Writing for different audiences
When it comes to communication – one size definitely doesn’t fit all! Whether you’re crafting content for a tech-savvy Gen Z crowd or penning a persuasive piece for seasoned professionals, the key to success lies in mastering the art of versatility. By adapting your writing style to appeal to different audiences, you can tailor your message to captivate, engage and resonate with them.
So, where to start?
Study your audience
Prior to drafting a new piece of writing, you need to understand who your audience is. Think about their demographics: age, sex, job, and location, but most importantly think about their psychographics, behaviours, preferences and pain points.
This could include:
- Psychographics: Their attitudes, values, beliefs, and lifestyles. Understanding what motivates your audience, their aspirations, fears, and passions can help tailor your messaging to resonate more deeply.
- Behaviours: Analyse how your audience interacts with your content, products, or services. Are they active on social media? Do they prefer to research extensively before making a purchase? By understanding their behaviours, you can adapt your communication strategy accordingly.
- Preferences: What type of content does your audience prefer? Do they enjoy long-form articles, videos, infographics, or interactive quizzes?
- Communication Channels: Identify the channels and platforms your audience uses. Whether it’s social media, email, blogs, forums, or offline events, meeting your audience where they are ensures your message reaches them effectively.
- Challenges and Pain Points: What are the obstacles and challenges your audience faces? By understanding their pain points, you can position your products or services as solutions that address their needs and alleviate their concerns.
- Feedback and Interactions: Pay attention to feedback, comments, and interactions from your audience. This real-time data provides invaluable insights into their thoughts, opinions, and experiences, allowing you to refine your approach continuously.
- Cultural and Societal Context: Consider the cultural and societal context in which your audience exists. What are the prevailing norms, trends, and cultural sensitivities?
With such a detailed understanding of your audience, you will be able to write more relevant and persuasive copy.
Forget about unnecessary jargon!
Without realising, we are all guilty of including industry jargon by habit when we are writing! Some terms are easy to identify and avoid, but others you will use so often you may not even think of it as jargon – business terms such as ‘deliverables’ or ‘outputs’ for example.
When you are drafting a piece of writing, try to think about what you are actually trying to say. Sometimes simplicity is the best way to go! It is, though, worth noting that not all jargon is bad. In very particular cases when you are writing for a specific industry or tailored audience, then it may be important to use specific technical terms. Again, it comes down to focusing on and understanding your audience.
Let’s get writing…
Now you have identified your desired audience, including their personas, interests, and demographics, as well as understanding the right sort of language to use for your audience, it is time to get writing! Different styles of writing will appeal to different people. You should write with your end goal in mind, enabling you to weave your desired calls to action (this is what you want your intended audience to do as a result of reading your piece of writing) throughout the whole copy.
Proofread
This may seem like an obvious step, but whenever you are writing, it is always important to proofread your piece of writing. For the best result, ask a peer or colleague to read your draft and to provide feedback on who they think the target audience is, and who it would appeal to. This will give you an outsider’s perspective about how your writing comes across to others, and whether it will engage your target audience.
Let us take it off of your hands!
If you understand the importance of writing for different audiences but don’t have the time or resource to make it happen effectively, request a call back – we’d love to talk further about how we can help.