“I want others to know what I am doing.”

As you begin to work on your projects and your team starts making improvements in your community, it is important to keep others informed and engaged. The first step is to create the narrative (or, the story you want to tell) that you want to share; this will help you hone in on how your project is viewed in your community. When you think about the narrative of your project, consider everything from an optimistic, glass-half-full perspective. Create three or four talking points about why this work is important–and why it is important now. How will this benefit your community? Why should people care and want to support your efforts? You can refer back to the project worksheet from Lesson 1.5: Getting Started With Projects to help frame your points. 

As you start creating your narrative, think about the audiences and different ways that the information will be shared:

Local or regional newspapers – Developing a relationship with local reporters can be helpful. Ask them how they prefer to receive information about your project. Many prefer you to write a press release (find an activity on what a press release is and how to write one below!) and share it directly with them; others prefer an overview of the highlights or key points from your story.

Social media posts – You can use social media to keep track of the progress of your projects. Social media posts are a great way to keep your audience engaged with your journey along the way–as you can snap a few photos and write a quick caption that won’t take nearly as much time as writing a press release. Plan to stay consistent with social media and post about once a week (start out with posting to a Facebook page, and if you feel confident managing one, next, create an Instagram account). You’ll also need to make sure your posts can be viewed publicly, either by creating a page dedicated to your community group, or by making sure your posts can be shared and seen by everyone. To stay up to date with the ever-changing world of social media, we recommend checking out this site. 

Local news stations – If you have a local (or regional) TV station, don’t forget to send them your press releases. Stations are always looking for public interest pieces. 

The main reason you should tell your story is so others in your community can stay informed about the work you’re doing. Telling your story will also enable you to engage stakeholders to support your project, and your story can serve as a tool to recruit more people to get involved. You should also keep in mind that your story can be helpful when seeking funding. You will have tangible examples of success that you can utilize to build potential grant applications.  

As you begin to find your “voice” in storytelling, look to others for examples. What communities or organizations tell stories that you are compelled by? What do you like about how they share their message? What can you replicate? Keep in mind that if you find a story captivating, it’s likely that others will too. The Hub blog and weekly newsletter are great resources, as we share positive stories each week (sign up for the newsletter here!). You can save stories that resonate with you to use as inspiration for the future.