Plain Writing

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Coffee, steeped

Derek Gillette

Advice is great, but advice on its own won’t make you a better writer. We become better writers by writing and it’s always easier to write when we’re inspired. To that end, a creative prompt using an ordinary item.

coffee, steeped | an exercise in writing personas

This week’s ordinary item: Steeped Coffee

What is it? Specialty coffee in a single-serve bag (just like tea)

Who drinks this stuff?

The folks over at Steeped Coffee were kind enough to allow us to feature their product this week. After taking a look through their materials I was left with one question - who drinks this stuff?

The task for you is to come up with a fictitious profile of their ideal customer. The profile could be a few demographic criteria, or it could be a story (hint - stories are more fun!).

Have fun with the exercise, push the boundaries, look at this “ordinary” item in an uncommon way. Most importantly, write something!

The ideal customer for Steeped Coffee is __________________ .

Not sure where to start? Some prompts to get the creativity flowing…

  • What time of day is it? Where are they?

  • Where do they need to be later today?

  • Are they haunted by a past experience?

  • What do they do with the steeped coffee bag once they’re done with it?

  • What are their goals in life? What do they want to be better at?

Looking for professional advice on how to write a compelling marketing persona? Here’s what a few of the experts had to say when I asked:

  • “Talk to your customers.” -Jason Bradwell

  • “Think of their day in terms of what they do, what they consume, how they interact with the media, their pain points and then think about how big or small a role your product plays.” -Kunal Mehta

  • “Understand their pain points! (beyond just the ones that relate to you and your product)” -Austin Sandmeyer

  • “Conduct research, segment accurately, and don’t wing it!” -Jeremiah Fellows

  • “Clarify what progress looks like for them.” -Justin Bronson

Add to this story — what happens next? Leave a comment and let us know.

Inspire someone else — share this page with a friend or colleague.

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My name is Derek and I write all kinds of things for businesses of every size in many different industries. Do you have a writing or strategy need? This is what I love to do.