Measuring the impact of storytelling in your purpose-driven organisation

Storytelling is a powerful tool for purpose-driven organisations such as charities, CICs, NFPs and public sector organisations. It helps communicate your mission, engage your audience, and inspire action.

But how do you measure the impact of your storytelling efforts? It can be difficult, especially when the goal is raising awareness, sharing information or education. Understanding the effectiveness of your stories is important for measuring success, refining your approach and maximising your impact. Here’s a guide to help you measure the impact of storytelling in your organisation.

How do you measure the impact of your storytelling efforts?

Why measure storytelling impact?

• Measuring the impact of storytelling allows you to:

• Understand audience engagement - determine how well your stories resonate with your audience by interpreting how they engage with you.

• Refine your strategy - identify what works and what doesn’t, allowing you to improve your storytelling approach.

• Demonstrate value - show stakeholders, donors, and partners the tangible benefits of your storytelling efforts.

• Drive mission success - ensure your stories are effectively supporting your mission and goals.

What are the key metrics to measure?

1. Engagement metrics

Engagement metrics help you understand how your audience interacts with your stories. Key metrics include:

• Views and impressions - track the number of times your stories are viewed or displayed. This gives you an idea of your reach.

• Likes, shares, and comments - measure the level of interaction with your stories on social media and other platforms. High engagement indicates that your stories resonate with your audience.

• Time spent on page - for written content, track how long readers spend on your page. Longer time spent indicates that readers are engaged with your content.

• Viewer drop-off rates - for videos, track how long viewers watch and identify specific content that’s turning people off

 

2. Conversion metrics

Conversion metrics help you understand how your stories drive specific actions. Key metrics include:

• Donations - track the number and amount of donations received after sharing a story. This helps you see the direct financial impact of your storytelling.

• Volunteer sign-ups - measure the number of new volunteers who sign up after engaging with your stories.

• Event registrations - track registrations for events promoted through your stories.

• Downloads - track the number of people who download a guide or info sheet

• Surveys - measure the number of people who take part in a survey or poll

3. Sentiment analysis

Sentiment analysis helps you understand the emotional impact of your stories. Key methods include:

• Feedback forms - collect feedback from your audience about how your stories made them feel and what actions they inspired.

• Social media sentiment - use tools to analyse the sentiment of comments and mentions related to your stories on social media. Positive sentiment indicates that your stories are well-received.

4. Media coverage

Track the amount and quality of media coverage your stories generate. This includes mentions in news articles, blogs, and other media outlets. Positive media coverage can amplify your reach and impact.

5. Internal metrics

Internal metrics help you understand the impact of storytelling within your organisation. Key metrics include:

• Staff and volunteer engagement - measure how your stories affect the morale and engagement of your team. Engaged staff and volunteers are more likely to be passionate advocates for your cause and will be more enthusiastic about sharing organisational content on their own social platforms and taking part in events and fundraisers.

• Training and development - track the effectiveness of storytelling in training materials and internal communications by asking for feedback.

Tools for measuring impact

Several tools can help you measure the impact of your storytelling efforts:

• Google analytics: track website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates.

• Social media analytics: use built-in analytics tools on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to measure engagement and sentiment.

• Survey tools: use tools like SurveyMonkey, Typeform or Google Forms to collect feedback from your audience.

• Media monitoring tools: use tools like Mention or Google Alerts to track media coverage and sentiment.

Case study: measuring storytelling impact

Here’s a case study to show how a parenting charity measured the impact of storytelling during a public health campaign about breastfeeding.

Story:

A set of videos featuring parents and healthcare experts sharing stories about personal experiences and benefits of breastfeeding. The films were shared in a parenting app, on YouTube and cut-downs on social media.

Metrics tracked:

1. Engagement metrics:

   • Views: The videos received half a million views on YouTube in the first few months.

   • Comments: Positive comments from parents highlighted the emotional and practical impact of the parent stories (“I’m not the only one”) and the how-to videos (“I now know how to feed my baby correctly”). A teaching midwife asked if she could share the videos with her midwifery students.

2. Conversion metrics:

   • App sign-ups: sharing the videos on YouTube led to a 10% increase in app sign-ups over three months.

   • Reach: the audience reach objectives set by the funder were exceeded, resulting in commitment to further finding.

3. Sentiment analysis:

   • Surveys: In-app feedback from parents indicated that 70% of respondents felt more confident about breastfeeding after watching the videos.

4. Internal metrics:

   • Staff engagement: the Engagement and Impact teams used the films to highlight storytelling best practice during presentations and conferences.

Conclusion

Measuring the impact of storytelling in your purpose-driven organisation is essential for understanding and maximising its effectiveness. By tracking key metrics such as engagement, conversions, sentiment, media coverage, and internal impact, you can gain valuable insights into how your stories resonate with your audience and drive your mission forward.

Remember, the goal of storytelling is not just to share information but to create a meaningful connection with your audience. By measuring the impact of your stories, you can ensure that your narratives are not only heard but also felt, inspiring action and change in support of your cause.