This year’s theme for Earth Day is ‘Invest in Our Planet’ and focuses on engaging governments, institutions, businesses, and citizens to do their part. With this in mind, sustainability in 2023 has become as much the responsibility of each employee as it is the wider organisation’s.   

But how do you make sustainability everyone’s job?

Sustainability might not be the core focus of every role but there is an activist in us all. At Microsoft we believe there are ways to unlock this in employees and empower them to engage with sustainability in a way that is authentic and relevant to their role.

For the past 20 years, I have spent a lot of time in the ‘S’ of ESG. Alongside communications and storytelling, I now have the privilege of focusing on the ‘E’ of ESG. I’d like to share four ways we at Microsoft have found effective in helping make sustainability everyone’s job.

#1 Vision and mission

Does your vision and mission clearly align with sustainability? If employees know that their work ties in with the mission of the company, they can feel empowered in making sustainability their business too. Businesses have an opportunity and a responsibility in sustainability so look at your company’s mission and if you need to influence work with the CEO to weave in sustainability goals.

“At Microsoft, we have a strong purpose-led mission: ‘Empower every person on the planet to achieve more.”

Victoria Oakes, Chief of Staff for Sustainability, Microsoft

#2 Collaboration is Queen

To make sustainability everyone’s role, break down silos to make it easier for everyone to work together and foster a community that will collaborate for the greater good. At Microsoft, three things helped us to tackle this.

First, we created a sustainability board where we picked people in each area of the business to represent their teams in sustainability. This forum created a safe space to collaborate, share blockers, challenges, ideas and innovation, and disseminate information. Scaling the work and sharing knowledge is also critical, so having a board has really helped us to develop ‘champs’ in the business who share their insights via their board team lead.

Secondly, we created a dedicated channel on Teams that connects the wider business and gives us a place to share opportunities, wins, training and ideas. We often do social events centred around volunteering, which is not only a good way to give back but also a way to form closer connections with the extended team.

Lastly, having an approachable and credible Chief Sustainability Officer is critical to help galvanise people who want to become part of something that isn’t always their core remit

#3 Demystify sustainability

At Microsoft we have a Sustainability In Action badge that helps us to train the company in all things sustainability, from our own goals and pledges to our narrative, tools and products. We also have regular training and learning sessions with our core team present, so people know who to approach for different kinds of help, support and insight.

Another way to help educate and train people on sustainability is by leveraging world events to tell your story. Earth Day and COP, for example, are great opportunities to educate people when they’re most engaged. We also recently published the Microsoft report on Closing the Sustainability Skills Gap, to help businesses grasp the importance of sustainable transformation. It’s also imperative to remember the importance of social impact. Creating social value and purpose whilst doing business gives companies the opportunity to give back authentically. Companies that can do more should do more, and those that invest will go further. Here at Microsoft, we’re proud of our social impact programs both locally and globally.

#4 Reward and recognise

When people feel valued and recognised their wellbeing is improved as well as their company engagement, it’s also a great way to build community and drive momentum. We always use our dedicated Teams channel to recognise those who complete training, make progress or sign deals. In fact, we’ve recently launched our Sustainability Star of the Quarter Award, which recognises those who make an impact in this space across the business.

Stay committed to your sustainability goals

To wrap up, I want to stress the importance of bringing energy, experience and passion when galvanising cross-discipline teams throughout the business. Walk the walk, stay driven, and commit to building a programme that breaks down silos and promotes collaboration. Invest in sustainable strategies to help you achieve net zero. Look for ways to recognise and reward sustainability efforts, and ultimately try to tie in sustainability and ESG with your company’s core mission and vision.

Not only will it help you make progress towards your sustainability goals, but it’ll inspire a lot of people along the way.

About the author

For the past 20 years Victoria has spent much of her time in communications and the purpose world. Currently holding the position as the Chief of Staff for Sustainability at Microsoft, Victoria leads program management, employee engagement, strategy and thought leadership for the sustainability business. Victoria cares deeply about ESG and how companies can balance business and purpose. She believes companies that can do more should do more and that these purpose levers can drive positive growth and innovation. Victoria also holds a trustee position with African Development Choices, is a judge for the Purpose Awards and won a National Social Impact Award and Platinum Club Award for the innovation she drove in raising awareness of inclusivity.

Find out more

Microsoft Sustainability – products for a Sustainable Future

Closing the Sustainability Skills Gap: Helping businesses move from pledges to progress

The post Putting sustainability into the heart of everyone’s job: 4 ways to take action appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

We’ve always had accessibility standards ensuring we use closed captions and subtitles but we needed to think beyond that. Like many organisations, our accessibility journey is ongoing. It adapts as we learn and get feedback from our employees, partners, and customers. As Storytelling & Digital Destinations Lead, I continually challenge myself and my team to reimagine our websites, pushing to create great experiences that everyone can access.

Through our AI for Good cohort, we were made aware that for over 70 million Deaf people globally, their first and preferred language is sign language. Sign languages are structured differently from spoken and written language. As a result, some Deaf people have difficulties understanding content in written form. Many rely on friends and family to access the information they need. For example, getting a COVID vaccination is not a simple task when booking and follow-up information is in written text and healthcare staff are wearing facemasks (reducing the ability to lipread).

Despite our focus on accessibility and ensuring all content has subtitles and closed captions, this identified that our content was still inaccessible to a broad group of people.

“BSL is not the same as spoken English or written English, says Tim Scannell, Signly ambassador. “A lot of companies say English is good enough, because they think that Deaf people can understand English like a first language. We’re trying to show that the Deaf grassroots BSL community don’t necessarily understand English well.”

As part of the Deaf BSL community, Tim and Signly have been researching into the impact of the lack of BSL services. “They [BSL users] would always talk about having to bother somebody who is hearing that they knew.” Tim says. For some, this may be the children of Deaf adults, which then changes their relationships and increases stress and anxiety for both. “It also took Deaf people sometimes long time to understand.” For example, if a hearing customer had an issue with their bank, they could go into the branch, or call and get it sorted quickly. “A Deaf customer, however, will go into the branch and the bank would give them written information to read, or they [the bank] wouldn’t know about booking an interpreter or very rarely that would happen. But most don’t know how. They just apologise and say they couldn’t. A Deaf person just wants better communication.”

Learning about Signly

Technology has the power to help everyone. Therefore, it’s clear that we need to make sure that no one gets left behind. That’s why at Microsoft, we’re always looking at ways we can improve accessibility.

We were introduced to Signly when they became part of our AI for Good programme. Instantly, I knew they’d be a key partner to help us further our inclusion goals.

What do Signly do? Their technology translates written text to sign language. It removes this barrier, making content more accessible and is all run on Azure.

“A lot of firms think about just providing the typical accessibility features and think it’s okay, and it’s always because of the wrong perception that Deaf people are okay with English,” says Tim. “If people only think about the options they’ve set up. That’s not going to work. They need to think sometimes outside of the box.”

And Signly thinks innovatively. Signly allows users to self-serve, view or request sign language translations on webpages. The AI for Good programme helped Signly scale their app. Lloyds Bank became the first UK organisation to offer a translation website in British Sign Language.

“Signly covers the fixed information you have on a website so that you make less calls to need an interpreter,” says Tim.

With only around 1000 interpreters in the UK, it’s important we use technology to assist them in their roles while empowering BSL users. Both the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI) express how machine learning or AI signing avatars should not be used when the information being delivered is live, complex or of significant importance to the lives of Deaf citizens. Signly helps free up BSL interpreters to focus on those moments, while giving BSL users equal access to the information when they need it.

Improving access for everyone with sign language

The Microsoft Apprenticeship Network was built to help connect apprentices and organisations together. To bridge a digital skills gap, the UK needs over three million people in tech careers by 2025. Apprentices are key to this.

At the same time, we need to ensure that our new talent is diverse and inclusive. According to the NHS, people who are Deaf or experience hearing loss are more likely to be unemployed. And in employment, 74 percent surveyed felt that their employment opportunities were limited because of their hearing loss. This means we’re missing out on diverse perspectives, building new talent and driving inclusive innovation. We’re also missing out on the potential economic output. If we don’t address these employment rates by 2031 the UK economy will lose £38.6 billion per year.

The low code tech behind the solution

The beauty behind Signly is its simplicity. As a low code solution, it can be easily added to any website. You can translate the pages like we did. So, when you launch you are automatically accessible for everyone. The service also works on demand. Users can request websites to be translated when they need it.

“We use Azure to create a ‘Signing Studio,’” explains Mark Applin, Signly CEO. “It grabs the English straight from the website and fires it straight into the teleprompter for the Deaf translator working from a home studio.”

From there, the video goes back to Azure, and straight onto the web page. And when you update your website, a notification is automatically sent to Signly to update that section. This means all your users are getting the right information at the right time.

The BSL user experience

When Tim showed the website to other BSL users, he said they were amazed and relieved. As one Signly user said: “Wow. That’s wonderful, that’s really beautiful. I’ve had a problem with all kinds of things, whether it’s doctors or banking and nobody will help me with the English. And I don’t know any of that in English… I have to go to Citizen’s Advice. There’s just barriers everywhere. All the companies just won’t help you.”

“People were getting emotional just to see something in their language.”

– Tim Scannell, Signly ambassador

The future of our accessibility journey with sign language

Working with Signly has shown me the massive opportunity it has in democratising access to everyone. Our values are right there on our website. We aim to help everyone achieve more. And we want to not just talk the talk but to walk the walk. Signly helps us achieve this goal. This is the start of a journey. This pilot is a good first step to see how we can scale the technology across other websites. In the future we can even perhaps scale it to our partners and customers.

“I think with Microsoft being such a massive leader, it could have a huge impact on so many other firms and organisations and what can be done. Every website should have sign language content. It makes deaf people feel accepted,” says Tim.

Another Signly user agrees with Tim. “It [BSL on websites] would be a massive benefit. Less stressed, I’d know how to communicate. I wouldn’t constantly have to ask what does this mean, what does that mean. It would give us equality. I can learn at the same time.”

How Signly could transform other industries

It’s also a great opportunity for the public sector to deliver important information to BSL users. For example, the NHS could use it to provide fixed information around vaccinations, as suggested by a Signly user: “They [The NHS] send me a leaflet about the vaccine, and I said, ‘I just can’t read it’. I’ve not had any information about the vaccine. I keep saying ‘where is the interpreter?’ They’re all wearing masks and I can’t lip read them. If I had a bad reaction, I don’t know what to look out for.”

Media companies can also leverage the technology, to provide more equitable access to news and content. “You miss things on the news…The BBC website should have sign language on the news [page]. And the NHS,” adds a BSL user.

Your accessibility journey will be constantly evolving as you learn. It’s important to remember that implementing inclusive designs in your services and products is not a ‘one and done’ job. It’s a continuous process that you must update and approach in new ways. And working with companies like Signly, you can easily scale out these innovations. This endeavour is a stepping stone for us at Microsoft. It’s one we are proud of and hope to expand on.

Find out more

Learn more about Signly

Our accessibility commitment

Help Signly and take part in their social impact research

Resources to empower your development teams

Accessibility fundamentals

Learn the basics of web accessibility

About the author

Great stories demand heroes, emotions, and insight. As Storytelling & Digital Destinations Lead at Microsoft UK, Victoria Oakes places these principles at the heart of Microsoft UK’s content output. In this role, she drives to unify messaging and content across Microsoft using insights at the heart. Through her passion for engaging copy, visual storytelling, and data-driven insights, she truly cares about content being useful, interesting and easy to digest. As a philanthropy advocate, Victoria strongly believes in using technology for social impact, strengthening empowerment and inclusion for all and environmental sustainability.

The post How to empower even more people by challenging accessibility standards appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

A 2018 study found that humanitarian crises are increasing in number and duration. These trends all emphasise the need for multi-stakeholder action to effectively face these societal challenges. At Microsoft, our new United Nations representation office found that successful progress requires two elements:

• International cooperation among governments
• Inclusive initiatives that bring in civil society and private sector organisations to collaborate on solutions.

To do this, we need to take advantage of technology. AI for Humanitarian Action is part of the Microsoft AI for Good programme. It aims to help unlock the power of data and AI to address some of the biggest challenges facing society today. The five-year AI for Humanitarian Action commitment aims to help change the way frontline relief organisations anticipate, predict and better target response efforts related to disaster recovery, the needs of children, promotion of human rights, and protection of refugees and displaced people.

I personally want to share four real-life examples of technology being used to deliver better response efforts and how it is helping communities around the world.

1. Information-driven peace operations and humanitarian action

By 2025 the estimated volume of the global datasphere will total 175 zettabytes, or 175 trillion gigabytes. Paired with increasing access to the internet across the world and the availability of scalable computing powered via the cloud, means that more organisations can integrate AI and machine learning with data to improve decision making.

Using AI and analytics means you can have 24/7 monitoring for not just real-time insights, but to predict. This makes it easier to prepare or engage in humanitarian action pre-emptively, resulting in less impact on the local community. For example, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre has an open source data platform that collects data and analytics to identify and implement solutions. It can also be used on the field to help frontline workers streamline services to the community. Forus Health uses a portable AI device that can help eliminate preventable blindness by identifying people at risk so they can seek treatment from an ophthalmologist.

Of course, it’s important to ensure AI is used responsibly. That’s why we’ve embraced responsible AI principles to ensure a people-centered approach to the research, development, and deployment of AI.

2. Empowering frontline staff and communities

For humanitarian action, interacting with communities in person helps cause direct and effective change. However, this can mean that staff and volunteers are often on the ground in war-torn regions and countries where secure internet connectivity and technology safeguards are scarce.

Aimed at eradicating poverty through sustainable development and partnerships the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has a fleet of around 3,000 vehicles to help deliver aid. They equipped  their cars with IoT devices to help increase the safety, security, and efficiency of their staff. They can see when a vehicle has arrived safely, or if something has changed. It immediately alerts the team when a car has broken down, ensuring quick recovery.

“With this solution, we can track driver behaviour and see where a car is right now, at any time. All this contributes to safer roads, safer drivers, and safer passengers,” says Vera Kirienko, Asset Management Specialist.

Using tools that help frontline workers engage and deliver the services they need quickly is extremely important in humanitarian action. For example, when an emergency strikes, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) sets up operations in countries within 72 hours. By using collaborative tools such as Microsoft 365, they have a secure and seamless environment to share ideas and brainstorm fixes to on-the-ground challenges.

“The faster you provide services, the faster you help people of concern, and the more people you serve. It’s a matter of humanity being lost or saved. That’s why it’s critically important to have IT systems in place as soon as possible—and that’s what we’re doing with Windows 10.”

Arthemon Nkunzumwami, Information and Communication Technology Officer, UNDP

Microsoft 365 also has automatic translating and subtitle tools. This makes it easier for cross-nation groups to communicate together and on-the-ground staff better serve the community with less delay.

To ensure everyone can access these tools successfully, organisations need to invest in re- and up-skilling their employees. They can then share these skills with the community to increase resilience in the community. We have a resource hub with links to free and paid training and learning paths.

3. Staying secure while providing humanitarian action

Organisations that provide humanitarian action are often dealing with vulnerable people’s sensitive data. That means they have a duty to ensure that information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. But out in the field, it can be difficult to ensure devices get updated regularly. UNHCR uses the Windows 10 optimisation feature to deliver updates. This means just one device in a network must connect to the internet to download the update. It can then share it to the rest of the network, preventing bandwidth clogging and allowing the worker to continue delivering aid. This feature will also save UNHCR high costs, as satellite connectivity in remote areas is roughly 60 times more expensive than broadband in developed regions.

Save the Children’s contractors, employees and field staff need secure seamless access to centralised resources from some of the most remote corners of the globe. To ensure they keep vulnerable children’s data secure, they use Azure and Microsoft’s Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS) suite of tools. This allows employees worldwide to work seamlessly from all their devices while ensuring maximum control and security on the back end.

4. Streamline operations

We’ve already talked about how data and analytics can provide insights for aid organisations to quickly adapt to changing environments. But it can also be used to streamline supply chains or operations, saving money, time, and increase sustainability.

For example, UNHRC staff can connect new devices to the cloud quickly. In less than an hour, they can be ready to serve refugees. “Rather than waiting hours, days, or even weeks to get working equipment, we’ll be able to be up and running within 40 minutes,” Plumb says. “That means people of concern will get access to services like shelter, psychological help, cash disbursements—any protection the UNHCR provides—quicker,” says Matthew Plumb, Information Systems Officer.

The UNDP use the IoT in their vehicles to collect data, informing them on ways to group routes together or carpool with other agencies in the same area. This reduces financial and environment costs.

Human Development Foundation Pakistan (HDF) have seen that using Office 365 applications, like Forms, Planner, Teams, OneDrive, and Skype for Business ensures everyone can be part of planning and implementation of projects, no matter where they are.

“We have been able to transform our conventional ways of working to positively impact organisational productivity, while also introducing our staff to a significant set of new skills. We can now focus on empowering the underserved and realising positive social change.”

Zahid Ali Shah, IT manager, HDF

A people-led approach to humanitarian action

One common thread throughout this approach is the focus on people. All these solutions came out of the desire and focus to support people and local communities. That’s why we focus on supporting and promoting cooperation for the UN and other humanitarian aid organisations to achieve more, using computer and data science.

This year at the 75^th UN General Assembly, we committed to collaborating to advance seven priorities:

1. Human rights
We’re working to advance protection and respect for human rights around the world in an era of emerging technologies and challenges. Discover more resources.

2. Environmental sustainability

We’re committed to harnessing the power of technology to help everyone, everywhere build a more sustainable future and preserving and protecting the biodiversity and health of the world’s ecosystems. Find out more about our AI for Earth initiatives.

3. Defending democracy and cyberpeace

We want to promote strong democratic institutions and electoral systems as well as advocating for clear rules for state actors in cyberspace. Learn more about digital peace.

4. Decent work and economic growth

We’re helping 25 million people worldwide acquire the digital skills needed in a recovering economy. Our GetOn campaign aims to help 1.5 million UK citizens build tech careers.

5. Quality education

We are launching global platforms to support remote learning and help address the education crisis. Find out about remote learning.

6. Broadband availability and accessibility

We’re building out internet access to 40 million people across Africa, Latin America and Asia by 2022 to help increase prosperity. Read our blog on the initiative.

7. Digitally empower UN organisations

We’re working with the UN to provides solutions to help them deliver their mission to build inclusive and prosperous societies. We’ve created a central repository of digital learning resources to enable continuous learning and digital capacity-building for UN staff and stakeholders. Discover the UN Digital Academy.

The world faces rapidly changing circumstances, bringing new and longer challenges. Now is the time to think more broadly and reimagine what effective, inclusive global governance can do for society, and to strengthen the systems and institutions that are tasked with this work.

Find out more

Microsoft and the United Nations

AI for Good

About the author

Great stories demand heroes, emotions, and insight. As Storytelling & Digital Destinations Lead at Microsoft UK, Victoria Oakes places these principles at the heart of Microsoft UK’s content output. In this role, she’s driven to unify messaging and content across Microsoft using insights at the heart. Through her passion for engaging copy, visual storytelling, and data-driven insights, she truly cares about content being useful, interesting and easy to digest. As a philanthropy advocate, Victoria strongly believes in using technology for social impact, strengthening empowerment and inclusion for all and environmental sustainability.

The use of the United Nations name or emblem or any abbreviation thereof does not imply that the UN endorses any of the Microsoft (or its affiliates’) products or services described herein.

The post How a people-first approach to AI and technology can help empower humanitarian action appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

“Each of us must find true meaning in our work. The best work happens when you know that it’s not just work, but something that will improve other people’s lives.”

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft

At Microsoft, we don’t just ask ourselves ‘are we making a positive impact on society?’

Each of us as individuals ask the question, what it is we can contribute too. We thrive on a culture of continuous learning – whether it’s equipping our employees with tools to learn new skills for the future digital workplace or hosting workshops to facilitate knowledge sharing with other companies and teach others what we’ve learned from our transformation journey.  

Our annual Ideas Generator does both. It’s a full day workshop that we run at Microsoft, and is a great way to skills share with charities whilst feeling a genuine sense of purpose in what you’re contributing – using technology to deliver social change.

This drive to be a team of ‘learn-it-alls’ (as opposed to ‘know-it-alls’) gives us all a real sense of purpose and value at work – and with the Ideas Generator, every one of us works towards something that means something to us on a deeply personal level, on a day that’s dedicated to the importance of making an impact.

Part of that impact comes from teasing out our own values as people, identifying what they are, why they drive us and how we can nurture them.

Brainstorming brilliance

The Ideas Generator day is a chance to confront some of the most difficult challenges charities face. There’s a strong emphasis on teamwork and delivering social good as, each year, we invite representatives from five charities to join us at Microsoft HQ in Reading.

In teams of 10, plus charity reps, Microsoft employees set out to understand a particular issue the charity has – for instance, increasing donations around a particular demographic or raising awareness of the good work they do.

Impact of ideas

Microsoft prides itself on its ‘learn-it-all’ culture – and, at its heart, learning is what our Ideas Generator is all about. It helps us all nurture a growth mindset, and a culture dedicated to not just learning but understanding.

This is an opportunity for employees to go beyond their usual experiences and see the world from a different angle; it’s also a day when charities can discover new ways in which tech can help them. As one charity rep told us: ‘It’s great to come to Microsoft and have our eyes opened to technological options. It’s really good to learn from people at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution.’

The ultimate winner of the day has the chance to take their idea to the next stage of potential development – literally making good on the promise of the day. However, our combined ideas can even spark fresh thoughts for charity leaders who can explore new ways to apply tech in their organisation. The real winners, though, are those who depend on the services of the charities. If technology can empower them in any way, then it’s all worthwhile.

This year, the winning idea was one that the judges said ‘rode the current trends in technology’ and ‘created an industry standard that normalised the issue.’

Better still, other ideas won’t lay dormant, but will evolve from being conceptual to being created – so watch this space…

Generate your own ideas

The Ideas Generator is a concept you can bring into your own organisation – and it’s easily scalable. These are some tips on how to run your own Ideas Generator day.

• Introduce a culture of learning into your organisation.

The modern workplace demands engaging employees and encouraging them to learn new skills that both help them and support your business. This is the foundation upon which the Ideas Generator is built

• Choose one or more good causes.

It’s important that those you wish to help are close to your heart – it won’t work unless you and your employees are passionate about it. If you’re a small company, choose one or two organisations; if you’re larger, try up to five. This keeps the day and your team’s minds focused. Also encourage nominations from passionate employees. Personally, I put forward The Sepsis Trust charity after hearing the CEO on Radio 4 and it sparking some ideas with me on how technology and Microsoft may help. It struck me how many people are impacted by the infection and if Microsoft could spend some time with them then maybe we could explore ideas.

• Identify how your products, services, and solutions can help.

It doesn’t matter which industry you work in, everyone has something to offer those in need. It’s all about skills sharing.

• Create mixed teams.

Diversity is essential for success, as each employee brings different views to the ideas table. This lets everyone learn more, discover new perspectives, and even explore different areas of your own business.

• Take the day.

Good ideas might happen in a heartbeat, but it can take time to really refine them. This day is also as much about understanding those you’re trying to help, and the challenges they face, as it is conjuring up ideas.

• Consider how, post-event, your external organisations can benefit.

Will you prototype the winning idea? Or put charities in contact with those who can support them? What will be the outcomes, and what does success look like?

• Be self-less.

This isn’t a day to promote yourselves or sell products – it’s about your team learning as much as the charities can. Sharing knowledge and skills and feeling a sense of purpose in your work.

Find out more

Discover how to create an engaged workforce

Uncover your value and purpose: watch the session from Future Decoded

About the author

Great stories demand heroes, emotions, and insight. As Storytelling & Digital Destinations Lead at Microsoft UK, Victoria Oakes places these principles at the heart of Microsoft UK’s content output. In this role, she’s driven to unify messaging and content across Microsoft using insights at the heart. Through her passion for engaging copy, visual storytelling, and data-driven insights, she truly cares about content being useful, interesting and easy to digest.

The post Ideas Generator: Empowering charities through technology appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

In order for marketing teams to reach new customers, you need to connect what you want to say as a brand to achieve your commercial objectives, with what customers want and need to hear in order to address the challenges they are facing in their day to day business. We also need to empower the whole organisation to be storytellers and help tell your business story in an authentic way to connect directly with people. This propels digital selling using storytelling, too.

“People hear statistics,” digital analytics pro Brent Dykes once told us, “but they feel stories.” ​

So, how can you infuse storytelling into your content and drive a better connection with your customer base and in turn help your employees be digital sellers?

Tip 1 – Know what storytelling is

Storytelling is the idea of creating an emotional connection with your customer first; then using that to drive sales. Fundamentally, people don’t engage with brands. They engage with people. You need to make your customer the hero and think about how you can add value to them in a way that’s relevant to the challenges they are facing day to day.

Traditionally, marketing had one goal: support the sales team selling the product. Today, it’s no longer so clear-cut. According to one study, 71% of readers say they are turned off by content that seems like a sales pitch.​

Very few consumers feel loyal to faceless businesses who see them only as data on a spreadsheet at the quarterly shareholders meeting.

Storytelling offers the chance to create a personality for your business that fully bonds with its values. This is where you must consider…

• Who you are? What you do? Why you do it? What is at the core of your culture too and bring that out in your storytelling.

The answers to these questions form the foundation of your ‘brand personality’. But, more importantly, they should authentically mirror your workplace culture. That culture might be laid-back, like in many young start-up organisations, or it might be the sort of professional tone employed by, for instance, medical or legal organisations. Whatever it is, embrace it. Identifying and owning your brand story is  where your storytelling transformation begins.

With that determined, you can start telling that story; reinforcing your core values across every communication.

Tip 2 – Focus on the hero you deserve

What’s a hero? It’s not your business – it’s your customer, and they should be placed at the heart of all your storytelling outputs. Don’t tell them why you’re great; show them how your product or service makes them great.

It’s tempting to picture your business as the customer’s saviour. Your products and services help them, after all, which puts you front and centre. The problem with this line of thinking is that it’s really not too different to reiterating the same tired message: ‘we’re great, and that’s why you need us’.  It’s like a comedian telling people ‘I am funny, laugh’ rather than telling people humorous anecdotes.

That’s a ‘story’ customers, bombarded online by brands, are beginning to ignore.

You aren’t awesome. But you help make your customers awesome.

As business adviser Chris Brogan noted, “The key is, no matter what story you tell, make the buyer the hero.”​

Focus on how your product or service enriches the hero’s life. How do you help customers overcome challenges so they can rise, triumphant, at the end of the story? That’s how you create emotional connections. Potential customers also believe previous customers much more than simply hearing from the brand, all of us look at reviews these days on anything we buy or experience.

Tip 3 – Assess your current culture, connections, and commitments

Storytelling doesn’t start with ‘Once upon a time’, but with the way your company works, and what it stands for. Understanding this – and making changes where necessary – is what lets you put forward an authentic, relatable voice, no matter what industry you’re in.

Here at Microsoft, a core part of our story is the way that we empower our employees to come as they are and do what they love, embracing a ‘learn it all’ mentality. To make that story a reality, we’ve worked hard to instil a culture of empowerment within our own team. At every level of the business, we encourage our people to learn new skills and allow them to take ownership of their work. Now, because our team have the tools and autonomy needed to create great content, they’re able to empower others. It’s our culture that informs our core messaging.

Reflecting on your own company culture can help you define what your story should be.

Once you’re in an environment that nurtures you, excites you, and aligns with your own values, authentic stories write themselves. The culture lets you be yourself. And in the age of internet cynicism, honesty is a valuable asset.

A fantastic example of authenticity is our Microsoft Blogger Series. We’ve been working to transform our people into storytellers, leveraging their expertise to help us tell our brand story in a more resonant and engaging way.

Our champions aren’t trying to be anything but themselves. They come to us with an idea, or first-hand experience, and an experience no-one else can tell, and create stories that are authentic and accessible to all readers.

This forms part of our wider digital selling efforts where we’ve pulled together a full training programme to get our employees to transform their digital presence.

Tip 4 – It takes an army of many

Communicating your company’s story isn’t a solo task. One author may write a single book, but there are thousands of books on the shelf, each one written by a different person with something to say. The same goes for your business: it takes an army of many.

If our Blogger Series and digital selling programme shows us anything, it’s this: with the right support, everyone in your company can be a gifted storyteller and digital seller.

Once you’ve defined your values and your voice, you open up an opportunity for your workforce to help build your brand through employee advocacy. They all have unique stories, ideas, expertise and views that provide a truly human connection with your audience.

Content marketing is one of your strongest assets. Encourage employees to learn the skills of digital storytelling. It’s critical in making your brand stand out in today’s digitally dominant world where all successful brands are easily accessible, humanised, and personal.

Tip 5 – Dig into data

Introducing storytelling elements into your marketing doesn’t mean sacrificing data. We now live in a world dominated by data. During his Corenote speech at Microsoft Inspire, our CEO Satya Nadella mentioned that 90 percent of the data we have today was created in the last two years. Make use of it – just be sure to give it relevance and soul.

While we recognise the power of stories – a power that’s existed for as long as we’ve roamed the planet – that doesn’t mean there’s no space for it within your digital marketing strategy.

Effective content marketing balances the two. Each element complements and informs the other, and the content plans we produce here at Microsoft. This is achieved through our content resonance study (CRS) – a quarterly report which gives us real insight into what our customers are searching for and engaging with in digital spaces.

It guides us in understanding the types of content and language that resonates with them. It studies how they talk, what they’re talking about, and what they aren’t. This lets us better create and position our content, aligning commercial goals accordingly and really thinking about how we can add value to connect with our customers on a more human level.

By focusing on resonant content over irrelevant content, we find that golden spot between what we want to tell people and what they want to hear.

All businesses are here to empower customers. What the CRS prevents us doing is wasting time on content that doesn’t ignite their passion and curiosity. Instead, the data lets us speak to them on an honest, emotional level, with the help of our employee advocates, just like every good story.

I truly believe that every person and every business, has a story to tell. How will you tell yours?

Find out more

Download the Little Book of Storytelling

Tune in to our Art of Storytelling podcast series

Hear from the experts: explore our Microsoft Blogger Series

We’d love to hear how you approach storytelling in your business and to share some of our learnings. Join in the discussion and comment below.

About the author

Great stories demand heroes, emotions, and insight. As Storytelling & Digital Destinations Lead at Microsoft UK, Victoria Oakes places these principles at the heart of Microsoft UK’s content output. In this role, she’s driven to unify messaging and content across Microsoft using insights at the heart. Through her passion for engaging copy, visual storytelling, and data-driven insights, she truly cares about content being useful, interesting and easy to digest.

The post 5 ways storytelling can fuel your digital marketing appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

Future Decoded is the flagship Microsoft event designed for business leaders, and we can’t wait to bring you some unforgettable moments you won’t want to miss out on.

I’m fascinated by the trajectory of today’s technology. It’s a story of commitment and creativity unfolding before us – from the industry’s thought-provoking work on AI to the genius cast of characters who persist in empowering us all. Two action-packed days of keynotes and breakouts to help you uncover how best to leverage the latest technology trends. You’ll leave the event with practical advice to prepare your business and employees for the future of work, in this AI-driven era.

If you haven’t signed up to join us at ExCel London on either October 1 or October 2 (or even both days), you can register for free at the Future Decoded site.

And if you still need more reasons to come, how about:

1. Unique perspectives from astronauts Major Tim Peake and Dr Helen Sharman

Future Decoded is all about seeing things differently – and few have seen things as differently as great British astronauts Major Tim Peake and Dr Helen Sharman.

Sharman has the honour of being the very first British astronaut. After beating out 13,000 other applicants, she launched in 1991, working on the world-famous MIR space station on her very first mission.

Meanwhile, Peake, the first European Space Agency’s British astronaut to board the International Space Station. During his time there, he became a national hero after using social media to communicate with us Earth-bound citizens.

On Day One of Future Decoded, Sharman and Peake will expand your horizons in a fascinating conversation with Microsoft UK Chief Operating Officer Clare Barclay.

2. Unrivalled AI research

Artificial intelligence promises to be as integral to our way of life as the mobile phone is today. To celebrate our AI-driven future, you’ll be free to join sessions across the event that explore the impact of AI on specific industries, including health, finance, and commerce.

Microsoft UK CEO Cindy Rose will kick off Future Decoded alongside Clare Barclay, COO, revealing ground-breaking research and insights into how AI fits into our modern world. Then join Lucas Joppa, Microsoft’s Chief Environmental Officer, on the topic of using AI for good.

Of course, you only have to look at modern science fiction to see the myths, hype, and lies surrounding artificial intelligence.

Thankfully, on Day Two, Professor Chris Bishop, Technical Fellow and Laboratory Director at Microsoft Research Cambridge, takes to the stage to deal with science fact in a fascinating exploration of the opportunities that AI really presents.

3. Changing the way we work

Technology is transforming the way we work and the work we do. The result is an ever-changing, ever-modernising workplace, and throughout the event, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to hear directly from Microsoft customers and partners who power their workplaces through Microsoft tools.

Oxfam CTO Nick Mitrovoc will be on hand to share the story of the charity’s migration to the cloud – a move that has empowered employees and volunteers across the organisation.

Microsoft partners KPMG and Phoenix Software will tackle one of the biggest issues of the day: mental health and well-being in the workplace. In the ‘How to manage mental wellbeing in the digital workplace’ session, which aims to raise awareness of mental health, you’ll discover how technology is being used to enable employers and employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

If you’d like to explore the topic of workplace inclusion before the event, Phoenix Software’s Modern Workplace and Accessibility Lead David Brown has discussed the issue on the Microsoft blog. It’s bound to give you inspiration and practical advice for creating your own modern workplace.

4. Making positive social transformation

Today’s technology is transforming lives in a positive way – particularly in the realm of healthcare.

This is the perfect chance to hear inspiration stories, like the British Heart Foundation’s launch of the National Defibrillator Network and Project Fizzyo’s innovative gamification of medicine to combat cystic fibrosis.

Dr Isabel Van De Keere of Immersive Rehab discusses how the AI for Good graduate is improving the effectiveness of physical and neuro-rehabilitation using virtual reality.

And you won’t want to miss Mike Culshaw’s talk on driving digital change in the NHS. The Chief Technology Officer for NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group, which oversees 26 GP practices, is empowering medical staff with the right tools to improve patient care and outcomes.

5. Networking opportunities

Future Decoded brings together everyone with a passion for technology, and using it to gain the competitive edge.

It’s an ideal setting for networking with peers. That’s why we’ve created a relaxed hub for you to hold impromptu meetings with customers and clients.

You’ll also have the opportunity to chat to the Microsoft team and selected partners in the lounge and across the expo.

And that includes me. I’ll be attending the event on both days, so you can find out more about Microsoft’s approach to marketing, storytelling, and building brands. I’d also love to answer any questions you may have about bringing your own brand to life. Find us in the lounge.

Bring your business cards – you’ll need them.

Register for Future Decoded

We’re almost full for this free event. Make sure you don’t miss out on Microsoft Future Decoded 2019. Register now for free and get ready to see the future of technology in action.

Book your place today

About the author

Great stories demand heroes, emotions, and insight. As Storytelling & Digital Destinations Lead at Microsoft UK, Victoria Oakes places these principles at the heart of Microsoft UK’s content output. In this role, she’s driven to unify messaging and content across Microsoft using insights at the heart. Through her passion for engaging copy, visual storytelling, and data-driven insights, she truly cares about content being useful, interesting and easy to digest.

The post 5 moments you don’t want to miss at Future Decoded appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

Victoria Oakes is the Storytelling & Digital Destinations Lead at Microsoft UK. Her aim is to put people at the heart of all she does, whilst keeping a commercial focus to drive effective decision making and leadership. Victoria is really passionate about empowering people no matter their background and spends her time working for various charities. Outside of work, she is a board trustee at Launchpad and a mentor at The Prince’s Trust.

Stories are part of human nature – a way to connect with others and make sense of the world around us.

We’ve all grown up with stories. When you’re little you get sent off to sleep with a bedtime story, and as we get older we tell stories to share experiences with friends and family. Yet, as marketers, we often try to engage our audience with product specifications, data and stats, going against everything we’ve been taught.

The average person consumes 11.4 pieces of content before making a purchase, so we must find a way to cut through the noise and grab their attention.[1] Good stories build connections between you and your prospects.

At Microsoft, we take a customer centric approach with our content, aligning what our customers need, with what we want to say to drive our commercial goals. We don’t create content to sell products, but rather to add value. Your content should be useful and answer a question that your customer has.

“We can build the best tech in the world, but unless our customers are using it and changing how they’re delivering their service than it’s just a bit of cool tech,” says Michael Wignall, UK Chief Technology Officer.

The proof is in the pudding.

By using customer insight to shape our content strategy and focussing on telling stories rather than selling products, our conversion rates have quadrupled, and the average time customers spend across articles has increased by 200 percent.

On the back of the success we’ve seen, we wanted to share our experience and the journey we’ve been on to change the way we talk to our customers. The Little Book of Storytelling is designed to give you some hints and tips on how you can tell great stories to better connect with your customers and drive stronger results from your content.

Remember that storytelling is not just the role of one, it takes an army of many.

Share these insights with your team and think about how you can build a storytelling community in your organisation. At Microsoft, we’ve created advocates in the business to contribute content in their areas of expertise, through our ‘Art of Storytelling’ podcast series and our Microsoft Blogger Series.

Find out how you can become a storytelling superstar in The Little Book of Storytelling

Take a look at some of our storytelling highlights:

Uncover the art of storytelling with leaders across Microsoft

Changing lives with AI in healthcare

Bringing technology for good stories to life

5 ways to bring your data story to life

How to use data to empower your workforce

Overcoming 3 common productivity barriers

[1] https://insights.newscred.com/content-marketing-statistics/

The post Putting customers at the centre of your marketing strategy appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.