True storytelling is an art: a craft handed down generation to generation. It is woven into the fabric of our lives. In fact, everything you put out into the world for your ministry is telling a story. It may be an aspirational story for the future, a life lesson from the past, or a present moment tidbit; they are all stories. It is essential to hone your storytelling skills to grab — and hold — the attention of your audience.
Storytelling is not only for preaching on Sunday or writing a blog reflection. Stories are an essential part of marketing an event and engaging over social media. Human connections are formed through sharing the stories of our lives.
Three Storytelling Formats
Use any of these storytelling formats to engage your audience with success.
SCQA:
Situation – the state of affairs Complication – the thing that’s changed Question – the question raised by the Situation and the Complication Answer – the answer to the Question
The Hero… Who has a problem… Meets a guide… Who gives the hero a plan… And calls the hero to action! That results in:
Success
or
Failure
How to Tell Your Story
When you first use a story format, begin with your message. Take a look at the main point you want to convey. Which format seems to fit your story the best? What can you add, what can you subtract? The best part is that to tell a great story, you only need one part of any of these story formats!
Images
Everyone has heard a picture is worth a thousand words, and it’s true. Take advantage of the opportunity to incorporate images into your storytelling, especially with social media. In fact, Facebook posts with images see 2.3X more engagement than those without images(1) and Tweets with images receive 150% more retweets than tweets without images(2).
Re-Engage
Once you’ve put your story into the world, don’t forget about it! OR the people who have responded to what you’ve shared. Continue to engage with them. Like or love their comments. Ask open-ended questions. Invite them to like your page or to come to an event. Show them that you care about them and the stories they have to tell.
Worship Times
Worship Times is a full-service digital marketing and communication team that specializes in helping ministries of all sizes and denominations reach their people. Whether you need help telling your story or tweaking how it displays, above all, we are here to support your ministry.
