Back when oral tradition was the only method of storytelling was the only way to tell a story, some people were better at doing so. They could roleplay different voices, use punctuation to build suspense, and generally captivate the audience with non-verbal communication.
Then, writing equalized the field, and while the immersion and the imagination depended on the reader, not all people wrote equally as immersive. Some people were so good at describing things that one could feel the smell of the room, faint at the sight of something scary, or feel real hatred/love for the character in the story.
As you can see, the first group mainly used their voice and non-verbal communication, while the other party had to focus on words alone. They each used the tools that medium in question allowed in order to tell a story.
Today, however, we live in a digital world where digital mediums are different. Today, you have videos, interactive videos, VR, AR, livestreaming, and much, much more.
Good storytelling can make some pretty compelling arguments, so with that in mind and without further ado, here are a few ways that (good) digital storytelling can drive positive social change.
1. Making more compelling arguments
Through the art of digital storytelling, you have so many ways to send a stronger message. You can just make it much more visceral and increase the immersion. Let’s say that you’re collecting donations. By showing the actual footage of poor regions, areas devastated by natural disasters, and terrors of war, you can create a much stronger call to action.
This way, you can humanize the struggle of a nonprofit and show that it’s not just a random cause. It’s actually something that people deeply care about and something that is worth fighting for and dedicating your life to.
Remember that while most of these causes are complex, sending a simple and effective message isn’t supposed to be that hard. You just have to make it relatable.
For this, you need to figure out who your audience is and pack the message into a format they’re likely to watch and focus on.
The key thing is that you know who your audience is (this will help you pick a format). After all, you don’t want to make TikToks for boomers or long Facebook videos for Gen Z-ers. You also need to figure out your CTA so that you can build up to it. Do you want them to donate, subscribe, or just go to your page in order to read more?
2. Amplifying voices
Some people speak with a voice that can move mountains, while others, even when they speak an absolute truth, their message falls on deaf ears.
Digital storytelling is a lot different, seeing as how it’s much easier to digest. It’s more immersive, and since people are also used to consuming a ton of digital content on a regular basis, they’re not particularly critical or defensive when it comes to the message they’re receiving.
It’s a lot easier to make people listen; it’s a lot easier to make people care.
This is like giving someone who’s already beautiful the right make-up and fit and teaching them how to use Photoshop. You’re just amplifying what’s already there and allowing them to increase their appeal further.
Given the fact that you’re using all this content creation and editing for good, the results are going to be more than impressive.
3. Building a community
It takes so much to create a community. We’re not just talking about a single instance of brilliant writing or editing.
Just think about the way the TV show or video game community is made.
Sure, you have great content as a starting point, but it’s still not what the community is made of.
You need your initial content to start a discussion and, by proxy, a ton of UGC (user-generated content). As soon as people start asking questions, analyzing characters, making memes, etc., you have yourself a community.
Still, this is not something that will just appear spontaneously, even if your goal is worthy. What you need is a great piece of initial content. It doesn’t even have to be high-end in terms of production. It just needs to be thought-provoking.
When the community is established and alive, all you have to do is analyze market sentiment and do some light moderation. That’s it; your narrative is now self-sustainable.
4. Increasing awareness
Just think about the amount of information you receive via social media on a regular basis. How many pieces of trivia, fun facts, and more did you learn from YouTube shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikToks?
This also means that you need to learn how to make content in these formats adequately. You need to adjust to the length and narrative norms of each of these content formats.
The thing is that there are a lot of worthy causes out there, but people are often completely unaware of them. Sometimes, it doesn’t take persuasion or immersiveness to make people spring into action. Sometimes, all you have to do is tell them.
For instance, while a lot of salespeople try extra hard to convince a person that they need a product, there are those moments where people just hear of the product and feel like they need to have it.
It’s one of those rare instances where the only reason why they don’t act is because they don’t know that acting is even an option. Through digital content, you can increase awareness of the issue.
Moreover, a lot of people recognize a problem, but they don’t know that much about it. Through content, you can educate them and make them understand what all of this is really about.
Wrap up
In the end, the change in a medium makes new tools and narrative methods available. Theater was much different than radio, and radio storytelling had to evolve when TV became mainstream. Overall, digital medium is a broad spectrum and, as an online entity, especially someone trying to make a change in the world, you need to learn how to adequately adapt to it. This way, you’ll be able to send messages that are far more powerful and impactful. This way, you’ll actually be able to make a change.
