How to Tell Micro Stories that Drive Profit and Change

“I didn’t know how chess was going to put food on the table of children living in slums. But one thing I knew was that it was going to give them a new identity and people will respect them because of that identity.” – Tunde Onakoya, Founder, Chess in Slums.

"Devi used to spend four hours each day walking across India’s Thar Desert to collect water for her family. Today, she has a #charitywater-funded rainwater harvesting tank only steps from her house. What used to take hours now takes minutes, thanks to your support." – Charity Water.

Today, I’ll show you how to use micro-stories like the ones above so that donors or customers can buy into your cause or business.

If you learn to tell micro-stories, you’ll increase donor engagement, create emotional connections with your customers, and raise more support for your cause or brand.

And even if your audience isn’t ready to donate or buy from you immediately, you’ll inspire empathy and move them closer to becoming future supporters.

Regrettably, most organizations lack a clear strategy for telling compelling stories in a short format. They think that stories must be long and complex to trigger a reaction in their audience. This often leads to missed opportunities for businesses.

Having an engaged donor or customer base doesn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of strategic and compelling storytelling.

So today we’re going to learn how to:

• Make every word count with micro-storytelling
• Discover how global brands use micro-stories to connect emotionally
• Understand how to adapt these stories for your non-profit or for-profit business
• Get actionable tips for creating your own micro-stories

But first, let’s understand what micro-storytelling is.

What Are Micro Stories?

According to the Australian Association for the Teaching of English (AATE), micro-stories are "quick-paced and enjoyable narratives that fulfill a reader's desire for brevity but simultaneously can carry intellectual weight, wit, and insight." 

I like to think of them as short narratives that send a message, show a challenge, and demonstrate a transformation. They trigger deep emotions and call the audience to action in a quick format

Notice the recurring decimals in the above definitions (quick-paced, brevity, short, and quick format). This begs the question why do these narratives have to be brief?

Why Micro Stories?

Recent studies show that human attention spans are diminishing. If you don’t make it hit from the get-go, you'll be on a long thing (Gen Z slang).

If your communication does not simplify complex issues, and make them digestible from the start, people will scroll away and may never return. Just imagine how many missed opportunities this will mean for your brand.

That is why brands like Twitter (now X) swear by micro stories.

But as we know, it is one thing to understand why you should do something and quite another to know how to do it. This is where a structure comes in. To tell compelling micro stories you need to follow a structure.

The Structure of a Micro Story

1. Set the scene by providing a quick context. Who is the story about, and what’s happening?

2. Focus on one key moment by showing a single emotional or meaningful experience.

3. Have a call to action by ending with a clear next step (learn more, donate, or share the post).

Let’s break it down with some real examples

Charity: Water regularly posts videos that focus on key moments of people whose lives have changed or are about to change thanks to clean water. Next, they write a short emotional call to action about how your donation can make a difference.

Watch the video below to see how they do this in 15 seconds and read the caption to see the call to action.

Trees for the Future has learned to set the context for their stories and segue into how a farmer’s livelihood has improved because he has started practicing regenerative farming methods, thanks to capacity-building efforts. Again they end with a call to action which is thanking you by showing how your donations are making this possible.

Watch below to see how they do this in 15 seconds

The thing is…

You do not need to be a “world-class expert” before telling micro stories for your brand.  You only need to make an attempt and learn as you go.

So here is an example of how a for-profit food business can dial in the above structure to quickly tell a promotional micro story. Let’s give this business a name (Custom Soup Kitchen).

Micro Story for Custom Soup Kitchen

1. Set the Scene: Miriam struggled to find time to prepare healthy meals for her family after her 9-5 workdays.

2. Focus on One Key Moment: All that changed when she discovered Custom Soup Kitchen. With our freshly-prepared, nutritious soup bowls, she no longer has to compromise on quality. Her family now enjoys the convenience of fast food but with all the nourishment and flavor of a home-cooked meal.

3. Call to Action: Let us help you take the pressure off meal planning and give your family the nutrition they deserve. Order a custom bowl today.

Say you want to convert this story into a voiceless 15-second video …

15 Second Reel for Custom Soup Kitchen

Context: Show a mum in a messy kitchen trying to chop peppers and dozing off while at it.

Key Moment: Next, show an excited happy family sitting around the table as Mum serves some fresh, steaming (CFK branded) soup.

Call to action: No stress. No shortcuts. Order your custom soup bowls today and enjoy convenience and quality. 

Micro storytelling is an effective way to communicate your mission and engage your audience. If you learn to turn information and data into relatable narratives, you will inspire action and drive change quickly.

That's all for this week. All the best as you tell your micro-stories.

P.S. What industry are you in? Drop it in the comments, and I’ll suggest micro stories you can tell to enhance your engagement.