and interest
consumers with a continuing flow of valuable,
relevant, integrated and engaging content --
advertising, articles, blog posts, social media,
live events, videos and social media..”
― Larry Light, Ad Age

13. “cover” your beat
• Be curious, be brave
• Have your questions
ready
• Leave your desk
• Ask your “sources”
• Study your craft
• Stay practical, think
“micro stories”
• Stuck? News cycle
driven, seasonal, goal
or action driven,
uniqueness

14. sources
• People on the ground
• Have a pulse of the organization
• The friendliest/most helpful people
Nonprofit Hub | Lori Jacobwith

15. questions: sources
• Who have you met lately that made you love
your job or feel proud to work here?
• What brought them to us?
• How are we helping?
• What’s your favorite thing about her?
• What do you think that he would say about us?
Nonprofit Hub | Lori Jacobwith

16. questions: heroes
• What does that mean?
• Why do think that is?
• Simplify. How would you explain this to your
grandmother?
• Reflecting back “So it sounds like you are
saying…”

17. story killers
• Curse of Knowledge - Your expertise is
getting in the way
• Vanity - Me, me, me, me
• Drowning in data - Spitting out numbers

18. Studying our craft

19. curiosity: blog
Philanthropy 831 Blog | Community Foundation
Santa Cruz County

20. simplicity: twitter
A Day In The Life
NPR’s Michele Martin | Women in Tech

21. authentic: user generated content
Story Corps |Themes

22. impactful: annual report
Opportunity Fund | Data done right

23. sensory: video
Storytellers for Good & Eat Grub | Pulls you in

24. feeling & emotion: instagram
Humans of NY | Imagery and words
joy, humor, sadness, anger, concern, empathy, empowerment, inspiration

25. feeling & emotion: instagram
Grandma Betty 33 | Imagery and words
joy, humor, sadness, anger, concern, empathy, empowerment, inspiration

26. go cover your beat!
• Humans of NY model
• Pair up - someone
you don’t know
• One compelling
quote
• One compelling
photo

27. starter questions
• What’s an example of the problem or work your organization
does?
• Why is it meaningful?
• Why is that important to you? Why is this important to our
community?
• What’s the toughest part about your job?
• What about your work makes you smile?
• Five years from today what do you hope people will say
about your work? Your organization?

28. Who’s Brave?
Email me now with your quote
and photo here!
Send both to
teresa@tersearuizdecker.com

29. Amy
Mascarenas
"Our clients are super generous.
You really get to know them. We
have to build that trust."
Amy Mascarenas,
El Pajaro CDC
By Michelle Luedtke

30. tools to explore
• Canva, easel.ly, Haiku deck, and Stocksy
• Square Space
• Soundcloud, Stellar, Adobe Voice, Hyperlapse and
Animoto,
• Oldies but goodies: Calendar, Audacity, iMovie,
Keynote, Flickr Creative Commons, Pixlr
• Non-profit tech for good, nonprofit hub, socialbrite

31. www.teresaruizdecker.com
teresa@teresaruizdecker.com