The power of storytelling lies in its ability to connect with the audience on a human level. Sharing stories helps donors see themselves as a part of your work and how their contribution impacts someone else. The Edmonds Food Bank, an Ostara client, has done an incredible job of engaging their community through their social media efforts. Their Marketing and Communications Manager has completely revolutionized their social media strategy and has significantly increased their following by developing unique content that engages, entertains, and informs the audience of their organization’s work without always asking for donations.
One day the food bank received several pallets of carrots that were delivered for distribution, but they looked past their prime and were droopy, having lost moisture while in transit. The Marketing and Communications Manager filmed their Distribution Manager as they conducted an experiment to try to save the produce. They filmed staff soaking the carrots in water and then did a taste test to show how the carrots perked up and regained the crunch, extending the life of the carrots that may have otherwise been discarded. They posted the video to social media and asked followers to share similar tips they know of. The point of the video was to show how the food bank often receives food that is not in the best condition, how they worked to revive the produce and shared how many families would ultimately benefit from having access to the produce. It was one of the highest viewed videos, had high engagement with followers and was widely shared.
Another great example of engaging content from this organization - a staff member took her convertible to pick up a food drive donation and when she returned to the food bank her car was completely full. She arrived with the top down; food piled up as high as it could be safely stacked. Another staff member pulled out their phone and filmed a video of the car pulling up to the building entrance and then volunteers helping to unload the car. This video, and the accompanying content, demonstrated the need for food donations as demand for food assistance continues to increase, shared how many families the food bank could feed with this single donation, highlighted a community run food drive giving recognition to the donor and provided information on opportunities to host your own food and fund drive and engage in volunteer opportunities.
As you think about creating content for your organization remember, not everything has to be professionally done and perfectly polished. Sometimes the most compelling and engaging content stems from something that may feel ordinary to you, but would be interesting to your audience.
