Roger Burks, the Senior Writer at Mercy Corps, shares his story of shifting to a culture of storytelling and how it has improved the user experience and created a devoted audience at Forum One's Web Executive Seminar, "Thanks, Come Again: Audience- Centric, User Experience" on November 5, 2009. To learn more about this event, visit http://www.forumone.com/thanks.

1. Online Storytelling Thanks, Come Again: Audience-Centric User Experience Roger Burks, Mercy Corps [email_address] National Press Club Washington, DC November 5, 2009

2. Web Executive Seminars Thanks, Come Again: Audience-Centric User Experience November 5, 2009 National Press Club Washington, DC Learn more: www.forumone.com/thanks

3. The “Ladder of Engagement”

4. The “Jungle Gym of Engagement”

5. “ Global Engagement” One hub, four satellite websites, one goal: information, engagement and action across multiple channels Hub: Mercy Corps (www.mercycorps.org) Global Envision (www.globalenvision.org) Global Citizen Corps (www.globalcitizencorps.org) MicroMentor (www.micromentor.org) Action Center (www.actioncenter.org)

6. Mercy Corps’ strategy: Storytelling Why storytelling? Studies show that you have only 56 seconds to convince an online reader that they should read more and stay on your website. OUR JOB: Connect readers to a name, a face and a compelling story as quickly as possible, so that they’ll stay and possibly take action.

8. PEOPLE RELATE TO OTHER PEOPLE - NOT PROGRAMS. Which is the more compelling story to you? “ Mercy Corps Congo prevents morbidity and mortality by providing lifesaving services to both displaced families and the general population, fills gaps in water and sanitation services when needed, and advocates for improved services within the humanitarian coordination units .” Or…

9. “ Her name is Laurene. She lives in a church. She is 10 years old. “ She is among thousands of children who have taken refuge in urban Goma's gritty neighborhoods rather than risk dangers in the camps. They're being housed in churches, schools, community centers and other public buildings - but they're neither getting the food nor most of the other assistance that those in the camps are receiving. “ Mercy Corps has stepped up to fill the void and meet at least three of their most critical needs: clean water, sanitation and hygiene…but it's not easy to explain why we didn't bring food today. “ So Laurene sits quietly on a church pew, in the place she now calls home, and waits for something to eat.”

11. MercyCorps.org – March 2004

12. MercyCorps.org – today

13. MercyCorps.org – March 2004, inside page

14. MercyCorps.org – today, inside page

23. “ Your Facebook page and web site has kept me up to date much faster than the standard media seems to have done. I've just been looking around the net for information and you were right there .” – Darcy Sholts, a comment on our Facebook page A new strategy: MercyCorps.org/blog

24. From www.stevenberlinjohnson.com Thanks, come again – for the news

25. LEARN MORE: www.forumone.com/wes Web Executive Seminars