Take a walk with me. you step foot into your rec center and see a new sign about swim lessons starting soon. You think, “In the past I’ve usually seen something like swim lessons start September 1 with a $49 registration fee. But this time it’s different.” There’s a picture of a sweet girl named Mia and her friend smiling from ear to ear, standing in front of the pool with a lifeguard laughing nearby. This is community rec storytelling.
What really stands out is the quote from Mia that says, “I used to be scared of the water, but since starting swim lessons with my friend Sophia, I’m not scared anymore! Please come see how much fun swim lessons are!” This cute story is then followed by a catchy call to action that says, “Come make a splash with us by asking about swim lessons at the front desk now!”
Why is Mia’s story so much more powerful than the logistics info? Don’t people need to know the specifics of cost and start date? Absolutely, but as humans, we’re hardwired to connect with stories, not with information. We’re asking members to make a personal connection with a staff member. The beauty of storytelling is it doesn’t just involve more people — it connects them more deeply to us, providing an opportunity for us to have an even greater impact on their lives. So how do we do it well? Let’s look at five aspects:
Identifying Your Best Stories
The first step is understanding what you’re looking for. Remember, transformation and quality of life is never one size fits all. As a matter of fact, it’s usually quite different for most of your members. These stories can come from a family that’s been able to connect more through playing pickleball, a senior member who’s able to tie their shoes again and play with their grandkids at the park, or a teen that doesn’t like outdoor activity but connected with some friends and really enjoyed your summer camp.
Your staff interacts with these people every single day. Be mission minded, and make sure they’re on the lookout for when we can make these stories come to life. A best practice here is to keep a story bank so you can be strategic with when you use these stories in your messaging throughout the year.
The Creation of Compelling Community Rec Storytelling
Once you find a member who’s happy to give you a testimonial story, it’s now your job to help them tell it well. “I love my Zumba class” isn’t going to connect with people. However, “I’ve made some of my best friends here and am now able to kick the soccer ball around with my kids on the weekends because of my Zumba class” is powerful and will connect with parents of young kids, those struggling to stay active and outdoors, and anyone seeking social interaction.
In your messaging, the member is the hero of the story, not your center. Make the point of interest the transformation, not the program. Finally, always end with an invitation. Many member stories are inspirational and leave prospects with warm fuzzy feelings but don’t give them anything to do with the story. Having a clear call to action — or specific person to talk with — is how you’ll make the most of your testimonials.
Turning Stories Into Marketing Content
Now one of the hardest parts of truly maximizing your story bank is figuring out how to get it in front of your members and prospects. A simple flyer and email blast is no longer enough. We need to meet people where they are and find ways to connect with them there.
Drip campaigns. Email isn’t dead no matter how many unread spam messages you currently have in your inbox. It’s still one of the most used forms of communication today. Telling your story here is great but having a clear call to action is key. Have a “request info now” button on your messages to ensure if the message resonates, you give them somewhere to go with it.
Social media: “A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is worth a thousand pictures.”Get your members on camera. Even if they aren’t your local news anchor, the more real the content is, the more your members and prospects will relate.
Believe it or not, those who are shyer and aren’t used to being in front of a camera are the ones that connect the most with the majority of your audience. Why? Because most of your audience aren’t used to being on camera. Relatability goes a long way in this content, and overproduction won’t give you a return either. Keep it simple by creating an outlined script for them that they can use to tell their story in the way you know it will connect. Leave the rest to the algorithm.
Building a Culture of Storytelling
Now how do you turn these best practices into culture? First, it’s extremely important to have standard procedures on asking these questions. Having intake forms and program reviews are great ways to gather responses here by asking questions like “What make you decide to join this program?” and “How do you feel that this program has helped your life?”
The second aspect of storytelling is simple: make it a part of program manager job descriptions and give opportunities in staff meetings to share impact moments. Over time, your staff will learn to love hearing these stories and get better at understanding how to craft compelling content for your community. Remember, almost everyone in our industry is here because they want to help people. Through storytelling, we can help them see the impact they have every single day.
Stories as Legacy
Storytelling is such a powerful results tool to help grow your program, but let’s take it one step further — you aren’t just getting people to join your soccer team. You’re becoming your community’s historian.
You’re creating stories and impact moments that are going to be around longer than any of us are. Stories of change, impact and joy aren’t ever not going to resonate with human beings. Let’s find ways to make an impact through a story today, and remember each story you tell is a life that was changed for the better.
