Did your mother teach you that it’s wrong to eavesdrop?
Alas! Dear old mom was mistaken– it’s something a good content marketer has to do.
Content isn’t effective unless it engages your target audience (= prospective customers).
And you can’t hope to engage people unless you know what interests them– including their problems and concerns.
Which brings me to PRESTO: Personae, Research, Eavesdrop, Show, Think, Orient.
You’ve never heard of the PRESTO Method for creating effective content? That’s probably because I just coined the term today.
The ideas behind it, however, are well known. You can find them scattered over many content marketing sites. Here they are all in one place, organized into 6 steps:
1. Personae: as in buyer personae. You’re selling a product or service. What does your ideal customer look like? You need a clear idea of your target audience.
2. Research: find out where your ideal prospects hang out: which company blogs, social media sites, etc. You want to engage them, so you need to know where they are.
3. Eavesdrop on their digital conversations: read their blogs, their various social media posts. What are they saying and sharing? What’s on their minds?
4. Show your interest and expertise by leaving comments on their posts. Not a lame “Nice post!” Leave comments that add value: contribute something meaningful.
5. Think about what your targeted prospects are saying. Read between the lines. What
are their problems? How can you help while demonstrating your expertise?
6. Orient your own content (posts, tweets, etc) accordingly: create content your target audience will find helpful. Share it on multiple platforms to boost its visibility.
Here’s the whole idea in a simple infographic:
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Are you a content marketer? Care to share a tip about creating content? Please leave a comment.
