stories, sweets and tweets: storytelling and social media

Stories, Sweets, and TweetsStorytelling and Social Media

Laura Lartigue, CLM/LMGMarie Maroun, CPM/SIAPS

Jeremy Malhotra, CLM/LMGWillow Gerber, CLM/LMG

Rhetorical TriangleMessage

Information, argument, reasons, evidence, data,

structure

AudienceBeliefs, values, knowledge,

experience

You (Communicator)Ethos (credibility), authority,

correctness, appearance, eloquence

You, the audience, and message – are always linked!

Dialogues promote exchange

Who would you trust?

Dick Cheney Nelson Mandela

(We’re talking ethos…)

How do we appeal to people’s emotions?Photos, videos and stories all appeal to one’s emotions (pathos)

LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - The crowd of African women are tired and angry after hours waiting in the hot sun, but the officials will not vaccinate their children until the president inaugurates the campaign on state television.

When he finally does so, half a day has been lost from the five-day vaccination scheme. It is a small reminder that, for health care in Africa, politics can be as decisive as poverty.(Pathos…)

In sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS kills 6,500 people every day, leaving millions of children orphaned.

A child passes coffins in the village of Njuli, Malawi. Since it was first reported, 60 million people have been infected and 20 million have died of AIDS. Photo by Tom Stoddart, Getty Images.

Stats, facts and figures to strengthen your argument.

(Logos…photo and caption provide pathos)

Stories and News Items

Why write stories or news bites?• Show accountability for use of donor

funds• Show use of resources to make a

positive difference in people’s lives• Show our funders or potential

funders examples of our work • Show that numbers alone don’t tell

the whole story

Elements of a Story/New Item

Who

What

Where

When

Why

How

OutcomeWhat came of our assistance?

ActivityWhat is being done to help solve it?

ChallengeWhat is the problem?

Range of Tools and Tactics

• Print materials (reports, policy briefs, fact sheets, etc.)

• Presentations (PowerPoints, displays)• Websites, e-newsletters• Social Media—Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,

Slideshare, Screencast, and more…

Social Media Tools

Online social media tools

What are you looking for in Social Media?• This slide will not make you a Social Media Guru• Your own Voice• A new idea• What is the world saying?

Twitter

Facebook

Who are you talking to?

What are talking about?

• Seriously, though what are you talking about?

• What’s the message you want to convey?

Social Media Rules of Engagement

It is not a fad…• It’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.• The new way is a dialogue not a monologue.• Facts and Figures• Link, link, link (it’s kind of like location, location,

location)• Shorter is cooler but not always better

Remember to…

• Speak with one project voice

• Use your project’s dedicated social media tools and platforms

• Answer the who, what, where, why, when and how

• Connect with your audience

Activity: Write a Tweet that captures the write-up or your take on it

Remember:140 characters (includes spaces & links)Use @ (mentions) appropriatelyUse # (hashtags) appropriately

Thank you!LMG: http://www.lmgforhealth.org/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LMGforHealth • Twitter: https://twitter.com/lmgforhealth • YouTube: http://bit.ly/VXQdI1 • Screencast: http://

www.screencast.com/users/MSH.MEC-Team/folders/LMG%20Webinars • Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/LMGforhealth

SIAPS: http://siapsprogram.org/ • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SIAPSProgram • Twitter: https://twitter.com/SIAPS_Program