Traditional communication channels are becoming ineffective in capturing and engaging the attention of today’s perpetually connected community residents. This, in turn, is making it increasingly difficult to communicate with them, to keep the community informed on upcoming elections, filing deadlines, fee increases, as well as changes in policies and ordinances. Additionally, today’s “fake news” generation does not trust information from traditional channels, only 6% of millennials consider traditional communications even to be credible. Today's municipalities must adapt their communication strategies in an effort to be heard in the face of the consumers’ rapidly changing media consumption landscape. To get out ahead of traditional media channels with the facts. And most importantly, become the trusted source of information within their communities. In this session, you will learn How to identify a topic to write about from the questions your community is asking but not talking to you about. Strategies for transforming those topics into informational and persuasive “storified” content. How to utilize those stories in blogs, infographics, social media posts, and videos that connect with the community and ensures they are informed How to deliver those stories through a content marketing strategy that builds mindful scheduling habits. Discover tracking methods to understand which stories, types of content are being read by your communities and use that information to develop future stories. Through strategic, engaging content, you can stay connected with your community to keep them informed on your ever-changing community. Build a trusted relationship with them to ensure your messages are received and understood. And become an unmistakable and essential community partner in their eyes.

1. BUILDING TRUST
WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH
STORYTELLING
International Institute of Municipal Clerks

2. Digital and Traditional Marketing | Content
Strategy | Social Media | UX | Designer |
Educator | Consultant
huonks.com
linkedin.com/in/brianhuonker
slideshare.net/bkhuonker/
BRIAN HUONKER
MS, SAFe® Agile, CLU®, Human Factors CUA™

3. Before the information age, the only people who had
access to “primary sources” — direct words from politicians,
celebrities, and other public figures — were the
professionals.
When newspapers, radio, and television chose what to
write and what to publish the rest of the public only got
what they were given.
Today, there has been a massive increase in public access
to primary sources through the internet. Every “primary
source” has their own website with links to a Blog,
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and more.
Much of the information news outlets use to write their
articles has been made available to the general public . The
media environment has changed. It’s up to us to
determine what is said about us with branded storytelling.
WHY “BRAND” STORYTELLING

4. A RISE IN MEDIA
◻ A shift to social and online media as sources
of news
◻ One-in-five U.S. adults say they often get
news via social media.
◻ While TV still remains primary, it has been
declining rapidly since 2016. Being replaced
by news websites and social media
◻ “citizen” journalism… only held accountable to
their readership
40 percent get their news from multiple online
and social media sources.

6. AND A LOSS IN TRUST
◻ Trust in media hits bottom
◻ Just 53% of those aged 65 and older
◻ Just 33% of those under age 30.
◻ 60% say sources pay for stories. Which is backed
by the continuing consolidation of media outlets.
◻ 41% are unlikely to believe stories filled with
anonymous sources.
◻ 42% of Democrats believe the media isn’t biased.
Just 10% of Republicans said the same.
Media is last on a list of all of Washington’s
institutions that the public has confidence in,
even under Congress.

9. How have you been
mis-represented?

10. A RISE IN MEDIA AND A LOSS OF
TRUST
◻ News outlets to compete for readership with everything
else online.
◻ News outlets are being consolidated… as well as the
news departments.
◻ News papers are becoming smaller and smaller, Video
News programs are pressured to be more “entertaining"
◻ The rising presence of less credible sources such as
unregulated “citizen journalists” and deliberate
misinformation campaigns.
◻ People can now “choose” where to get their information.
And as such, choose that sources that reaffirm their
personal views.

12. We are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000
ads each day

13. Americans expect to get their news from
social media, but they don’t expect it to be
accurate.

16. But with branded storytelling, allowing for
transparency and accountability, communities can
rebuild their trust.

17. Who is involved in their
content/social marketing?
Who has a content
marketing program?

18. Where do you start?
BUILDING TRUST WITHIN
COMMUNITIES THROUGH
STORYTELLING

19. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH STORYTELLING
◻ To begin building trust, we need to find
stories that:
¤ Captures the community’s persona (the variety of
personalities that exist within the community).
¤ Written so it can be easily discovered and shared
by members of the community.
¤ Allows for discovery of additional content while
reading.
¤ Ultimately connects the community through
cultural, relevant and valuable content with the
municipality.

20. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH STORYTELLING
◻ STEP 1: IDENTIFY AND SET GOALS in order
to have clear and measurable return on
investment.
◻ Determine what you want to achieve with
storytelling?
◻ Ensure they align with your municipalities
overall vision, mission and directions.
◻ Ensure they align your municipalities
marketing strategies.
◻ Record them in your content calendar (not
only for tracking but for future articles/posts)

21. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH STORYTELLING
◻ STEP 2: PAINT A STORY that engages your
readers.
◻ Discover what the community is talking
about.
◻ Research what your community wants to hear
about at the “point of transaction”.
◻ Create content that is valuable in customers’
eyes using data learned from community.
◻ Write for a Millennial and post-Millennial
generation (aka “bathroom copy”).
◻ Be Involved buy responding to comments

22. ◻ DISCOVER. What the community is talking
about. Thinking about. Concerned About.
◻ What’s being commented on in local
newspapers?
◻ Utilize community surveys
◻ Examine your own website (Google
Analytics)/social media data
◻ Google Alerts, Google Trends, BuzzSumo,
and other online tools
◻ What’s being addressed in the Council

26. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH STORYTELLING
RESEARCH. Learn what your community wants
from you.
◻ What questions are they asking when they
call?
◻ What are they asking the Council/Mayor
◻ What are they talking about in social media?

27. What are they complaining about?

28. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH STORYTELLING
CREATE. What article would best represent your
message
◻ Utilize good and bad examples. Represents the
hero and the villain.
◻ Utilize visuals. reinforces the main points (people
skim… remember “the bathroom”) and leaves an
impression.
◻ How to videos. Helps explain processes or
instructions easier than written (HowToPlay).
◻ Q&A. With your community members. Especially
those that are “connectors”

29. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH STORYTELLING
• Make a Predictions Post
• Things You Might Not Know About Me
• Why I Don’t Do ‘X’
• (Famous Person Guide) To (Blank)
• Case Study
• Product Showdowns
• ‘X’ Things You Must Do After (Blank)
• How To (Blank) In (X Number of Days / Hours)
• Experimental Posts
• Comprehensive Pillar Posts
• The Tools of the Trade
• Ask / Involve the Reader!
• Debunk Industry Myths
• Comment on Industry Gossip
• New Product, Course, or Book Launch
• Celebrate An Anniversary
• Special Announcement Post
• Year In Review
• Goals for the Year Ahead
• Tips For Newbies

30. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH STORYTELLING
WRITE. Target a 5th/6th grader reader
• Small words and short sentences
• Short paragraphs with a introduction and
summary
• Bulleted Lists to help readers skim the copy.
• Copy broken by headings and subheads.
• Target 400-640 words but don’t be afraid to
write longer.

31. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH STORYTELLING
• Headline. Clear, concise.
• Introduction. Simple summary of the article,
nothing fancy, move the reader into the article
as quickly as possible. Ensure the main take
away is included.
• Image(s). Use an image that reinforces main
takeaway. Ensure the “alt tag” is accessibility
requirements.
• Subhead. Each Main Copy block needs a
subheading that summarizes the block.
• Main Copy. Short, concise sentences and
paragraphs.
• 20 words or less per sentence.
• 3-4 sentences per paragraph, 3-4 paragraphs
per Main Copy.
• Easily digestible words
• Bullet out topics for easy skimming.
• Utilize Links to allow the customer to move
other articles. Link to other sources
• Closing/CTA. Summarize the article and
include a CTA (call to action) or next action for
the reader to take.
• 640 is the ideal word count. Minimum 400 words

32. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH STORYTELLING
Build your social media
post form your content.
• Subheads become a
social point.
• Bullets become a
social post
Each post should link
back the article.

33. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH STORYTELLING
BE INVOLVED. Don’t just talk to your community,
engage them.
◻ Respond to comments left by your community.
◻ Don’t be afraid to deny/remove comments if
they go against your “community standards”.
◻ But don’t be afraid of negative comments.
They give you an opportunity to learn and
engage in discussion.
◻ Write future articles based upon their
comments, and give them credit for their
contribution.

34. Don’t forget to track
it.
BUILDING TRUST WITHIN
COMMUNITIES THROUGH
STORYTELLING

35. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH STORYTELLING
◻ Remember those goals?
◻ Utilize Google Analytics and campaign track
to see which articles are connecting
◻ Socially
◻ Most comments, Shared, Liked (least
important)
◻ Website
◻ Comments, visits, articles read per visit
◻ Will help identify what is working and what is
not.

37. What’s Next?
• huonks.com
• linkedin.com/in/brianhuonker
• slideshare.net/bkhuonker/
brian@huonks.com
(email me for blog post templates)
Building Trust Within
Communities Through Storytelling

38. Appendix
Building Trust Within
Communities Through Storytelling

39. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH
STORYTELLING Appendix: Blog Ideas
Make a Predictions Post
These are incredibly fun, especially toward the end of the year. Or the beginning of a new year Take a look at what’s happening in your market. What’s hot? What are the current trends? And create a blog post around those with your predictions
for the new year. Not only are these types of posts a TON of fun but they also position you as a leader in your market. So whip out the ‘ol Magic 8 Ball and publish your predictions!
Things You Might Not Know About Me
This is a blog post that I recommend EVERY blogger do. One of the fastest ways to start truly engaging with your community is to give them a peek behind the curtain. Let them see who you are BEYOND just business. The fact is that we are living
through the humanization of business and people are extremely interested in the person BEHIND the business itself. More than ever… we crave RELATIONSHIPS! People don’t want cheesy marketing messages . . . they want YOU. Your story…
Your life… Your own unique personality infused into everything you do. Your readers will be attracted to your weird quirks because they make you human. When your flawed your real. That’s one of the biggest pieces of advice I could give you this
year.
Business is about HUMAN connection. And the only way to truly connect is by being completely you. Your emails, your videos, your articles, every piece of content should be branded with your own, unique personality.
Why I Don’t Do ‘X’
People LOVE controversy. That’s why the news channels thrive on ‘bad’ news. Kind of concerning but knowing this can help you instantly increase your email open rates, improve your headlines, and get your articles read. One of my favorite ways
to do this is to use the headline: Why I Don’t Do ‘X’. I recently used this in an email entitled “Why I Don’t Do SEO”. As you can imagine, it got QUITE the attention because I was debunking a hot topic within our industry.
This one is an instant winner when used properly. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun! People are looking for something fun, unique, and different. By providing them with something valuable AND entertaining, you’ll be the one that gets read.
(Famous Person Guide) to (Blank)
Another great place to get article ideas is to tap into the media. Take what’s hot right now in the news and tie it into your market. Tap into the hot topics that are ALREADY inside the mind of your prospect.
Case Study
No one can resist a good case study. It’s like a good story. People love to get a behind-the-scenes look at EXACTLY how someone has achieved a certain goal. If you want to quickly become the market leader in your industry, whip out a few case
studies and let people follow along on your journey.
Product Showdowns

40. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH
STORYTELLING Appendix: Blog Ideas
‘X’ Things You Must Do After (Blank)
Here’s a super simple one that’s almost always an instant winner. It’s fun and easy to write. Entertaining for your reader and it plays on our natural curiosity.
How To (Blank) in (X Number of Days / Hours)
Here’s another extremely powerful template that’s similar to the case study post above . . Use either one of these templates to knock-out a killer blog post when your strapped for ideas.
Experimental Posts
The only thing better than living an exciting life is to live vicariously through someone else’s exciting life. You can bring this entertainment factor to your blog by doing experimental posts. This is basically where you set an interesting goal for yourself and post
updates on your progress over a 30-day period.
Comprehensive Pillar Posts
This one never gets old. If you’re looking to establish your presence online, one of the best things you can do to stand out is to start creating some epic blog posts. A ‘pillar’ article is generally longer than the traditional blog post (1,000+ words). This sort of
‘flagship content’ is a comprehensive article dripping in value. Building a raving audience of fans online all starts with mind-blowing pillar content. Content that makes people think. Inspires. Creates value. Provides a new perspective. Pushes people out of
their comfort zones. Challenges your readers. And creates nothing short of a braingasm! Because of this, people can’t help but share it with others via Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, etc… So when done properly, your pillar posts should bring in a new
burst of readers as well.
(Insert Desired Benefit) That No One Talks About
As humans, we naturally want to listen in on ‘insider information’. Kind of like when you were little and you tried to listen in on your sister’s telephone conversations. We love listening in when we’re not supposed to 🙂 That’s why this template works so well:
Blog Post Roundup
Here’s an easy one that you can whip up quickly when you’re running short on time. List the top 10 blog posts from the year. Or the top blog posts from around the web that week. Or simply do a ‘Best Of’ post for your industry. This could be the best Twitter
posts, forum posts, best blog posts, best news items, best product releases, etc. Whip up any combination of your choice. You could even do this on a weekly basis. People love these types of posts because it keeps them in the loop on what’s going on in the
industry without having to do all the searching themselves. Kikolani.com does a really good job of this in their ‘Fetching Friday’ posts and check, out Pat’s Best of 2016 list.
Things I Wish I Had Done Differently

41. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH
STORYTELLING Appendix: Blog Ideas
Ask / Involve the Reader!
Engagement is quickly becoming one of THE most important marketing metrics in business. All of your content should be a reflection of the wants, needs, desires, and frustrations of
your reader. There are LOTS of different ways to do this. You can create an “Ask the Reader” type post where you ask an engaging question and start interacting in the comments.
Or you can challenge your readers to achieve a specific goal that month and report back with their results.
Debunk Industry Myths
Every industry has its fair share of myths, legends, and misconceptions. People love nothing more than debunking common beliefs. Plus, by pointing what’s WRONG in your
industry, you also position yourself as a leader. Talk about what’s WRONG in your industry. Nothing gets more attention than controversy. But you must do it right. Debunk with
style
Comment On Industry Gossip
Every industry has its own circle of gossip. Writing about these hot topics is one of the best ways to increase readership and tap into the conversation that’s ALREADY taking place
in the mind of your prospect. You can get your fill of juicy gossip browsing the major news sites, in related forums, related blogs, and in your inbox. Part of positioning yourself as an
authority is staying ahead of the trends within your industry. If you can be the first to report on relevant trends that are impacting your industry, then people will literally ‘tune’ into your
station to make sure they stay updated. Take a stand on the issue and help guide your reader to make an informed decision.
New Product, Book, or Course Launch
Whether you are launching a new online course, a product, a book, or anything new your audience will appreciate, a launch announcement works great as a blog post. Use this
launch announcement as a way to build excitement for your launch, before your launch date, by giving your readers a taste of what your new course or book or product is all about.
On the day of the launch, you should also follow up your pre-launch blog post with a day-of-launch blog post. Make a splash on your launch day by making sure your audience
knows what’s coming!
Celebrate An Anniversary
There will be many ups and downs in your online business journey. But one thing that will be consistent every year are your anniversaries: anniversary of starting your online

42. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH
STORYTELLING Appendix: Blog Ideas
Looking Forward / Goal Setting
This is your chance to show your audience where you’re headed. What are your goals for the new year? What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to
create? What do you want to improve about your business? Use this opportunity to highlight what’s coming next, and get your audience excited about it.
Tips for Newbies
We all start somewhere. We were all newbies once in our various niches. You may even be new to blogging or online business now, so you’ll learn this soon
enough: We can all learn from those that came before us. Share what you’ve learned by giving others an opportunity to build the foundational skills we all must
learn.
Insider Interviews
Here’s where you can highlight your team that works hard but who may be behind the scenes, unseen by your audience. You can do audio interviews and or written
interviews. If you have someone helping you with social media, your editorial calendar, your podcast production, etc., give them a little moment in the spotlight. It
gives them an opportunity to share their expertise, and they’ll appreciate the attention. You could even invite your audience to share their experience with your blog
to highlight their successes based on what your website has taught them.
Q&A Blog Post

43. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH
STORYTELLING Appendix: Blog
◻ Objectives
◻ Increase brand awareness
◻ Increase thought leadership throughout
your industry
◻ Encourage comments and engagement
◻ Lead generation through blog
subscription
◻ External linking
◻ Action Items
◻ Choose managing editor to own the
blog
◻ Choose a blogging platform
◻ Create an internal blog evangelist
program to get employees to contribute
◻ Decide on a weekly cadence
◻ Recruit guest bloggers
◻ Add social sharing icons
◻ Add a Tweet This button
◻ Key Metrics
◻ X number of posts
◻ X number of bloggers
◻ X number of social shares
◻ Audience growth—unique and return
visitors
◻ Conversions
◻ Subscriber growth
◻ Inbound links
◻ Directory listings for infographics
◻ SEO improvement

44. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH
STORYTELLING Appendix: Facebook
◻ Objectives
◻ Brand awareness and engagement
◻ Lead generation or customer
acquisition
◻ Share a mix of relevant links, blog
posts, and engaging content
◻ Promote upcoming events
◻ Engage with influencers
◻ Action Items
◻ Choose owner for all of social media
◻ Set up social media posting cadence
◻ Choose a social media management
platform
◻ Determine social media voice
◻ √ Set up sponsored posts and ads
◻ Set up Facebook tabs that sync to your
marketing automation platform
◻ Key Metrics
◻ X number of posts per day
◻ Page follows
◻ Likes
◻ Engagement and comments
◻ Referring traffic
◻ Shares
◻ Lead generation/new customers

45. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH
STORYTELLING Appendix: Twitter
◻ Objectives
◻ Brand awareness and engagement
◻ Lead generation or customer acquisition
◻ Share a mix of relevant links, blog posts,
and engaging content
◻ Segment influencers and create lists
◻ Communicate issues from social media to
support team and ensure follow-up
◻ Listen and respond to relevant
conversations
◻ Build reputation
◻ Action Items
◻ Choose owner for all of social media
◻ Set up social media posting cadence
◻ Choose a social media management
platform
◻ Determine social media voice
◻ Utilize promoted tweets and pinned tweets
◻ Set up Twitter Lead Generation cards
◻ Key Metrics
◻ X number of posts
◻ Followers
◻ Mentions
◻ Retweets
◻ Number of lists
◻ Hashtag usage
◻ Influence of Twitter followers
◻ Lead generation or customer
acquisition
◻ Referring traffic
◻ Favorited tweets

46. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH
STORYTELLING Appendix:
LinkedIN/Slideshare
◻ Objectives
◻ Brand awareness and engagement
◻ Lead generation or customer
acquisition
◻ Share a mix of relevant links, blog
posts, and engaging content
◻ Promote upcoming events
◻ Engage with influencers
◻ Action Items
◻ Choose owner for all of social media
◻ Set up social media posting cadence
◻ Choose a social media management
platform
◻ Determine social media voice
◻ Create and join relevant groups
◻ Encourage employee participation
◻ Monitor and participate in Q&A
◻ Set up sponsored posts and ads
◻ Key Metrics
◻ X number of posts per day
◻ Page follows
◻ Comments, likes, and shares
◻ Group participation
◻ Referring traffic
◻ Lead generation/new customers

47. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES THROUGH
STORYTELLING Appendix: Photo
(Instagram/Snapchat/Pinterest)
◻ Objectives
◻ Brand awareness and engagement
◻ Engagement with visual assets
◻ Showcase products
◻ Showcase company culture, marketing events
◻ Link back to website, blog, and other content
assets
◻ Share a mix of relevant imagery—both brand-
related and fun
◻ Action Items
◻ Choose owner for all of social media
◻ Set up social media posting cadence
◻ Choose a social media management platform
◻ Determine social media voice
◻ Determine ownership of photo sites
◻ Decide on general branding guidelines for
photos
◻ Encourage employees to participate and share
their own photos
◻ Key Metrics
◻ Referral traffic
◻ Shares and comments
◻ View of photos
◻ Page rankings on key terms from photo
sharing sites
◻ Product purchasing and lead
generation

48. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN COMMUNITIES
THROUGH
STORYTELLING Appendix: Video
(YouTube/Vimeo)
◻ Objectives
◻ Brand awareness
◻ Engagement with visual content assets
◻ Lead generation and customer acquisition
◻ SEO optimization
◻ Generate additional content views
◻ Action Items
◻ Choose owner for all of social media
◻ Set up social media posting cadence
◻ Choose a social media management platform
◻ Determine social media voice
◻ Determine ownership for visual content on
SlideShare
◻ Work on regular SlideShare presentation
creation
◻ Choose agency for stellar design
◻ Turn on the forms feature in SlideShare so you
can sync leads to your marketing automation
platform
◻ Key Metrics
◻ X number of presentations
◻ Followers
◻ Views
◻ Shares
◻ Lead generation and customer
acquisition
◻ Downloads
◻ Favorites