Roger Burks, Mercy Corps
You don't have to be a writer to write a good story. In fact, I think writers often get so caught up in the craft, the story gets lost in the details.
A story first needs be felt. It has to be something you don't just want to tell someone, but something you need to tell everyone. We all have those kinds of stories; they're the kinds we can't wait to tell our friends and loved ones. They're the kinds that are like butterflies in our chests or battery acid in our stomachs. They're the kinds we carry around with us for the rest of our lives.
As communicators for not-for-profit organizations, why should we settle for anything less than this of feeling? We work with, around, and for some of the most amazing people in the world. Their stories inspire us. They're the very reason we got into this business.
But, too often, we populate our websites with re-purposed press releases. Dry program language. Corporate-speak from our executives. Those things don't inspire us. So why do we expect them to inspire our constituents to donate or take some other action for us?
I mean, seriously, would you ever go out with your friends and say, "You'll never believe the kick-ass strategic framework our CEO rolled out today"? Would you even tell your mother about that? Chances are, no one visiting your website will care either.
If you don't believe in -- and feel strongly about -- what you're saying, neither will your readers. You have to tell them your best stories, consistently. That means building a culture of storytelling at your organization.
And, again, this doesn't mean you have to hire a roomful of writers. At Mercy Corps, most of our storytellers -- those who provide material for the website and our other public communications -- are field officers and other staff. They're out on the front lines where the stories are.
That brings me to another thing that drives me crazy about the way many peer organizations communicate: they don't demonstrate what they're doing. Instead, they rely on mission statements and program objectives to try and describe what they do. Epic fail.
The best three words I ever heard about storytelling are: Show, don't tell.
(That advice came from one of my high school English teachers, the person who, along with my two grandmothers, made me want to write for a living.)
It's a simple but powerful technique: be faithful and honest to those whose story you're telling. Let the words come from the conversations you've had. Don't hesitate to let your feelings show. Put as complete and compelling a recreation of your experience as you can out there for others to read.
Always write a story with the intention that you're helping people to experience it themselves. Use all your senses, but leave enough room for interpretation that your readers want to explore, consider, and remember your story.
Compel them and they will keep coming back. Move them and they will take action for you.
So, back to this earlier point: as not-for-profit organizations, we work with incredible people who have amazing stories to tell. Do you ever read or hear stories during your workday that make you think, "Damn, I'm lucky to have this job"?
Those are the stories you should have on your website. Show readers what your organization is doing. Then tell them what they can do for you.