#YouImpact Training: Digital Marketing and Inspiring Stories
Nowadays, social media is the main means of communication and information exchange between people, businesses, and organizations. For organizations in the civil society sector, these platforms are of particular importance as they provide an opportunity to reach a wider audience and combat the streams of misinformation that flood the NGO sector in Bulgaria and beyond.
The Impactful Storytelling and Digital Marketing Against Disinformation (#YouImpact) project aims to strengthen the capacity of Bulgarian civic society organizations to promote democratic citizenship as a core European value by equipping them with the skills to use innovative digital marketing methods, create videos, and run effective online campaigns.
Between July 18th and 20th, we from Citizen Participation Forum and Proinfo gathered over 20 members of civic society organizations and community centers from across the country to talk about digital marketing and creating exciting video content for NGOs. The training took place in Starosel, and the three speakers, who have a wide range of knowledge in different fields from journalism to digital marketing, showed us how to create content for social media to positively influence our audience and fight misinformation.
One of the most iconic and respected figures in Bulgarian journalism, Boyko Vassilev, shared valuable tips for creating impactful video stories. In this creative process, the presenter revealed to us the secrets of narrative structure and the impact that metaphors can have on the audience. Participants learned about the power of visual art and how to use it to articulate their message.
Flora Stratieva, Bulgarian TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram influencer, was the second speaker in the lineup. She introduced us to the exciting opportunities TikTok provides as a platform for creating and distributing video content. With over 238 thousand followers, she revealed the secrets of social media success and shared valuable tips for attracting attention and keeping the audience’s interest.
Petko Georgiev, radio and TV host, and analyst, presented the basics of digital marketing and planning effective campaigns. His expertise in media communication helped participants learn how to tell their missions and stories so that they reach more people and gain support for their causes.
The training provided an opportunity for civil society organizations and community centers to come together, reflect and exchange ideas, as well as gain valuable advice. It highlighted the importance of technology and social networks as tools for change and progress in society. The aim is for participants to gain knowledge and skills to apply in their organizations, impacting and giving voice to their causes.
The #YouImpact initiative is implemented by the Citizen Participation Forum, Proinfo Foundation, and Innovative Community Centres Association.
It receives funding from the European Civic Action Service (ECAS) within the EURECA 2023 project, which is co-funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or ECAS. Neither the European Union nor ECAS can be held responsible for them.
