The Underrated Power of Marketing and Storytelling in Human Services
Do you know what the human services workforce loves to talk about? Their impact! Ask anyone who works in this space, and they’ll share their personal experience with you, with a focus on overcoming challenges. Why? Because they’re proud of the difference they are making! Yet we tend to overlook the pivotal role that curating and sharing these stories with stakeholders can have on the agency. As a seasoned CMO in this sector, I’ve witnessed firsthand how storytelling is not some ancillary function but is central to amplifying impact and mission.
Think about this, at its core, human services is about people helping people. It’s a simple concept in those terms, but there are more than 6,000 human services agencies in Massachusetts alone. And to reach those who need our help, or to engage those who can support our cause, or to recruit those who can work with the people we serve, we must first capture their attention. And in 2024, it’s an attention economy! This is where marketing steps in.
What do I mean by marketing? It’s not just about promoting your services; it’s about connecting with your community. Effective marketing in human services isn’t about flashy campaigns or aggressive sales tactics; it’s about empathy, understanding, and building relationships. It’s about making sure our message reaches the right ears and resonates with the right hearts…at the right time. Whether it’s through a captivating video, a heartfelt social media post, or a community event, every marketing effort counts in bridging the gap between our services and those who need and support them.
Perhaps the most powerful tool in our marketing arsenal is storytelling. Stories have the power to move people, to inspire action, and to foster a sense of community. In human services, our stories often revolve around the challenges, triumphs, and resilience of those we serve. When we share these stories, we do more than just recount events; we humanize our mission. We show the real impact of our work, not through statistics or data, but through the lived experiences of individuals. This emotional connection is what drives volunteers to lend their hands, donors to open their wallets, and communities to embrace our cause.
Last month I connected with a number of marketing leaders in The Arc of Massachusetts network, and we all agreed that curating storytelling content was our biggest challenge. There are a number of reasons for this ranging from people just being to overwhelmed in their work to people not thinking their stories will resonate with others. So here are a few tips to stimulate storytelling at your agency.
Use context
If you were to send out a call for content, what’s really your hook? You need to engage people in this initiative, and the best way to do that is with context! For instance, perhaps you can leverage social media days and months to engage your stakeholders. For instance, agencies supporting people with IDD can put out the call for content during “Developmental Disabilities Month” in March. Or for those working in elder services, focus on “Senior Citizens Day” in August. Use these calendars to your advantage to create the urgency and impact you need for sustained success.
Spotlight staff
If you get a great story idea, credit that staff member! Thank that staff member! And empower that staff member to be a content champion in your agency. Remember, momentum begets momentum.
Don’t forget about your internal audience
An easy mistake to make is to create content and post it on your website and social media channels, assuming your staff will engage. We are overwhelmed with content on a regular basis, and we can’t count on staff finding our content. Push it out to them! Ask them to share it on their social networks! They are your best ambassadors, and they actually want to boast about the work they are doing to help the people they serve!
Not all content has to be long-form
Content comes in many forms…have you considered just hosting a podcast with a staff or family member? Posting a photo on social media about a community outing? Sharing a promotion of a staff member? These are all great forms of content that you audience can engage with; not everything needs to be a long blog post (self-own…)!
Monetize story submissions
If you’re really stuck getting something off the ground, hold a contest and award a prize! This isn’t sustainable of course, but if staff are motivated at first by an extrinsic benefit - even something as simple as a gift card to a local restaurant - then you can demonstrate the value of this initiative. We give staff referral bonuses, but never think to give bonuses to the staff who are content pipelines for us!
Share your staff’s content
Give your teams credit…in today’s digital world so many people are content creators! Your staff may have a large following on TikTok or a fondness for creating Instagram Reels. So many firms discourage this because of the regulations around photo releases, but if you empower your staff to do it right you can simply use your brand channels to amplify their voices. And you’ll have a more engaged team at the end of the day!
Seek high-profile earned media placements
Owned media on the web and social is great, but don’t marginalize the impact of an earned media placement. There are countless industry publications out there, as well as conferences accepting proposals, and when people see their stories presented in highly-regarded media vehicles they won’t be shy about continuing to work with you on storytelling initiatives.
Track it all, but don’t drive yourself crazy
There are numerous cloud-based tools out there, but there is nothing wrong with creating an Excel or Google Sheet to track your story ideas, social media calendar events, and photo library. It can be overwhelming if you go into it thinking you need to be perfect - you don’t. Just start - and build from there.
