Storytelling, Strategy, and Social Media Growth: Lessons from Oxfam and Harvard
THE SECRET TO GROWING A SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING FROM THE WORLD'S LEADING PURPOSE-DRIVEN ORGANIZATIONS
When I first started working in the digital world in 2008 at a Boston-based agency, the social media space was a totally new frontier for businesses. (I know, I'm ancient. Let's move on…)
Facebook had just opened up to companies, Twitter was basically brand new, and Instagram didn't even exist yet. Yet as the resident millennial my job was to use my understanding of these platforms to grow awareness and drive business. (As if my creatively titled Facebook photo albums were valid experience? But I digress…)
Was I clueless at first? Clearly. But 10 years later, after leading digital content for a few major global organizations, I learned the secret to success…
During my decade of leading digital content at both Oxfam and Harvard, storytelling became the driving force behind everything we did. At Oxfam, we centered our growth strategy around heartfelt stories, growing our social media audience 10x. And at Harvard, I established the social media accounts for the College Admissions & Financial Aid Office from scratch. By the time I left, we had built a thriving community of over 250,000 followers by sharing authentic, helpful stories of students from all over the world. Alongside that, I led the redesign of the Harvard College website, ensuring it centered the diverse, compelling stories of students and faculty.
Throughout it all, I always came back to this valuable lesson: people connect with people, not just brands or organizations.
And along the way, I realized that storytelling isn’t just about creating good content. It’s about strategy. Each story needed to connect to a bigger narrative, a purpose. It wasn’t enough to share compelling stories—they had to be intentional, aligned with the brand’s mission, and resonate with the right audience. That’s where strategy came in. Every piece of content, every post, every website element had to serve a larger vision.
This was the turning point that led me to brand strategy.
I realized that to truly help businesses grow, I needed to do more than tell their stories—I had to help them uncover why those stories mattered. Today, that’s my focus. We work with entrepreneurs to discover their brand’s unique story, define their purpose, and create a strategy to present it with confidence. It’s not just about telling stories anymore—it’s about telling the right story in a way that drives results.
If you're ready to bring your story to life and align it with a strategy that helps your business grow, I’d love to help. You can download our free Brand Purpose Worksheet to get a little head start! Or check out The Brand Blueprint, it's the perfect way to see what a strategic brand could do for you.
Feel free to reach out if you want to chat about branding, websites, or just reminisce about the early days of the internet.
TL;DR: In 10+ years of leading digital content at Oxfam and Harvard, I learned that storytelling drives growth, but it’s the strategy behind the story that truly makes an impact. Now we exist help purpose-driven entrepreneurs weave their unique story into a strategic brand that resonates with the ideal clientele and creates lasting connection.
