Humanize your organization
Because trying to "move people" isn't engaging
👋 WELCOME TO EDITION NO. 2! HERE’S WHAT WE’VE GOT ON TAP…
In this issue, we focus on people – YOUR people – and how they are what connects your purpose or cause to others. Let’s get right to it.
💡 TO ENGAGE, HUMANIZE YOUR ORGANIZATION
I don’t have to sell you the importance of digital content. Your plan for content, communications, and digital should be ingrained into every strategic planning piece within your organization – it can’t be an add-on after you organize.
But let’s be honest: often the very pieces of media we design to mobilize people don’t actively engage.
Why? It could be because:
There is no clear call to action. You could create a text-heavy informational masterpiece, but leave out the most critical piece to continue momentum: a way for the audience to jump in. What is your ask for these folks? What do you want them to do?
The content is not visually compelling. It could be hard to read. The text could be small. These are visual barriers for your audiences and can lead them to skim right over your plea for support.
The messaging doesn’t zoom in – or rather zoom out – to a conversation about your people and your communities.
So what types of content do engage?
Those that feature your people. Those that humanize your organization.
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
The unfortunate reality is that more so than not, organizational social media pages feature more flyers and promotional materials than actual humans. To build that connection between your folks and draw new people closer to your organization, here’s a great place to start:
Create an active content series featuring highlights from your staff members and/or volunteers.
These can be 1-2 minute videos that allow folks inside your work to understand:
Why do you do what you do?
What does your day-to-day look like?
What excites you about the future of the organization?
CROWDSOURCING TO CONNECT
When was the last time you directly asked your audience what they want to see? There’s a lot of low-hanging fruit ripe for picking. And the answers can be incredibly engaging, not to mention trust-building.
So don’t be afraid to ASK. It can be as simple as “What have you always wanted to know about Team DB?” or “What would you like to see from Team DB in the next year?”
Once you’ve gathered queries from your audience, answer or satisfy them in a visually-compelling way. A livestream. A series of shorts. A pic carousel.
Don’t overlook the likelihood of 1:1 communication in the comments section of a crowdsourced post. Solicit for feedback and turn on your notifications so you can respond quickly and keep the convo going.
EVERGREEN WAYS TO HUMANIZE YOUR AUDIENCE
Below, I’ve compiled a go-to list of ideas for you to start mixing into your digital content and communications. Some we’ve already mentioned, and some we haven’t. Some you may already be using. I’d suggest copying this list and adding it to your content strategy.
Highlight videos (direct-to-camera)
Vlogs from an event
Quote graphics from an event
Q&A with a staff person (video or article)
Answer questions from your audience via Instagram Stories or Threads
Create a quarterly update to key stakeholders and donors, allowing you to own the narrative in a newsletter or document. Key headers should include:
Asks/call-to-actions
Key stats from the months
Highlights
Lowlights
What do you expect to accomplish in the following quarter?
Highlighting your community can take many forms, so find what works best for your org. The bigger point is to harness the power of your people’s experiences in their own words to draw others close – or closer – to your organization. Let them see themselves reflected in the stories told. Then they will be moved, likely to take action.
⚡OPEN OFFICE HOURS NOW AVAILABLE
Sometimes we all need some perspective – especially when you’re wrapped up in ALL THE THINGS. I get it. I don’t know where I’d be without the advice of my mentors and the time spent talking with colleagues that have been there and done that.
So I wanted to take a moment to say that I am here for you.
Twice monthly, I’m opening up Office Hours exclusively for this community of CREATE. AMPLIFY. MOBILIZE folks.
If you’d like to talk 1-on-1 about your org’s strategy, get answers to more specific questions, or get help with a pressing problem, let’s do it. Just respond back to this email saying “YES!” and we’ll get you on the calendar invite.