When Writing, Know Your Audience

Short quiz.

You are writing a letter to your 90-year-old grandmother. Which of the following do you do?

a) Craft a two-page e-mail discussing your company’s recent merger and do your best to use the words “streamline” and “economize” wherever you can.

b) Hand write a letter on college-ruled paper, front and back, about your obsession with the iPhone.

c) Buy her a $2 card from Hallmark because it has a nice picture and a nice poem, and then fill the envelope with pictures of your kids and garden.

Answer? Anyone….anyone?

Of course, the answer is “c.” Buy your grandmother a card and send pictures.

The reason for this little exercise it to make one simple point: when writing anything (I mean, anything), always consider your audience first. This is a fundamental rule in writing that all of us overlook from time to time, but it’s important not to.

You want your reader to keep reading after the headline and after the first paragraph. You probably think, this is my grandmother, she’ll love anything I write. She’ll just be happy to hear from me.

You’re right, she is your grandmother and she does love you, but that doesn’t mean she’ll read your letters.

Before you write anything, step away from the task. Think about who your readers are and what it is that they want to hear. Do they want to hear that you have a new product and how it is the best thing since sliced bread or do they want to hear how your new product will save them money, fix all their problems, and make them look younger?

It’s more than just the message too. It’s also format. Why would you email your grandmother when you know she doesn’t have an email account? While these examples are fewer and farther between, its still something you need to think about.

Know your audience. In writing, format and messaging are everything.

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