{"id":2530922,"date":"2024-10-23T08:03:20","date_gmt":"2024-10-23T15:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=2530922"},"modified":"2024-10-23T08:07:38","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T15:07:38","slug":"setting-yourself-up-for-a-successful-arcgis-storymaps-project","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/setting-yourself-up-for-a-successful-arcgis-storymaps-project","title":{"rendered":"Setting yourself up for a successful ArcGIS StoryMaps project"},"author":363212,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[37131],"tags":[398132,772782],"industry":[],"product":[36611,380802],"class_list":["post-2530922","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-constituent-engagement","tag-arcgis-storymaps","tag-project-management","product-story-maps","product-arcgis-storymaps"],"acf":{"authors":[{"ID":363212,"user_firstname":"Heidi","user_lastname":"Daulton","nickname":"Heidi Daulton","user_nicename":"hdaulton","display_name":"Heidi Daulton","user_email":"hdaulton@esri.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2024-10-15 18:03:24","user_description":"Heidi Daulton is a senior project manager for Esri\u2019s StoryMaps team. Prior to joining Esri, Heidi worked across the conservation nonprofit space doing education, GIS, and communications. She's a big fan of ultrarunning, public libraries, and her chickens.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/04\/daulton_heidi_portrait_small-465x465.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"}],"short_description":"Behind every good story is a great deal of planning. This blog walks you through the planning process used by Esri's StoryMaps editorial team.","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Behind every good story is a great deal of planning. The StoryMaps editorial team starts every project with a detailed <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">project plan<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> that includes the following items to set ourselves up for success.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Establishing your <strong>purpose<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Developing an <strong>outline<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Knowing your <strong>role(s)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Establishing a <strong>timeline<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Inventorying <strong>content and data<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Planning for <strong>promotion<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Follow along to learn what goes into each piece of our project planning puzzle.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Establish your purpose<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Your project plan should include basic information to establish the purpose of the project. What are you making and why? What&#8217;s the key message you\u2019re trying to convey? These questions should be answered in your <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">project description<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">. When establishing the purpose, it&#8217;s also important that you know <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">who <\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">your story is for; this is your <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">primary audience<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">.<\/span> <span data-contrast=\"none\">Is it intended for experts in the field or a class of elementary students? Lastly, you should also consider the <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">scope<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> of the project \u2014 what will and will <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">not<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\"> be included. For example, if you are writing a story about climate change, are you going to include impacts everywhere or just in a specific location?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Knowing exactly what you\u2019re making ahead of time will keep the project moving forward.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2538362,"id":2538362,"title":"divider","filename":"divider.png","filesize":1395,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/setting-yourself-up-for-a-successful-arcgis-storymaps-project\/divider-7","alt":"","author":"363212","description":"","caption":"","name":"divider-7","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2530922,"date":"2024-10-21 20:07:43","modified":"2024-10-21 20:07:43","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":877,"height":57,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider-213x57.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":57,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":30,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":50,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","large-width":877,"large-height":57,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","1536x1536-width":877,"1536x1536-height":57,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","2048x2048-width":877,"2048x2048-height":57,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider-826x54.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":54,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","wide_image-width":877,"wide_image-height":57}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Develop an outline<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Before diving into the fun stuff, you should have a detailed outline of your story that might include notes about the types of images, graphics, or maps you hope to include. You could even go as far as to plan what type of block will be used in the StoryMaps builder (such as a swipe, image gallery, or sidecar) or what your estimated word count will be for each section. Make sure your outline reflects the purpose you established.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Here is a sample outline from a previously published <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/3c62e36182664c8ea73b46ad3c5e5031\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">StoryMap project<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">. View the complete document <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1Nw4FbWdCSB6uZQBk7KkvkIovOJ3qGldnUBh5sERV-18\/edit?usp=sharing\">here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2531272,"id":2531272,"title":"PM_Blog_Image_1","filename":"PM_Blog_Image_1.png","filesize":221232,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_1.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/setting-yourself-up-for-a-successful-arcgis-storymaps-project\/pm_blog_image_1","alt":"Screenshot of a story outline.","author":"363212","description":"This image shows an example outline for a previously published StoryMap about library deserts.","caption":"","name":"pm_blog_image_1","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2530922,"date":"2024-10-15 20:17:49","modified":"2024-10-15 20:23:53","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1081,"height":601,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_1-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_1.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":258,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_1.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":427,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_1.png","large-width":1081,"large-height":601,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_1.png","1536x1536-width":1081,"1536x1536-height":601,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_1.png","2048x2048-width":1081,"2048x2048-height":601,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_1-826x459.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":459,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_1.png","wide_image-width":1081,"wide_image-height":601}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2538362,"id":2538362,"title":"divider","filename":"divider.png","filesize":1395,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/setting-yourself-up-for-a-successful-arcgis-storymaps-project\/divider-7","alt":"","author":"363212","description":"","caption":"","name":"divider-7","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2530922,"date":"2024-10-21 20:07:43","modified":"2024-10-21 20:07:43","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":877,"height":57,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider-213x57.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":57,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":30,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":50,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","large-width":877,"large-height":57,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","1536x1536-width":877,"1536x1536-height":57,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","2048x2048-width":877,"2048x2048-height":57,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider-826x54.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":54,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","wide_image-width":877,"wide_image-height":57}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Know your role(s)<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Assume every ArcGIS StoryMaps project needs the same roles: a writer\/researcher, map maker, graphic designer, builder, editor, approver, and a \u201cmiscellaneous\u201d person to write alternative text and\/or seek permissions. <span class=\"ui-provider a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak\" dir=\"ltr\">If you&#8217;re the only person creating the story, you&#8217;ll fill all those roles<\/span>! But perhaps you are lucky and have one person for each.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2531282,"id":2531282,"title":"PM_Blog_Image_2","filename":"PM_Blog_Image_2.png","filesize":74001,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_2.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/setting-yourself-up-for-a-successful-arcgis-storymaps-project\/pm_blog_image_2","alt":"A graphic depicting generic icons of people at the bottom with icons for various project tasks at the top; the task icons are connected to one or several of the people below.","author":"363212","description":"This graphic shows how project tasks may be completed by one or many different people.","caption":"","name":"pm_blog_image_2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2530922,"date":"2024-10-15 20:18:03","modified":"2024-10-15 20:23:53","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1081,"height":601,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_2-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_2.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":258,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_2.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":427,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_2.png","large-width":1081,"large-height":601,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_2.png","1536x1536-width":1081,"1536x1536-height":601,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_2.png","2048x2048-width":1081,"2048x2048-height":601,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_2-826x459.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":459,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_2.png","wide_image-width":1081,"wide_image-height":601}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">You can probably already see where these roles can overlap. It&#8217;s common for a project\u2019s cartographer to also be the graphic designer and story builder. It&#8217;s also probable that the cartographer may be the one seeking data permissions. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The role of editor is a tricky one; it&#8217;s good to have someone on the immediate project team looking over the story and providing initial feedback. Our team refers to this person as our \u201ceditorial support.\u201d However, it&#8217;s highly recommended that a final editor be from outside the team, so they can approach the story with fresh eyes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">An often-overlooked part of a project is considering who is responsible for approving your StoryMap. Does your organization have a communications or legal team that needs to read through your content? Make sure you know who needs to &#8220;sign off\u201d before your project is public.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">If you are in a small organization, it&#8217;s very common for one person to complete every part of the StoryMap; if this is the case, it&#8217;s even more important that you set yourself up successfully!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2538362,"id":2538362,"title":"divider","filename":"divider.png","filesize":1395,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/setting-yourself-up-for-a-successful-arcgis-storymaps-project\/divider-7","alt":"","author":"363212","description":"","caption":"","name":"divider-7","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2530922,"date":"2024-10-21 20:07:43","modified":"2024-10-21 20:07:43","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":877,"height":57,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider-213x57.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":57,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":30,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":50,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","large-width":877,"large-height":57,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","1536x1536-width":877,"1536x1536-height":57,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","2048x2048-width":877,"2048x2048-height":57,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider-826x54.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":54,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","wide_image-width":877,"wide_image-height":57}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Establish a timeline\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Several steps of the project process are tightly intertwined, so you may find yourself frequently updating your timeline. It&#8217;s important you do not give yourself or your team infinite time to complete a project, or you likely never will.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">When determining a timeline, make sure it&#8217;s realistic. If your vision for your story involves a complex narrative, custom maps, and hand-drawn illustrations, two weeks is likely not long enough to complete it without an all-star team. Consider all the smaller tasks that come with the project and estimate the time it would take to complete each one. You should also give yourself a bit of extra time for finishing touches. Below is an example list of tasks for a standard StoryMap project our team might work on.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\">research<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\">writing<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\">data collection &amp; permissions<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\">maps &amp; graphics<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\">story building<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\">editing<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\">promotional materials<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244474950 BCX0\">alternative text<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW244474950 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2531292,"id":2531292,"title":"PM_Blog_Image_3","filename":"PM_Blog_Image_3.png","filesize":84467,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_3.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/setting-yourself-up-for-a-successful-arcgis-storymaps-project\/pm_blog_image_3","alt":"Graph showing weeks on x-axis and project tasks on y-axis. Green bars indicate length of time for each task.","author":"363212","description":"This graphic visualizes how project tasks begin, end, and overlap.","caption":"","name":"pm_blog_image_3","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2530922,"date":"2024-10-15 20:18:04","modified":"2024-10-15 20:23:53","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1081,"height":601,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_3-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_3.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":258,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_3.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":427,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_3.png","large-width":1081,"large-height":601,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_3.png","1536x1536-width":1081,"1536x1536-height":601,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_3.png","2048x2048-width":1081,"2048x2048-height":601,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_3-826x459.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":459,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Image_3.png","wide_image-width":1081,"wide_image-height":601}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW44066120 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW44066120 BCX0\">Another trick for deciding how long a project should take is to think backwards from a promotion date. When would you like your <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW44066120 BCX0\">StoryMap<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW44066120 BCX0\"> out in the world? Is your story time-sensitive? A <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW44066120 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW44066120 BCX0\"><strong>time-sensitive<\/strong> story<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW44066120 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW44066120 BCX0\"> may revolve around a particular event or holiday. For example, if I&#8217;m <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW44066120 BCX0\">writing<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW44066120 BCX0\"> a story on a recent natural disaster, I wouldn&#8217;t want the story to be published the following month but rather the following week; in this instance, each of my story tasks (above) would need to be completed within a matter of days.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW44066120 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2538362,"id":2538362,"title":"divider","filename":"divider.png","filesize":1395,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/setting-yourself-up-for-a-successful-arcgis-storymaps-project\/divider-7","alt":"","author":"363212","description":"","caption":"","name":"divider-7","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2530922,"date":"2024-10-21 20:07:43","modified":"2024-10-21 20:07:43","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":877,"height":57,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider-213x57.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":57,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":30,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":50,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","large-width":877,"large-height":57,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","1536x1536-width":877,"1536x1536-height":57,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","2048x2048-width":877,"2048x2048-height":57,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider-826x54.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":54,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","wide_image-width":877,"wide_image-height":57}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Inventory your content and data<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Another important part of project planning is knowing what \u201cstuff\u201d you already have and what you need to acquire. This includes everything from research to data. Be sure to consider your project\u2019s scope established in the beginning of the plan; distinguish between items that are essential for your story and ones that are simply nice to have. Here are some questions to ask yourself for this section of your plan.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">What kind of maps do you want in your story? Do they already exist, or do you need to do some spatial analyses?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Do you have a dataset that meets your needs as well as permission to use it?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Do you have sources to support the claims in your narrative? <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Does the story need photographs?\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Our team breaks this down into \u201ccontent\u201d and \u201cdata\u201d on our project plan, further separated by sections of \u201chave\u201d and \u201cneed.\u201d Don\u2019t forget to secure permission for anything you intend to use or make sure it has the correct license for your use case.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2538362,"id":2538362,"title":"divider","filename":"divider.png","filesize":1395,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/setting-yourself-up-for-a-successful-arcgis-storymaps-project\/divider-7","alt":"","author":"363212","description":"","caption":"","name":"divider-7","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2530922,"date":"2024-10-21 20:07:43","modified":"2024-10-21 20:07:43","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":877,"height":57,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider-213x57.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":57,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":30,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":50,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","large-width":877,"large-height":57,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","1536x1536-width":877,"1536x1536-height":57,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","2048x2048-width":877,"2048x2048-height":57,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider-826x54.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":54,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","wide_image-width":877,"wide_image-height":57}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Plan for promotion<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">We write our stories for people to read them, so each story needs a promotion date, assets, and plan. For the beginning stages of a project, we only need to know what <em>day<\/em> our story will be promoted across our social channels and <em>how<\/em> we plan to share it. As mentioned above, this could impact your project\u2019s timeline. For more information on successfully promoting your story, read section four of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/constituent-engagement\/effective-strategies-for-engaging-with-your-audience\/\">this blog<\/a>.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2538362,"id":2538362,"title":"divider","filename":"divider.png","filesize":1395,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/setting-yourself-up-for-a-successful-arcgis-storymaps-project\/divider-7","alt":"","author":"363212","description":"","caption":"","name":"divider-7","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2530922,"date":"2024-10-21 20:07:43","modified":"2024-10-21 20:07:43","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":877,"height":57,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider-213x57.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":57,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":30,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":50,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","large-width":877,"large-height":57,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","1536x1536-width":877,"1536x1536-height":57,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","2048x2048-width":877,"2048x2048-height":57,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider-826x54.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":54,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/divider.png","wide_image-width":877,"wide_image-height":57}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW266553931 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun CommentStart SCXW266553931 BCX0\">Whether alone or <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW266553931 BCX0\">working<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW266553931 BCX0\"> with<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW266553931 BCX0\">a team, a<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW266553931 BCX0\">n ArcGIS <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW266553931 BCX0\">S<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW266553931 BCX0\">toryMap<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW266553931 BCX0\">s<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW266553931 BCX0\">project can quickly become overwhelming. Having a solid, detailed project plan in place before diving into the work can set you up for success.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW266553931 BCX0\"> Our team is constantly improving our workflow and learning from our user community. Comment on this blog post if you have strategies for how <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW266553931 BCX0\">you\u2019ve<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW266553931 BCX0\"> set up your projects for success.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW266553931 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"}],"related_articles":[{"ID":1994392,"post_author":"302462","post_date":"2024-01-05 15:35:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-01-05 23:35:58","post_content":"","post_title":"Effective strategies for engaging with your audience","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"effective-strategies-for-engaging-with-your-audience","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 14:51:09","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 22:51:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=1994392","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":527412,"post_author":"7211","post_date":"2019-06-16 11:57:16","post_date_gmt":"2019-06-16 18:57:16","post_content":"","post_title":"Planning and outlining your story: How to set yourself up for success","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"planning-and-outlining-your-story-map-how-to-set-yourself-up-for-success","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-08-12 08:07:41","post_modified_gmt":"2021-08-12 15:07:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=527412","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2449052,"post_author":"9422","post_date":"2024-09-04 05:00:23","post_date_gmt":"2024-09-04 12:00:23","post_content":"","post_title":"Enter the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition to build a better world together","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-09-11 13:13:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-09-11 20:13:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=2449052","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Thumbnail.jpg","wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PM_Blog_Banner-1.jpg"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Setting yourself up for a successful ArcGIS StoryMaps project<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Behind every good story is a great deal of planning. 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