An overview of digital storytelling platforms highlights some of their strengths, weaknesses, and organizations using these tools effectively. This report is a primer for the Digital Storytelling project spearheaded by the Rockefeller Foundation.

1. MARCH 2014
DRAFT
DIGITAL STORYTELLING
PLATFORM ASSESSMENT
1

2. EMAIL
13

3. EMAIL
The Basics. Despite feeling a bit like “old media,” email is still an essential tool for storytelling and driving
people to take action. Sending emails is an effective way to capture attention and maintain engagement,
especially among people who are not regular visitors to an organization’s website. It’s a valuable tool for
engaging people for activities such as event organizing or volunteer mobilization—and it remains the most
effective digital tool for direct fundraising. To be effective, email must be deployed alongside an effective
CMS platform that allows users to easily click-through to a landing page in response to an engaging “ask.”
!
Trends. Changes in the “culture of the inbox”—how people view and use their email platforms—are dramatically
changing the rules of email marketing. Platform enhancements like Gmail tabs and image caching are adding
new dimensions to the user experience. There is some evidence that younger cohorts prefer tailored
“inboxes” for email communications.
!
Insight. Communicators will need to monitor changes in user behavior and experiment with new features to
continue to best leverage email as a meaningful way of engaging audiences. General features and functions
are very similar among different email platforms, but choosing the best platform can be a complex decision
because there is a range of features available to meet different needs of different organizations.
14

4. PROS CONS
!
Direct. Email provides direct contact between an
organization and individuals in its community.
!
Effective at driving engagement. Excellent for
driving people to take action in response to
specific asks—when linked to an effective landing
page.
!
Targeting. Email allows for virtually unlimited
segmentation of contact lists according to user
interests, depending on the system used and data
collected.
!
!
!
!
Low open rates. The sheer volume of email people
receive, along with the tendency for people to
change email services over time, decreases open
rates.
!
!
EMAIL
15

5. SOCIAL MEDIA
16

6. SOCIAL MEDIA
Platforms evaluated: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | LinkedIn
!
The Basics. Social media platforms enable organizations to connect with people, share intimate stories, create
conversations—or, more frequently, enter ongoing conversations—and build ever-expanding communities of people who
share common interests. Social media is a dynamic, real-time medium that leverages the power of networks to
disseminate content, with the expectation that audience members will contribute content and engage in dialogue.
!
Trends. Research shows that people most frequently look to people in their social networks as sources of ideas and
information—more than they look to traditional news and advertising. The instantaneous, interactive nature of social
media is dramatically altering the way people interact with organizations. People expect to be engaged in dialogue,
rather than treated as passive recipients of messages. Authenticity, transparency and listening are increasingly important
for organizations to establish trust. Meanwhile, social media is rapidly increasing storytelling from the front lines and
giving voice to people direly affected by issues and events.
!
Insight. Social media will continue to evolve with new platforms, and audiences will migrate (such as young people
leaving Facebook for other platforms). NGOs who use social media should expect to continue to adapt their strategies.
Effectively using social media for audience engagement requires a major investment of time and energy, and
organizations need to ensure that it will advance their overall goals.
17

7. 18
TWITTER
Twitter allows for content-rich, real
time updates—and the feeling of
intimate conversation.
Photography and videos can be
shared by anyone with access to
a camera or smartphone.

8. 19
TWITTER: “QUICK, DIRTY AND REAL”
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/11/why-this-shepherd-loves-twitter/281702/

9. PROS CONS
!
Instant. Enables real-time content-sharing and
instant responses.
!
Exposure & metrics. Content can get a high volume
of exposure at low cost—which can be measured
with a broad range of in-depth metrics.
!
Efficient. Brevity allows for content to be sent
quickly and efficiently.
!
Mobile reach. High mobile user adoption allows for
greater reach in rural areas via mobile phones.
!
Reusable. Curation platforms such as Storify can re-
purpose Twitter content to create stories and
timelines.
!
Restricted length. With tweets limited to only 140
characters, messages and other content must be
extremely brief.
!
Timing. Audiences may miss real-time updates if
they are not constantly monitoring Twitter feeds. If
a storyline spans multiple tweets, the audience
might find it difficult to follow along. Hashtags and
Storify can be used to make story lines easier to
follow.
TWITTER
20

10. 21
Posts that include images are more likely to
catch viewers’ eyes as they scan through
their newsfeed.
Audiences can easily “Like” and “Share”
content on their own pages, easily expanding
the reach of content.
FACEBOOK
Tagging or linking to partner sites can
expand an organization’s visibility—as
shown in this example of Doctors
Without Borders linking to a PBS
program that features its work.
facebook.com/msf.english

11. PROS CONS
!
Chronological. Timelines make it easy to capture
chronological events and allow audiences to follow major
characters or themes within stories.
!
Emotional. Comments, images, and likes promote human
connection and more emotional engagement with content.
!
Action-oriented. The ability to embed action-oriented links
within posts allows people to respond quickly and easily,
when moved to act.
!
People-oriented. Nonprofits can link to the Facebook pages
of people featured in their stories—allowing users to connect
directly to the people, learn more and expand the reach of
the content.
!
Integrated. Linking to other sites in Facebook posts expands
opportunities for audiences to engage with more content on
other platforms.
!
Unpredictable. Users comments can be unpredictable and
inappropriate. Establishing community guidelines and
curation rules can help in monitoring responses and
maintaining the quality of the conversation.
!
Time-consuming. Responding in real time to comments and
posts requires constant monitoring and thoughtful
messages, which may require additional capacity and
resources.
!
FACEBOOK
22

12. 23
Allows for collections of topic- or
theme-based submissions so people
can search and engage with content
aligned with their interests.
Allows people to submit content,
offering a sense of empowerment,
creating a stream of crowd-sourced
material, and incentivizing people
to share the content with their
social networks.
TUMBLR
oneboston.tumblr.com

13. PROS CONS
!
Community engagement. Tumblr provides an
excellent medium to engage supporters by posting
thank you cards, letters of gratitude, and donor
recognition.
!
Topic-specific. Organizations can use Tumblr to
reach new audiences by creating Tumblr pages that
draw connections between their work and topics of
interest to Tumblr users.
!
Repurposing of content. Can be used to repurpose
content from an organization’s website by mirroring
themes in a new medium and format, which can
expose the same content to new audiences.
!
!
!
Time-consuming. Adding a Tumblr blog to a social
media landscape will require internal stakeholders
to develop additional content.
!
Young audience. The demographics of Tumblr tend
to be limited to mainly teens and young adults.
!
Training. Tumblr’s user interface requires additional
training on the technology and upload capabilities.
TUMBLR
24

14. 25
NPR’s Instagram page hosts a
variety of images and micro-
campaigns that encourage
social sharing around issues
and events. This engages
activists and broadens reach.
Instagram is a photography-
driven platform, which
sparks conversations about
images—and the people and
issues featured in the
photos.
INSTAGRAM
instagram.com/npr

15. PROS CONS
!
Vivid. Powerful images can create an emotional
connection with the audience.
!
Engaging. Organizations can engage followers by
requesting them to share images that further story
lines and support campaigns.
!
Repurposing. Images posted on other platforms
can be shared on Instagram, making it an easy tool
for repurposing content—which can be filtered and
curated by assigning a hashtag for the campaign.
!
!
Limited control. Others can easily repurpose
images without giving proper recognition to the
original author or owner.
!
Image production costs. Using Instagram as a
major platform requires an investment in
photography.
!
Mobile-friendly content. Content must be
optimized for mobile viewing, as most users access
the platform through mobile devices.
INSTAGRAM
26

16. PROS CONS
!
High-value audience. Linking networks of
professionals in a wide range of fields, the platform
offers access to an educated, affluent audience that
can be leveraged for advocacy, fundraising and
other purposes.
!
High click-through rates. LinkedIn has proven
through research to be a strong click-through
destination to social platforms, blogs and websites.
!
!
!
Subscription costs. Sales Navigator and
Networking functionalities allow for expansion of
existing networks, but these capabilities often
require paid subscriptions.
!
Time-consuming. Content must be high-value and
developed with a professional audience in mind,
tailored to promote thought leadership within a
given space. Content development often requires
additional time and capacity.
LINKEDIN
27

17. VIDEO & AUDIO
28

18. VIDEO
The Basics. Because video uses images, sound and movement, it can be the most captivating digital format for
storytelling. People are more likely to click on videos than other content. The medium allows the audience to
experience stories emotionally and connect with the people whose lives are featured, which can encourage
empathy and further motivate people to take action. “Virality” can also be achieved through highly
entertaining, interesting or moving content, expanding reach to new audiences and potentially gaining
visibility in traditional news media. Audio technology such as podcasts are also increasingly used in
storytelling.
!
Trends. Pew research suggests that 7 out of 10 online adults use video sharing sites, and YouTube has 1 billion
users.
!
Insight. The cost barriers to producing video content continue to lower, however, as more video is being
shared, it is critical that organizations develop quality videos that break through the noise and contribute to
their overall goals.
29

19. VIDEO
Trends
30
Cloud-based editing allows for
multiple editors to collaborate on a
video project.
Video content is typically available
across multiple devices.
Innovative tools, such as wevideo, make it
easier for non-profits to develop high
quality videos at a lower cost.
www.wevideo.com/

20. 31
Save the Children produced a video lasting
less than two minutes to offer a new
perspective on the devastating impact of
the Syrian conflict on the country’s children.
Depicting what would happen if the Syrian
conflict were to happen in the UK helped
audiences relate to the people in Syria and
take action to support Save the Children.
The video resulted in more than 22 million
views and coverage from the New York Times,
Washington Post and Huffington Post.
YOUTUBE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGqCFXqiLTo

21. PROS CONS
!
Enormous user base. Currently there are more than
1 billion unique visits to Youtube and 6 billion
hours of video watched each month on the
platform.
!
Branded channels. Specific “cause” and “nonprofit”
channels allow organizations to connect with target
audiences.
!
Thematic. Themes can easily be created within
channels and linked to other media channels.
!
Simple & free metrics. YouTube makes it easy to
track views, virality of content, and other metrics,
such as watch time, audience retention, and
engagement.
!
Time-consuming. Maintenance of channels and
creation of content require a high investment in
time and training.
!
Resources. The quality and consistency of video
content may vary, depending on available
resources.
!
!
YOUTUBE
32

22. 33
“The Hiro Effect” shares insights about the
art of storytelling, the organization’s internal
processes for story development and how
successful the project was for their
organization.
!
!
Vimeo’s user base is targeted at professional
storytellers—and can be used for “behind
the scenes” videos, to add emotion and an
additional layer to stories, the production/
creative process.
http://vimeo.com/71826515
VIMEO

23. PROS CONS
!
High quality. Video can be higher quality than
other options, and includes optional HD uploading
and embedding options.
!
Community. An Activism/Non-Profits category
allows NGOs to display their stories in a
professional environment—suggesting there is an
existing community to leverage.
!
Available tools. Vimeo provides users with a video
toolkit that can be used to create higher quality
videos on lower budgets.
!
Cost. Costs are associated with the services.
!
Limited virality. Videos typically do not have the
same “virality” as they do on Youtube or Vine.
!
!
VIMEO
34

24. 35
VINE
Diabetes UK teaches the “four T’s of
diabetes” symptoms by describing each
one briefly in this short video, allowing for
very quick message delivery and sharing
options for viewers.
vine.co/v/b5TIXPwmn35
Vine is a mobile app owned by Twitter that
enables its users to create and post short
looping video clips. Video clips created
with Vine have a maximum clip length of
six seconds and can be shared to Vine's
social network, or to other services such as
Twitter and Facebook.

25. PROS CONS
!
Affordable. Uploads must be less than six seconds,
making it an affordable option for users who pay
for content uploads.
!
Engaging. Engagement among users is a main
feature of the platform, and Vine provides a much
easier and more intuitive means of sharing video
than other platforms.
!
!
Limited availability. Currently only available for
iOS, Android and Microsoft Windows.
!
Time limitations. The brevity of the platform makes
it difficult to convey a storyline or a call to action.
!
VINE
36

26. 37
PODBEAN
McKinsey uses Podbean to add author
interviews and book excerpt readings
to its quarterly insights newsletter,
adding another dimension for
engagement with readers/listeners.
Podbean is a free podcast hosting
platform.
http://www.podbean.com/

27. PROS CONS
!
Engaging. Can be used to add an additional layer
to a story, increasing the ability for users to engage
with the story and the content.
!
Integrated. Integrates sound with text and visual
content. Podcasts can be synced with other
platforms, such as Pinterest, Storify, or Tumblr to
enhance the user experience and audience reach.
!
Cost. Users must buy subscriptions, at varying
prices.
!
Requirements. Requires HTML5 Podbean Player.
!
Complex interface. User interface may be difficult
for some users to navigate.
!
!
PODBEAN
38

28. CURATION
39

29. CURATION
Platforms evaluated: Flipboard | Pocket | Pinterest | Storify
!
The Basics. Sharing content and participating in conversations has become an essential part of storytelling.
Curation platforms help users collect and repurpose content created by multiple sources to create their own
narratives. This allows organizations to engage with their audiences—and use that dialogue to advance their
goals.
!
Insight. The most important element of successfully utilizing curation tools for engagement is the discipline of
listening to audience input and participating in community conversations.
!
!
!
!
!
40

30. 41
UNICEF’s Child Labor Flipboard
incorporates various media
sources, such as CNN articles,
YouTube videos, and their own
content from their blog—
allowing audiences to see a
curated snapshot of the topic.
!
Flipboard users can share or
subscribe to their page and
UNICEF can track the number of
“Readers” and “Page Flips” for
their content.
FLIPBOARD
Flipboard is a social networking
application that allows users to
aggregate and curate content
from various online sources into
digital magazines.
https://'lipboard.com/section/child-­‐labor-­‐bv4xt5

31. PROS CONS
!
Intuitive. An intuitive user interface makes the
platform easy to learn.
!
Categorizable. Allows users to create chapters and
virtual storybooks about specific topics.
!
Customizable. Customizable drag and drop
features allow users to mix and match stories with
images.
!
Growing user base. Currently more than 100
million users.
!
FLIPBOARD
42
!
Research required. The platform is currently
available as an App through Apple, Google Play,
Windows Store, Blackberry World, Amazon App
Store and Nook. Adding more than one app may
be labor intensive.
!
Steep learning curve. Although the platform has
excellent tutorials and a resource section, training
can be time-intensive.
!
!

32. 43
POCKET
!
Pocket is an application that allows
users to aggregate and save
content from various online sources
to access at any time from a
computer, mobile phone or iPad.
!
!
Internal stakeholders can use
Pocket to aggregate content for
Flipboards, Storify, and Glossi.
!
!
!
!
Users can share, save, or like
comments from any mobile device,
iPad or web platform.
!
!
!
!
!
getpocket.com

33. PROS CONS
!
Aggregation. Great for aggregating articles on a
specific topic.
!
Content management. Can assist in organizing
specific content based on themes or storylines.
!
May not be useful for storytelling. More conducive
to workflow management than storytelling, and
currently does not have many nonprofits exploring
the platform.
POCKET
44

34. 45
Pinterest is a photo and video
social networking platform that
allows users to create and share
“pinboards” that can focus on
topics related interests, hobbies,
causes, or events.
!
!
Charity Water has developed a
board on Pinterest where they
pin a new photo every day with
a statistic or fact relating to their
cause.
!
By developing an ongoing
storyline, Charity Water is able
to keep their audiences
engaged daily with new content
related to their mission, one
image at a time.
PINTEREST
http://www.pinterest.com/charitywater/photo-­‐of-­‐the-­‐day/

35. PROS CONS
!
Reach. A channel to share videos and other content
with broad audiences.
!
Community. Many Pinterest boards already exist for
nonprofit storytelling, which indicates a community
of interest already exists for stories about
international development.
!
Users champion nonprofits. Many nonprofits do
not have an official presence on Pinterest, but
“Pinners” are sharing content related to a variety of
nonprofit brands.
!
!
Lack of control. An organization has little control
over content. Brands that publish on Pinterest need
to be flexible and understand that others can easily
“repin” or republish their work.
PINTEREST
46

36. 47
The content on Storify allows for each tweet,
image, or video to become it’s own shareable
piece of content—and users have the option to
re-share just one tweet or the entire curated
storyline, based on their own preferences.
Storify is a social media aggregation platform
that allows users to curate content from various
social platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and
Instagram to develop timelines and stories
based on that content.
!
WaterAid is able to repurpose their real-time
Twitter content to develop a storyline that can
be shared across social media platforms.
STORIFY
http://storify.com/wateraid/everyoneeverywhere-­‐supporting-­‐world-­‐water-­‐day-­‐201

37. PROS CONS
!
Twitter-friendly. Ideal for aggregating Twitter chats
and reposting content.
!
Aggregation. Storify is a great way to aggregate
similar content from many social media platforms
to create a cohesive narrative.
!
Sharable. Enhances the shareability of your
content.
!
Static. Allows users to repurpose posts and
highlight real-time content in a static form.
!
Control. The platform allows users to recreate
events in chronological order without noise.
!
Time-consuming. Storify requires internal
stakeholders to aggregate content and develop
story lines using content from multiple sources,
which can require a significant time investment.
!
STORIFY
48

38. EXPERIMENTAL
49

39. EXPERIMENTAL
Platforms evaluated: Medium | Glossi | Tactilize | Cowbird
!
The Basics. Many nonprofits wait until an innovative digital platform is adapted by a broad user base before investing
time and resources into building their own presence on it. However, early adopters of “bleeding edge” technology can
establish themselves as thought leaders on the platform and build a loyal fan base early on its growth—before
competition for attention becomes more intense. Some early adopters find their feedback can inform and guide the
direction of the technology as it develops, so that it better meet their needs.
!
Insight. The platforms examined here have potential to build substantial audiences over time, but trying to predict the
future of technology is notoriously problematic. Organizations interested in experimental platforms must explore them
carefully and set specific, measurable goals before contributing major resources.
!
!
!
!
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50

40. 51
MEDIUM
Medium is a social networking
and blogging site that focuses
on collaboration and creativity
through writing and
storytelling.
!
Medium allows stories to be
found easily through its
“collections”search capability.
Photos and narrative content
encourage readers to engage with
a story—and Medium provides
opportunities to link to other
Medium articles, GiftCatalog,
Twitter, Facebook and CMS pages,
which can spread the content more
broadly.
https://medium.com/non-­‐pro'it-­‐picks/9b07ccbe2d5f

41. PROS CONS
!
Rewards creativity. Organic content algorithms
reward creative content, not social status.
!
Thought leadership opportunity. Thought
leadership status can be gained through the
creation of intelligent, well articulated stories.
!
Flexible. User interface is automatically formatted
for the medium in which it is being viewed.
!
Small user base. Very few nonprofits are currently
engaging on the platform—and best practices are
still being developed.
!
!
MEDIUM
52

42. 53
GLOSSI
Glossi’s “Flipbook”-style presentation
allows Charmed for Charity to
highlight their designer’s stories,
missions and events within a single
piece of digital content.
!
Content can be easily shared
through Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr,
Google Plus and Pinterest to expand
reach.
!
“See How It’s Made” button gives
the audience insight into the
creation of the Glossi Board,
allowing them to connect with the
creative design process.
http://glossi.com/Blueprint4Style/29808-­‐charmed-­‐by-­‐charity?q=charity#

43. PROS CONS
!
Visually engaging. Platform includes the ability to
create digital magazines that integrate video and
images with an intuitive drag and drop template.
!
!
Beta. Technology is still in beta and is invitation-
only.
!
!
GLOSSI
54

44. 55
TACTILIZE
The platform does not require any
additional technical design skills,
and provides easy to use templates
tailored to specific objectives and
audiences, which saves time on
content creation.
!
Automatically formats content to
be viewed and shared on iPads
and any web browser.
!
To expand reach, content can be
shared through various social
media platforms, such as Twitter,
Facebook and Instagram.
!
https://www.facebook.com/Tactilize/photos/pb.221464081243729.-­‐2207520000.1395435741./509807842409350/?type=3&theater

45. PROS CONS
!
iPad oriented. Focuses on content development for
brands that want to market and engage through
iPad visualizations.
!
Beta. Platform still in beta phase with existing
company comprised of only 10 employees and a
small online presence.
!
!
TACTILIZE
56

46. 57
COWBIRD Cowbird is a networking and
publishing platform for storytelling
that focuses on organic content and
collaboration, while providing a
broad range of tools for content
development to its users.
!
Zero Creates Possibilities uses
Cowbird to tell the story about the
author’s village and the history
behind her non-profit efforts.
!
The author’s voice is genuine and
allows other authors to view, share,
and comment.
!
The author of this post uses imagery
to captivate her audience and to
promote her stories on Cowbird.
Further, her images can be shared
through Facebook and Twitter by
other Cowbird authors.
http://cowbird.com/story/68453/Zero_Creates_Possibilities/

47. PROS CONS
!
Topic-specific. Topics can help spark ideas for new
content and identify new market segments that
may have as yet be unexplored.
!
Accessible resources. Free tools are available to
help develop stories and build out digital audio
and imagery.
!
Community-building opportunity. The platform can
assist in connecting with like-minded individuals
and spark creative stories that can be dispersed
through other social channels that are more
established.
!
Niche audience. Appeals to a very niche
community and target audience.
!
Skeptical of promotional content. Cowbird prides
itself in being “completely supported by our
citizens”—which means no corporate sponsorships
or ads. Participants should be wary of this and
ensure that content is genuine and sincere.
!
COWBIRD
58