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NATALIE: Article writing and photography are communication classics
that will never go out of style. However, if you're looking for an easy way
to add multimedia elements and quotes from participants,
you should definitely check out Storify. This tool allows you to bring together media
from across the web into one comprehensive story. Here's an example.
When North Georgia United Methodists and Rethink Church teamed up
to feed hungry kids and break the world record for most sandwiches made in an hour,
the United Methodist News Service told the story with Storify.
You'll notice this includes first-hand, on-the-scene quotes from social media networks
like Twitter and YouTube. Looks great, it's easy to read and the best part,
it's pretty simple to use. We'll show you how in five quick steps!
1. Write a dynamic headline
Once you've created your account, it's time to get down to business.
Type your story's headline right here. The same headline rules apply for Storify
as newsletter articles. Be compelling and concise.
2. Search and conquer
Here's the fun part! You can see what others have said or shared on social media
about your event or topic. Storify allows you to explore multiple networks
including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Instagram.
Search keywords or a specific hashtag.
3. Drag and drop
When you find what you want to add, just click to select it,
then drag and drop it where you want it to go in your story.
Don't worry if you change your mind about placement. Simply drag again to rearrange.
4. Connect the dots
Now it's time to connect each element with creative bits of text to really tell the story.
Check out the example from UNMS.
You can see where they added copy to tie everything together.
5. Spread the word
Storify has a feature that notifies each person you've attributed in your story.
So, for example, when UMNS added this tweet from the North Georgia Conference,
North Georgia received a notification via Twitter
that they were quoted in this Storify. It also included a link to this page.
This feature is a great way to spread the word about your story.
Also, make sure you share your story across your own networks
and embed it on your church website. That's it.
For more church communication tips, go to www.youtube.com/mycomtips.
And if you have an idea for a future tips video, drop us an email at presscenter@umcom.org.