Keynote presentation given at the Department of Health and Human Services annual OAPP Grantee Conference.

1. The New Culture of
Storytelling
Michaela Hackner
December 14, 2010
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2. Introductions
Michaela Guerin Hackner
Project Director
Forum One Communications
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3. What Storytelling is
and Why it’s Important
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4. What is storytelling?
• The conveying of events and ideas in words, gestures, images and
sounds
• One of the most basic ways of sharing knowledge
• How we make sense of experiences
• How we see ourselves in relation to others
• World’s oldest tradition
• A way to reach out, connect
Photography: http://www.nfnf.org/success‐stories.php
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5. Photography: http://www.florencecrittenton.org/programs/stories

6. Photography: http://www.florencecrittenton.org/programs/stories

7. Everyone is doing it

8. Creating a Culture of
Storytelling
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11. Organizational Backing
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12. New structure / stakeholder empowerment
• Make storytelling a priority
• Empower staff, stakeholders, and
beneficiaries
• Provide training
• Develop a storytelling toolkit
• Provide incentives
• Lead by example
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13. Make Storytelling Investments
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14. How to Get Started With
Storytelling
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15. How to Recruit people for storytelling interviews
• Connect at events
• Ask for recommendations
• Tap an advocacy network
• Ask your outreach team
• Use your blog
• Provide ways for people to share stories anonymously
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16. Recruiting storytelling interviewees: Florence Crittenton

17. Identify a Good Story
• Is this story something people care
about?
• Will this story evoke an emotional
response?
• Will this story change people’s
perspective or outlook?
• Does this story match our
organizational voice?
• Will this story still be relevant in a
month? A year? Longer?
• Will this story motivate action?
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18. Prepare for Story Capture: Have the right tools
Choose tools that you’re
comfortable with and work well for
you and the setting:
• notebook and pen
• a digital audio recorder
• a video camera
• a trusted colleague
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19. Prepare for Story Capture: Prepare for the interview
• Research
interviewee
background
• Prepare questions
• Create an informal
conversation
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20. Prepare for Story Capture: Take the notes you need
• Take your time.
• Develop your own
shorthand.
• Note all of the sensory
information around you.
• Plan some time after the
interview to finalize
everything you’ve captured.
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21. Prepare for Story Capture: Always be Ethical and Sensitive
Photograph: lizainge.co.uk

22. Capture the Story
Whether capturing your story in print, in video or in photographs, the
end objective is always the same: a compelling story.
Regardless of where we work, there are often amazing stories
to tell…
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23. Elements of a good story
• Compelling title
• Intriguing lead or hook
• Character‐driven details
• The obstacle
• The outcome
• Story‐specific photos
Photograph: Karen Kasmauski/Corbis
• Call to action ‐ and ways to
take action
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24. “Call to action” is critical. People will want to help. Make it easy.

25. Get Your Stories Out There

26. But Don’t Bury Them On Your Web Site!

27. You Can Start Small, and Build

28. Florence Crittenton’s Center for Pregnant and Parenting Teens

29. Social Media
and Storytelling
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30. Now that you have your stories….
Leverage your social media outposts to spread them!
• Use Flickr and embeddable slideshows
• Feature stories on your blog or web site
• Post links of stories on relevant social networks
• Post videos on YouTube or Vimeo
• Use Twitter to help your story go viral
• Integrate audio
• Pull stories into your organization’s newsletter
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31. Overwhelmed with the possibilities?
Let’s start small.
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33. Flickr – Pictobrowser slideshows
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42. What to include
• Your story!
• How they can take action
• Links to your organization, and background information
• An organizational bio
• Contact information
• Links to other relevant content

43. Now For Some Inspiration!
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46. And these organizations want your stories too!
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51. Discussion
Thank You
Michaela Hackner
mhackner@forumone.com
@kalabird
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