3.1: Why Audience Matters
Learning Objectives
- Effective communication requires a clear understanding of the prior knowledge, expectations, and concerns of the audience
The importance of knowing your audience
Imagine you must give a presentation to a group of executives in an office. Weeks before the big day, you spend time creating and rehearsing the presentation. You must make important, careful decisions not only about the content but also about your delivery. Will the presentation require technology to project figures and charts? Should the presentation define important words, or will the executives already know the terms? Should you dress casually or is something more formal needed? The answers to these questions will help you develop an appropriate relationship with your audience, making them more receptive to your message.
Now imagine you must explain the same business concepts from your presentation to a group of high school students. Those important questions you previously answered may now require different answers. The figures and charts may be too sophisticated, and the terms will certainly require definitions. You may even reconsider your outfit and sport a more casual look. Because the audience has shifted, your presentation and delivery will shift as well to create a new relationship with the new audience.
In these two situations, the audience—the individuals who will watch and listen to the presentation—plays a role in the development of presentation.
Although the audience for writing assignments—your readers—may not appear in person, they play an equally vital role. Even in everyday writing activities, you identify your readers’ characteristics, interests, and expectations before making decisions about what you write. In fact, thinking about audience has become so common that you may not even detect the audience-driven decisions.
For example, you update your status on a social networking site with the awareness of who will digitally follow the post. If you want to brag about a good grade, you may write the post to please family members. If you want to describe a funny moment, you may write with your friends’ senses of humour in mind. Even at work, you send e-mails with an awareness of an unintended receiver who could intercept the message.
In other words, being aware of “invisible” readers is a skill you most likely already possess and one you rely on every day. Consider the following paragraphs. Which one would the author send to her parents? Which one would she send to her best friend?
Examples
Example A
Last Saturday, I volunteered at a local hospital. The visit was fun and rewarding. I even learned how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. Unfortunately, I think caught a cold from one of the patients. This week, I will rest in bed and drink plenty of clear fluids. I hope I am well by next Saturday to volunteer again.
Example B
OMG! You won’t believe this! My advisor forced me to do my community service hours at this hospital all weekend! We learned CPR but we did it on dummies, not even real peeps. And some kid sneezed on me and got me sick! I was so bored and sniffling all weekend; I hope I don’t have to go back next week. I def do NOT want to miss the basketball tournament!
Most likely, you matched each paragraph to its intended audience with little hesitation. Because each paragraph reveals the author’s relationship with her intended readers, you can identify the audience fairly quickly. When writing your own paragraphs, you must engage with your audience to build an appropriate relationship given your subject. Imagining your readers during each stage of the writing process will help you make decisions about your writing.
Tip
While giving a speech, you may articulate an inspiring or critical message, but if you left your hair a mess and laced up mismatched shoes, your audience would not take you seriously. They may be too distracted by your appearance to listen to your words.
Similarly, grammar and sentence structure serve as the appearance of a piece of writing. Polishing your work using correct grammar will impress your readers and allow them to focus on what you have to say.
Because focusing on audience will enhance your writing, your process, and your finished product, you must consider the specific traits of your audience members. Use your imagination to anticipate the readers’ demographics, education, prior knowledge, and expectations.
- Demographics. These measure important data about a group of people, such as their age range, their ethnicity, their religious beliefs, or their gender. Certain topics and assignments will require these kinds of considerations about your audience.
- Education. Education considers the audience’s level of schooling. If audience members have earned a doctorate degree, for example, you may need to elevate your style and use more formal language. Or, if audience members are still in college, you could write in a more relaxed style.
- Prior knowledge. This refers to what the audience already knows about your topic. You may decide whether to define terms and explain concepts based on your audience’s prior knowledge. Although you cannot peer inside the brains of your readers to discover their knowledge, you can make reasonable assumptions. For instance, a nursing major would presumably know more about health-related topics than a business major would.
- Expectations. These indicate what readers will look for while reading your assignment. Readers may expect consistencies in the assignment’s appearance, such as correct grammar and traditional formatting like double-spaced lines and legible font. Readers may also have content-based expectations given the assignment’s purpose and organization. In an essay titled “The Economics of Enlightenment: The Effects of Rising Tuition,” for example, audience members may expect to read about the economic repercussions of college tuition costs.
Understanding your audience is the key to effective communication. Imagine giving a speech to a room full of scientists using language more suited to a kindergarten class—your message would be lost in translation. Similarly, when you’re writing, you must tailor your message to the needs and expectations of your readers.
Every reader comes with their own set of experiences, knowledge, and expectations. By tuning in to their frequency, you can make your message clearer and more interesting to them. Whether you’re addressing fellow academics, students, or a broader audience, understanding who is on the other side of the page allows you to speak directly to their needs, sparking engagement and ensuring your message achieves its goal.
In the grand scheme of academic writing, your audience is your ally. They hold the key to whether your ideas soar or fall flat. So, the next time you put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, remember: knowing your audience is not an option—it’s the secret to making your communication truly impactful.
Understanding your audience
In his speech, Matt Abrahams (2013) emphasizes the importance of understanding your audience. Good communicators tailor their messages to meet the needs, interests, and background of the audience. Abrahams advocates for an approach that prioritizes being in service to the audience. He points out that understanding the audience helps avoid the “curse of knowledge,” where assumptions, jargon, and lack of appreciation for the audience’s needs can lead to communication breakdowns. Abrahams illustrates his points with examples, including the success of the “Don’t Mess with Texas” campaign and the failures of campaigns like Electrolux’s. Overall, his message centers on the idea that effective communication stems from a deep understanding of the audience.
Abrahams presents questions to guide any effective communication.
- What does the audience know?
- What does the audience expect?
- What areas of concern might an audience have? What concerns would they have?
Watch The Importance of knowing your audience and speaking context (9 mins) on YouTube
Video source: Abrahams, M. (2013, Dec 19). The importance of knowing your audience and speaking context. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/WQ3wJ2A_4UI
How authors connect with audiences – Evaluate an example
Take a moment to examine this message: Successful students go to class – A Guide for Successful Students (pressbooks.pub)
- Identify instances in the message where the author assumes certain knowledge about the audience. How does the author build on the audience’s existing understanding of the college experience?
- Explore how the author taps into the audience’s expectations and aspirations. Are there specific phrases or statements that align with what students might expect or aspire to achieve in their college journey?
- Look for sections in the message where the author anticipates and addresses potential concerns or reservations that students might have about attending every class. How are these concerns acknowledged and resolved?
- Highlight instances where the author makes the message relatable to the day-to-day experiences of students. Are there anecdotes, examples, or scenarios that resonate with the audience’s lived experiences?
Key Takeaways
- Understanding your audience’s prior knowledge, expectations, and concerns will help you to ensure your message is successful.
Attribution & References
Except where otherwise noted, this chapter is adapted from “6.1 Purpose, audience, tone and content” In Writing for Success by University of Minnesota licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. / Adaptations include: adding in relevant references for writing example content, updates for accessibility & CC licensing.
References in examples & summaries
Brown, S. A., McGue, M., Maggs, J., Schulenberg, J., Hingson, R., Swartzwelder, S., Martin, C., Chung, T., Tapert, S. F., Sher, K., Winters, K. C., Lowman, C., & Murphy, S. (2009). Underage alcohol use: summary of developmental processes and mechanisms: ages 16-20. Alcohol research & health : the journal of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 32(1), 41–52.
Spoth, R., Greenberg, M., & Turrisi, R. (2009). Overview of preventive interventions addressing underage drinking: State of the evidence and steps toward public health impact. Alcohol Research & Health, 32(1), 53–66.
