Digital storytelling for engagement in COVID-19 era
Key points by Ioanna Georgia Eskiadi
In this webinar, we discussed different and multiple ways of digital storytelling to achieve strong engagement in the COVID-19 era. The global pandemic has severely impacted digital communication. Stories from brands, media organizations and businesses are important and impactful as they have the power to inspire and connect. There are a lot of ways to achieve impactful engagement and connection with your audience through different strategies and tools. Storytelling is timeless, since there’s a need for us to share where we go through, what we share or the ideals/values we promote are important for us. The internet gives us the liberty to be better ambassadors of ourselves and speakers. Blogging is an effective way for personal branding to promote our own products. COVID-19 gave us the freedom of change. We always have to see further and focus on a few things that will give us clarity and help us to see the variety of our own expert field. Crisis poses us a question, choosing the right channels is not difficult anymore, it’s important to know where you are, and what you do is relevant to you- this is important for your resilience. In the COVID-19 era, unique is the new normal and it attracts relevant crowds through good marketing and advertising.
Podcasts are another method of impactful storytelling. Greece is a country new to the use and consumption of podcasts, and it is more attracted to fast news, speeds and headlines. Podcast commutes in our times; it’s about convenience and is a medium that grows fast, so there’s the ability for everyone to find what he wants like daily news, literature, etc. When someone starts a podcast, it’s important to create an audience, to have a narrative on the way describe a fact, the different voices, the sound clips, and the music. Podcasts are democratic since everyone can start one; it’s important to try to understand the market and see what they are offering since it’s an overcrowded sector.
Data storytelling is another innovative way of transmitting information. In today’s data-driven world it’s important to communicate through data and visualizations. The COVID-19 crisis increased the number of data and visualizations that we are exposed to daily — everyone is trying to understand many charts. Data storytelling is data and communication, a communication going though to people by trying to understand what you have to tell to them and making information from your data. The recipe for a successful data storytelling includes three elements:
- Data that are everywhere and we can extract and make them accessible to everyone.
- Telling interesting stories that make excellent entertainment and thinking about what people want to feel by applying the empathy that is needed and provide the context.
- Make people feel part of the story and feel the excitement, fear, or interest.
Key Points
● Power of visualization.
● Good and interesting stories that last in people’s minds.
● Increasing connectivity within a global world.
● Provide the context and the meaning to help a person understand in a simple way.
● Podcasts: think about the questions you ask.
● Podcasts are democratic and available for everyone.
● People on podcasts are engaged for a long time and at a high rate without pop up advertisements.
● Life is a story(telling).
● Choose the right channels to communicate your messages.
● Be confident, show what you do, and improve your marketing.
Speakers:
Photini Vrikki is Research Lead at MediaWhat that works with marginalized communities such as refugees and helping them engage and tell their stories in their own way from Cyprus.
Daphne Karnezis is the Founder and Director at The Greek Podcast Project. She also writes and reports in Greece about the crisis and the new creative generation from Greece.
Liisi Toom is High-Performance Coach for leaders, brands, and athletes, and a Leadership Communication Strategist from Estonia.
This event is co-organized by the Digital Communication Network SouthEast Europe Hub (DCN SEE) and World Learning and is part of DCNSEE’s Ideas in Action — Digital Engagement, a series of virtual events launched in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. The series aims to engage digital communities globally, to promote accurate information, combat distortions, encourage responsible behavior, and discourage panic, support mitigation of a global pandemic, and avoid major societal disruptions. DCNSEE is supported by the U.S. Department of State Office of Citizen Exchanges.
DCN SOUTHEAST EUROPE HUB is a consortium of Aristotle University, Digital Communication Network, non-profits, public and private organizations and companies involved in the fields of digital communication, social impact campaigns, technology, and innovation. It is a unique, interdisciplinary coalition tapping into the best talent and resources across Europe.
The webinar is produced by Digital Communication Network, a diverse professional coalition in the digital space.
