A picture is worth 1,000 words.
Yet sometimes, even the best picture needs to be accompanied by engaging content.
Put the two together and they create storytelling magic.
A Perfect Post
Take a look at the picture and the content below it:
Jews traditionally eat challa bread on the Sabbath. Zak the Baker probably sells quite a lot of challa on Fridays. However, back in December 2018, he forgot one of the main ingredients: Salt.
Oy.
He could’ve not said anything. People would’ve noticed how the challa tastes different this week but that probably wouldn’t have stopped them from returning the following week.
However, Zak chose to do what one should when you make a mistake: Fess up. Own it. Apologize to everyone your mistake may affect.
Better yet: He did it in a way which created the perfect post.
1) The image alone is very engaging! You see it and wonder: What happened to Zak? And yes, we’ve all been there banging our head against the table after doing something dumb.
2) He fessed up and told everyone what went wrong. Make a mistake? Own it. Apologize. Promise to do better in the future.
3) The verbiage accompanying the picture is engaging and memorable. I guarantee all his customers not only forgave him but in the following weeks they all walked in and said, “Hey Zak, did you remember to add salt this week?” After the 100th time Zak probably got sick of it but hey, it means his customers are loyal and engage with him.
When you make a mistake, your response could make all the difference.
In this case, Zak combined a memorable picture with excellent, engaging content.
For those wondering what “feshtunkin” means, it means to get fashnickered! OK, maybe you don’t know that word either. It means to get tipsy or drunk. Zak had a rough day at the office. Hope he had a few good drinks at the Sabbath table that Friday night.
Visuals Plus Verbiage = Instagram Perfection
Have a look at the below post from Instagram and read the entire post.
Pictures like this stop you in your feed tracks. You want to know more. What’s the story behind the picture?
The Humane Society of Northeast Georgia does an excellent job here with the storytelling! They could’ve told you how they, the nonprofit, were able to help this poor dog. But instead, they told the “story of one.” They posted the dog’s perspective. The copy is engaging and odds are you read all of it.
Telling a story through the eyes of your nonprofit can get stale and old. Presenting a different perspective keeps the audience interested, while simultaneously letting people know what you do via the story of your service recipients.
The dog’s tale gives readers all the information they need to know about what this nonprofit does.
Hone Your Craft
Planning to tell great stories means your nonprofit has to have:
- A picture bank
- A story bank.
You need to gather stories and pictures that allow you to create a content plan full of a wide range of posts and stories. Keeping your content fresh, telling stories from many different angles will help keep the audience’s attention.
Because if the audience isn’t engaging, then your stories aren’t doing their job.
I help nonprofits build relationships and raise more funds so they can increase program offerings and assist more service recipients in their community. If your fundraising and marketing need an upgrade, let’s talk! Together we’ll ensure your marketing is helping and improving your fundraising efforts.
