One of the fundamentals of good writing is to tailor your writing to those who will be reading your creation – that is, the audience. For those with the skills to do this, success abounds. For others, who are unable to connect writing to audience or who are unaware of this need, failure looms. You can end up with bored readers. The audience might not understand the message or may become confused over the meaning. You might be attempting to convey one thing and the audience may comprehend something else. As such, how to write for different audiences and purposes is a fundamental skill of a good writer.
According to Muraski (2009), there are three types of audiences. You need to work out which one you are writing for before you begin the writing process. These three categories include: lay; managerial; and experts.
The layperson does not posses expert knowledge and requires contextual information and additional descriptions.
The managerial audience could posses increased familiarity with the topic; however, they require background data and statistics in order to arrive at conclusions and important decisions.
The final audience category suggested by Muraski (2009) is the expert. This audience requires a completely different approach. Vocabulary is often specialized. References are required and need to be current. The actual writing format in itself is often complex.
It is essential that you examine the medium you are going to be writing in. Have a look at how it is laid out and the type of vocabulary used. Apart from this, research your target audience. How knowledgeable are they on a particular subject? If you were to write jargon specific to that topic, would the audience understand the meaning of the communication?
There are two main writing styles: formal and informal. These writing styles are fundamental to deciding how to write for different audiences and purposes.
Formal refers to a more ‘proper’ style of writing that is governed by rules and regulations; while informal denotes a writing style that is more relaxed and is not presided over by strict guidelines.
The target audience and publications where you most often see formal writing is in academic, business, and official government publications.
Informal writing is often seen in web content, in popular magazines, and in letter and email correspondence to friends and family.
When writing, it is also necessary to consider what is typical for that type of publication and target audience. In terms of formalities, you should consider if citation and references are common in that type of writing (Colorado State University, 2009). Do you need to define core terms or does the audience possess knowledge of those terms? Consider whether it is appropriate to write in the first or in third person (Colorado State University, 2009).
Another consideration is the structure of the writing. Perhaps there is an expected way of presenting the communication? Any type of deviation from this could look unprofessional.
Writing for different audiences can be a learning experience. There are times in our lives, especially professionals, where we are called upon to write for an array of audiences. Not only do you need to work out the expected structure and guidelines of the actual writing itself, but you also need to work out who your target audience is. The aim of writing is to get the message across. It is not to impress and bamboozle with big words. You will achieve writing success if you keep this in mind.
References
Colorado State University 2009, Writing Guides: Adapting to Your Audience, viewed 9 July, 2009.
Muraski, M., Three Categories of Audience, Colorado State University, viewed 9 July, 2009.