From Hemingway to TikTok: Micro-Stories then and now

In the fast-moving age of social media, the feed on the smartphone is scrolled through at the speed of light. You can see Instagram posts and TikTok videos that last 15 seconds. This type of storytelling can be categorized under the term micro-stories. They have already been used by writers such as Hemingway. Micro-stories stand for stories in their absolute short form and require the ability to be concise.

Another characteristic of mini-stories is the lack of background information. Recipients have the task of reconstructing these independently. This is the only way they can understand the message of the story. But why are micro-stories so popular right now? What do they trigger in the audience? And how can brands benefit from this? You can find out all about this in our blog post “From Hemingway to TikTok: Micro-stories then and now”.

„For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.”

This headline is a micro-story written by Ernest Hemingway. Although it consists of only six words, it tells a tragic story and is thought-provoking. Hemingway manages to evoke emotions and create images in the mind with a single line. Due to gaps in the information, the story leaves room for interpretation. It sticks in the memory. As soon as recipients make a cognitive effort to decode the action, the reward system signals: This content is important!

Micro-Movies: Visual Storytelling in Mini Format

The advertising film director Florian Meimberg has also become known for this strategy. He published small 140-character novels on Twitter and called them “Tiny Tales”. These mini-stories were then published as a book. To mark the tenth anniversary of his Tiny Tales, some of them were even made into films. With the transformation of micro-stories into a visual format, they appear in a new dimension and fit well into today’s age. Meimberg sees this type of storytelling as an attempt to tell stories in an unexpected way. His short film “The Test” is also a micro-story with a surprising ending. The story is about a woman who holds a positive pregnancy test in her hand. She then goes into the bedroom and tells the man in her bed that he is going to be an uncle. Here too, the audience first has to understand the meaning and thus remains attached to the story.

Micro-stories as a Content Marketing Tool: A new Playground for Brands

If you want to reach your audience today, you have to reckon with the fact that attention spans are short. Good content should get to the point quickly, stand out from the competition and be memorable. In our blog post “From Hemingway to TikTok: Micro-stories then and now”, we take a look at the use of short content formats. Social media platforms such as Instagram and the like do nothing other than disseminate micro-stories, and are very successful at it. Brands can also benefit from this form of storytelling. Back Market, a marketplace for used iPhones, has created such a campaign. It tells a micro-story in two different pictures. The mini-story is aimed at the generation that prefers to invest in experiences rather than material things. But they still don’t want to do without the new iPhone. This means that the money saved on buying a used smartphone can be spent on a trip or a ballet performance.

Backmarket’s campaign on refurbished iPhone X. Telling they are no lesser than a brand new iPhone X.
Creative Ad by @back_market @backmarket#CreativeAd #MarketingFandom #backmarket #iphonexforsale #iphonex #iphonexsale pic.twitter.com/kho40cqMlI

— Marketing Fandom (@MarketingFandom) September 10, 2019

Long story short

The use of micro-stories fits in well with the zeitgeist of today’s generation. This strategy can help to create new content. As with any good story, an exciting hook is crucial. The audience should be persuaded to think about the story. A surprising ending can also contribute to the success of a micro-story. In this way, the message or product is very likely to be remembered and associated with emotions.

If you liked the blog post “From Hemingway to TikTok: Micro-Stories then and now”, you are welcome to be inspired by other content formats and read our article on the topic “Blog post, listicle and then? – 13 digital content formats”.