8 Words to Replace "Storytelling"

In nonprofit communications, “storytelling” has become a catch-all term for almost everything. Need a donor appeal? Storytelling. A social media campaign? Storytelling. An educational explainer? Storytelling.

The danger is that once everything becomes “storytelling,” we start to forget the long-established strategies and best practices of the disciplines we're actually using, like marketing, advertising, sales, and fundraising.

So the next time you reach for the word “storytelling,” stop and consider whether one of these 8 terms is a better fit for what you’re trying to describe:

1. CONTENT MARKETING

“We need storytelling content for social media.”

Maybe. Or maybe you need content marketing.

Not every engaging video is fundamentally a “story.” Sometimes its job is simply to hold attention, build familiarity, and keep audiences connected to your organization over time.

Content marketing is designed to do exactly that. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel.

2. BRAND POSITIONING

“We need to tell our organization’s story.”

That’s what branding is.

More specifically, it’s brand positioning: shaping how audiences perceive your organization, what you stand for, and why you matter.

Storytelling can support that goal, but it’s only one tactic inside a much larger strategic framework.

3. EMOTIONAL APPEAL

“We’re going to need some really powerful storytelling for this fundraising email.”

Many nonprofits use “storytelling” as shorthand for “emotionally moving content.” But emotional appeal is already a well-defined communication strategy with decades of research and practice behind it.

Consider whether you really need a story, or if you just need something with emotional appeal.

4. DIRECT RESPONSE FUNDRAISING

“We need a story that makes viewers feel emotionally connected and give right away.”

Let me introduce you to direct response fundraising, a data-driven strategy designed to solicit an immediate action or donation from donors.

This type of communication has its own psychology, structure, and best practices because its purpose is persuasion and action, not just emotional resonance. 

5. TESTIMONIALS

“Let’s have our members tell their own story!”

Excellent idea. That’s called a testimonial.

This format has been used in advertising, fundraising, and sales for a very long time, which means there’s already a huge body of knowledge on how to use it effectively.

6. COPYWRITING

“We need a story that grabs attention and makes people care.” 

The word “copywriting” scares a lot of nonprofit communicators, because it comes from advertising and sales which is probably evil.

But at the end of the day, copywriting is written text designed to persuade a reader. Maybe it wouldn’t be terrible to slip it into our vocabulary and pick up a few tips from the experts.

7. ENGAGEMENT CONTENT

“We should post some storytelling content to our social channels to help our performance.”

Storytelling is certainly one way to generate engagement, but it’s not the only way, and it might not be the best solution for your specific needs.

What you should be talking about is engagement content, which has a huge body of knowledge around what encourages participation, interaction, and community response. 

8. JOURNALISM

“We want to tell authentic human stories from the field.”

Don’t be afraid to call it journalism.

It doesn’t need to be published in a major news outlet. If you’re interviewing subjects, finding narrative structure, verifying facts, building scenes, and communicating reality – that sounds like journalism to me.