>>STORYTELLING

Communicating what adventures really are and their effect on families is

extremely important. This can be accomplished most effectively by telling

stories. Stories can affect someone the way that statistics never could. A

Kid Again could list off all that the organization does and it may not mean

nearly as much to someone as hearing from one person or family about

their experience. Stories of A Kid Again’s success will celebrate the

people that are already involved as well as attract new families and

donors. I will explore some of the best ways to tell stories and the most

effective ways to share them with the people that need to see them. 


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STORYTELLING

How to Tell a Good Story

Don’t just give facts
 Think creatively
You need facts to set up a story and give
background on what is going on, but what
makes a compelling story is why those
facts matter to an individual person or
group of people.
Start wide and “zoom in”
You can give facts and information to set up
what is going on at an adventure, but then
you need to “zoom in” and make it
personal. “Zooming in” could mean hearing
from a family as to why A Kid Again has
meant so much to them, or how this
adventure or an adventure in the past has
helped the family make a lasting memory.
There are so many mediums through which
to tell a story. Don’t limit a medium based
on preconceived notions of what it can
accomplish. Maybe one photo and a short
caption on social media can tell a story
better than a three minute video. Maybe a
short blog post will be more effective than
20 posts on Facebook.
EXAMPLE
!
This is the tape of a news broadcast covering
the King’s Island Adventure I found on A Kid
Again’s Youtube channel. The broadcast

“zooms in” and introduces us to a little girl

Start close and “zoom out”
named Brinly. This news segment illustrates an
Starting off a story “zoomed in” can be an
effective way to inform about adventures
equally effective way to tell a story and then
through storytelling.
connect those details with the bigger
picture of what is going on.

Think perspective
Stories don’t always have to be told from
the perspective of a family attending an
adventure. Maybe a story can be
compellingly told from the perspective of a
volunteer, A Kid Again employee, or even a
worker at King’s Island or the Newport
Aquarium.
!

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STORYTELLING

Different Mediums


PHOTOS
Positives to using photos to tell stories
- Viewed quickly
- Shared easily (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, email, etc.)
- Produced relatively easily and inexpensively
- Can capture ineffable emotion, and tell a story simply and beautifully
- Can be used to enhance written stories
Challenges
- The challenge of using photo to tell stories is that not just any picture snapped with an iPhone or
posed for Instagram will do the job of telling a story.
- A photo that tells a story needs to go more than skin deep.
- Make sure your photos reflect the action, emotion and excitement of what A Kid Again is trying to
accomplish.
- Here is a link to a website with some famous photos that tell stories

VIDEO
Positives to using video to tell stories
- Uses visual and auditory senses to engage audience
- Don’t need to be professional quality to be effective
- Interactive way for supporters to stay involved and perspectives to learn more
Challenges
- May be some learning involved with capturing and editing video
- Costs involved may include investing in camera equipment

WRITING
Blogs
- Blogs are addressed in an upcoming section and can be a powerful way to connect with
connected and prospective families and donors.
- Consider pairing blogs with photos and video clips.
Newsletters
- A Kid Again sends out a newsletter - this would be a great place to tell stories in writing to engage
with recipients.
- Newsletters might also include other media content or links to media content (photos and video).

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