25 Key Things Every Organization Should Consider Before Starting Storytelling
Is your conservation organization thinking about using storytelling to communicate the importance of your work in Canada? Before you even get to the stage of commissioning a documentary, there are key considerations that you and your team need to consider and agree on. When your organization is aligned on these key points (see below) it will ensure a smooth path forward.
Here’s a 25-point list of things your organization should think about when having meetings and discussions about potentially doing storytelling. These steps will walk you through planning and strategy sessions. And when you’ve got these questions answered, you’ll be in a great position to start engaging a conservation filmmaker who can help you fine tune your storytelling:
You can also download our strategy worksheet here
Storytelling Strategy & Purpose
Why storytelling? – Clarify the goals: awareness, engagement, funding, policy change, etc.
Who is the audience? – Identify the primary and secondary audiences for your stories.
What change do you want to inspire? – Define the desired impact or call to action.
What makes your organization unique? – Establish what sets your stories apart.
What values should every story reflect? – Align stories with organizational mission and values.
Story Identification & Development
What types of stories should we tell? – Personal stories, project stories, historical, impact-driven, etc.
Who are the storytellers? – Staff, volunteers, clients, community members?
How do we find good stories? – Build a system to identify and vet story leads internally.
What criteria define a “great story”? – Emotional resonance, conflict, transformation, authenticity.
Are there any sensitive or ethical concerns? – Discuss permissions, trauma-informed approaches, and representation.
Formats & Mediums
What formats make sense? – Video, photo essays, written narratives, podcasts, etc.
Do we have the right skills and equipment? – Assess internal or external capacity for production.
What tone and style will stories have? – Informal, poetic, journalistic, documentary, etc.
How long should our stories be? – Short-form vs. long-form, and what platform they’re for.
Do we have accessible formats? – Consider captioning, transcripts, translations, etc.
Workflow & Collaboration
Who leads the storytelling process? – Assign a team or point person.
How do we manage approvals and reviews? – Define internal workflow for sign-off and feedback.
How will we involve those whose stories we tell? – Ensure collaboration and shared ownership.
What’s our content calendar or rollout strategy? – Tie storytelling to campaigns or seasons.
How do we archive and repurpose content? – Plan for long-term use and content management.
Distribution & Impact
Where will stories be shared? – Social media, newsletters, funder reports, events, etc.
How will we measure success? – Set up metrics for reach, engagement, sentiment, or conversions.
How do we get feedback from our audience? – Encourage interaction and reflection.
How will we handle criticism or backlash? – Plan for reputation and narrative management.
Are we learning and evolving? – Regularly assess and adapt storytelling practices.
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- 25 Key Things Every Organization Should Consider Before Starting Storytelling - April 29, 2025
