Marketing Is Personal: Building Connection Through Storytelling
Today, while many systems and processes have evolved, the ability of some members to build and market meaningful connections has declined. A recent Samba Recovery article highlights, “The average human attention span is only 8.25 seconds, which is less than the goldfish’s 9-second attention span.” Compounding this, a global pandemic disrupted how individuals experienced a core principle of many of our organizations: brother/sister/siblinghood. This double challenge has left a gap in how we connect and share our stories.
This is why headquarters (HQ) and campus professionals must identify true indicators that bridge this gap and empower members to make storytelling personal and impactful. Crafting narratives that resonate deeply with prospective members’ values, aspirations, and lived experiences is essential to truly engage prospective members.
Below are two storytelling frameworks to help your members and community illustrate the rich history of their organizations, bring present-day contributions to life, and envision a shared future:
1. The HERO Framework
In the absence of a compelling story, a story will be written for you, and you probably won’t be the hero. This framework positions your organization’s members as the heroes of their stories, emphasizing personal growth and collective impact. It includes the following steps:
Honor the past: Share historical milestones, founding principles, and your organization’s legacy. Highlight moments that define your community’s unique identity.
Engage the present: Showcase the active contributions of current members. Highlight service projects, leadership achievements, and ways your organization positively influences campus and community life.
Reflect on challenges: Be authentic about the struggles your organization has faced. This demonstrates resilience and relatability, making your narrative more compelling.
Open the future: Inspire prospective members by sharing the possibilities of what they can achieve as part of your community. Paint a picture of how they can contribute to and benefit from the shared journey.
2. The HERO in Practice
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Storytelling Workshops: Each 1, Reach 1!
Campus Professionals: Collaborate with your campus Communication Department, Debate Team, or local Toastmasters Club. These agencies can help members refine their speaking skills.
HQ Staff: Use alumni members with marketing and communication backgrounds to host virtual training sessions or participate in state, regional, and national conventions.
Resource
Bring Life to A Dull Recruitment
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Storybank Creation Station: Work Smarter, Not Harder!
Campus Professionals: Have your council marketing/social media chairs develop a creation station in Google Docs to share council experiences and create a database to tell and share the larger community story. Encourage them to interview agencies they partner with for community service and identify 3-5 students to talk about the impact of leadership training.
HQ Staff: To ensure equitable marketing access, create universal marketing and recruitment tools that all active members can use. For example, universal undergraduate recruitment videos and infographics help chapters stay on brand and support those with smaller numbers or limited graphic design resources.
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Communicating Values: It’s More Than Just a Principle!
When many members are asked about their organization’s values or benefits, they often get stuck on basics like sister/brother/siblinghood, networking, scholarship, and service. Help them dive deeper by using the communication value formula:
Feature + Benefits + Personal Experience = Engaged Audience
Feature: The Principle/Focus Area, e.g., Siblinghood
Benefits: Belonging, having someone to do things with, safety
Personal Experience: “I live far from home and don’t get to go back often. Last year, I didn’t go home for spring break and was afraid I’d be alone, but there were 6 or 7 other members in the same situation, and we spent the week together doing… I wouldn’t have had that if I hadn’t joined my organization.”
Resources
Light the Phire with Curiosity
Having Honest Conversations Is Hard
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Inclusive Engagement & Perspectives: Don’t just find the shiny toy in the room!
Campus Professionals: Teach members how to build relationships beyond their traditional circles. Encourage attendance at intersectional programming outside their norm. Growth comes from knowing and engaging with diverse communities.
HQ Staff: Examine whether organizational practices unintentionally create barriers to membership. Address these challenges with actionable solutions.
Both:
Diversity means more than just race!
Resource
Five Focus Areas for Inclusive & Equitable Joining Process
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Personal Feedback: What Did THEY Say?
Campus Professionals: Create a digital survey for prospective members to share their interests and goals before the formal membership process. After council 101 sessions or informal recruitment activities, distribute a community interest survey to help chapters align their marketing efforts.
HQ Staff: Design branded surveys for chapters to identify the needs and interests of non-affiliated students. Survey new members’ experiences one-year post-membership. When chapters share the new member’s journey, visual and written responses add a personal touch.
Resources
i Value Currently accessible through Panhellenic recruitment process. We’re working on future adaptations of iValu for other councils. Our goal is to make this experience accessible to all recruitment types!
3-2-1, Your CBFO Guide to Engagement
Conclusion
Making marketing personal to non-affiliated members requires understanding their motivations, concerns, and values. Headquarters (HQ) staff and campus professionals are pivotal in helping fraternities and sororities achieve this goal. The key is to “humanize the organization” by focusing on authenticity, vulnerability, and relatability.
Personal stories should feel heartfelt and reflect the unique bonds members share. By capitalizing on their expertise and the HERO tactics outlined above, HQ staff and campus professionals can guide chapters in building connections through storytelling that is not only personal but impactful and resonant with the broader non-affiliated community.
Additional Resources
Retention Isn’t About Big Events Either
Retention Isn’t Something You Start After People Disconnect
Written by Tenea McGhee, Director of Growth (CBFO Specialist)