If you had three minutes to tell supporters your brand story, what would you say? It can be hard to know where to start. Let’s explore the ‘how’ for creating stories that help your cause communicate who you are.
Below, we lay out 3 key steps for communicating your brand story:
1. How To Craft Your Brand Story
Every nonprofit has a story to share. Charities have some of the most inspiring missions in the world! Brand stories help supporters gain an emotional connection, which helps to deepen their relationship with you. Connection moves supporters toward giving - which is what nonprofits need.
When it comes to the flow of your brand story, it’s best to keep it simple. Let’s say you want to create a 3-minute video. Try something like this:
Beginning: Challenge (1 minute) - What need, problem, or issue compelled your nonprofit to act? Jump immediately into your story with a challenge or conflict to draw viewers in. No formal intro necessary. Back up the personalized, emotional aspects of your account with surprising facts and statistics related to the need.
Middle: Solution (1 minute) - What was your nonprofit’s ‘ah-ha’ moment? How did you realize you had a solution to this challenge? What programs do you have that meet this problem? What makes your solutions unique?
End: Action (1 minute) - What impacts have you made? How many lives have been impacted? What one action are you asking viewers to take (e.g., volunteer, donate, advocate, pray)?
2. Where to Tell Your Brand Story
There are many opportunities to showcase your nonprofit’s brand story.
For example:
Videos
Your Website
Social media
Text messages
Emails
Newsletters
Postcards & mailings
Online ads
Livestream events (like Instagram and Facebook)
Podcasts & webinars
Regardless of which platform you’re using, always be consistent. Your brand’s mission and overall tone should be the same. Though your audiences may slightly vary from platform to platform, there should still be some level of uniformity so people recognize your brand. The same central message should be clear.
3. How to Refine Your Brand Story
If you’re feeling stuck, it may be time to rethink your process and try something new. There are several different methods for developing and sharing your brand’s story. Keep researching and looking for information. Take note of when your nonprofit has been most successful in the past. Look at other nonprofits for inspiration.
One of the most straightforward ways to improve your brand story process is with a good, old-fashioned brainstorming session. Sit your team down or hop on a Zoom call for an afternoon session. Try using the SWOT analysis to get the wheels turning: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Where have you been strong or weak in sharing your brand story? What new opportunities and threats are standing in the way? Remember, your goal for the session is to dream of new ways your nonprofit can share its story with supporters. You never know, you may walk away with one of your best ideas yet!
4. Tools to Help You Share Your Story
Bring your donors into your story by inviting them to support an auction fundraiser for your charity organization. ZGIVE's digital auction platform not only makes auction fundraising easy and fun for you and your donors - our built-in SMS messaging system allows you to send messages, video links, and more before, during, and after the auction event to help you share your story. Our Fund-A-Need one-to-one giving feature allows nonprofits to program in specific needs and invite their donors to give directly to help that specific cause. Want to learn more about how ZGIVE can help your organization? Visit www.zgive.com.