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Abstract

the message itself. Consider the time and place of your communication, as well as the medium you are using to communicate. For example, a message that is appropriate for a formal business setting may not be appropriate for a casual social setting. Similarly, a message that works well in print may not work as well in a video or audio format.</p><p id="4036">An important aspect of effectively communicating with your target audience is making sure that you’re delivering your message where your target will receive it. For example, if you’re advertising for an open job position for entry-level employees or college graduates, you want to be online, not in the local print newspaper. Similarly, if there is a complex problem or subject that needs to be addressed, it may be best to deliver that message in person, rather than in writing to avoid misunderstanding and to have the ability to answer questions immediately.</p><p id="9fc3">More to come on choosing mediums (when there are options), in future posts.</p><h2 id="6d96">4. What are their pain points?</h2><p id="68b6">If you’re in business, sales, marketing, or trying to persuade anyone, then you must consider their pain points — and your solution to them. Identifying the pain points of your audience is crucial to getting ahead of concerns and questions they will have, as well as building trust with your audience.</p><p id="4e17">Depending on your audience there are a couple of ways to research pain points.</p><p id="4d6e">a) If you have a large target audience, it can be helpful to create a client/customer avatar that represents your ideal customer. Once you have this avatar defined, you can empathize with them and learn about their struggles. It won’t meet the needs of EVERYONE in your audience, but it will speak to your ideal audience members.</p><p id="2587">b) You’re presenting to a smaller pre-set audience (e.g. Board of Directors, Classroom of Students, or similar). Here you can do specific research on the individuals. Understand their business ventures, their backgrounds, or their aspirations. Use the information you find to help you determine the questions and concerns they will have on your topic.</p><h2 id="77d1">5. What motivates them?</h2><p id="3287">People are motivated by different things. Some are motivated by a desire for achievement, while others are motivated by a desire for social connection or personal growth. Understanding your audience’s motivations can help you create a message that resonates with them on a deeper level. For example, if your audience is motivated by a desire for achievement, you can emphasize the benefits of your product or service in terms of success and accomplishment.</p><p id="4bec">Identifying audience motivators is second only to addressing pain points in building trust with your audience and getting them to listen to you. The process for identifying motivations is the same as

Options

pain points — avatar or individual research — and will help you get ahead of playing on these motivations and incorporating them into your communication.</p><h2 id="0eeb">6. How will you address their pain points and motivations?</h2><p id="7a93">Once you have a deep understanding of your audience, you can tailor your message to resonate with them. This means using language and messaging that is specific to their needs and desires. For example, if your audience is concerned about the environment, you can emphasize the eco-friendliness of your product or service. Tailoring your message shows your audience that you understand their needs and are invested in meeting them.</p><h2 id="b1aa">7. How will you relate to your audience?</h2><p id="7f85">People relate to stories and examples. Using stories and examples in your communication can help your audience connect with your message on a deeper level. For example, if you are selling a product that saves time, you can share a story about how the product helped someone save time in their daily routine. This helps your audience understand the benefits of your product in a more relatable and personal way.</p><p id="a5bb">If you have a personal story to share with your audience, you should! If you don’t have a specific example from your past to share, then work with others on a case study or ask if you can share their story. Stories resonate, stories build trust, and humanize even mechanical interactions.</p><p id="9636">And stories lead into our bonus tip:</p><h2 id="f2f0">(Bonus Tip!) Be Authentic</h2><p id="e92b">Authenticity is key to effective communication. People can sense when someone is being insincere or disingenuous. Be honest and transparent in your communication, and show your audience that you care about their needs and desires. Sharing stories is an elegant way to showcase your personal authenticity as well as the working knowledge of what you are sharing with your audience. When you communicate authentically, you build trust and credibility.</p><p id="0e75">Effective communication requires a deep understanding of your audience. By knowing your target audience — or the audience chosen for you — you will connect more authentically with them. Using empathy to build a relationship with your audience will gain you the much-needed trust that’s required both for you to gain the confidence you need AND that your audience needs in you to effectively communicate with them.</p><p id="e98d">Like what you read? Want to hear more from me? Subscribe to my email list <a href="https://medium.com/subscribe/@kllreierson"><b><i>here</i></b></a>!</p><p id="12c8">If you’d like to read from all medium writers, <a href="https://medium.com/@kllreierson/membership"><b><i>click here to join</i></b></a>! Your membership supports me and all of the writers you read! You’ll also get full access to every story on Medium.com.</p></article></body>

Effective Communication: 7 Questions to Get to Know Your Audience

In my previous post, we discussed the importance of research in communication. It’s no secret that research plays a pivotal role in understanding what your audience wants and needs, and how to deliver your message effectively. However, research alone is not enough. Knowing your audience is just as important as conducting research, and this involves a deeper understanding of who your audience is and what they value.

Knowing your audience means more than just understanding their demographics, such as age, gender, location, and income level. While these factors are important, they don’t paint the full picture. Effective communication requires a comprehensive understanding of your audience’s beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors. By understanding these factors, you can tailor your message to resonate with your audience and achieve your communication goals.

Here are 7 questions to answer (and a bonus tip) when getting to know your audience:

1. Who are you talking to?

The first step in effective communication is defining your audience. Ask yourself who you are trying to reach and why. Consider the demographics of your audience, such as age, gender, and location, as well as their psychographics, such as values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. This information will help you create a more targeted message that speaks to your audience.

2. What tone will resonate with them?

When communicating with your audience, it’s important to use language that resonates with them. This means using words and phrases that they are familiar with and can relate to. Avoid using technical jargon or industry-specific terminology if your audience may not understand it. Instead, use language that is clear, concise, and easy to understand.

Using the appropriate tone for your audience is critical for building their trust and getting your message heard. If you are presenting to a Board of Directors or an academic panel, it may be appropriate to use more formal speech or jargon. On the other hand, in many forums, you will generate more trust with your audience with a casual tone, rather than sounding too pompous.

3. Where is your audience at?

The context in which your message is received is just as important as the message itself. Consider the time and place of your communication, as well as the medium you are using to communicate. For example, a message that is appropriate for a formal business setting may not be appropriate for a casual social setting. Similarly, a message that works well in print may not work as well in a video or audio format.

An important aspect of effectively communicating with your target audience is making sure that you’re delivering your message where your target will receive it. For example, if you’re advertising for an open job position for entry-level employees or college graduates, you want to be online, not in the local print newspaper. Similarly, if there is a complex problem or subject that needs to be addressed, it may be best to deliver that message in person, rather than in writing to avoid misunderstanding and to have the ability to answer questions immediately.

More to come on choosing mediums (when there are options), in future posts.

4. What are their pain points?

If you’re in business, sales, marketing, or trying to persuade anyone, then you must consider their pain points — and your solution to them. Identifying the pain points of your audience is crucial to getting ahead of concerns and questions they will have, as well as building trust with your audience.

Depending on your audience there are a couple of ways to research pain points.

a) If you have a large target audience, it can be helpful to create a client/customer avatar that represents your ideal customer. Once you have this avatar defined, you can empathize with them and learn about their struggles. It won’t meet the needs of EVERYONE in your audience, but it will speak to your ideal audience members.

b) You’re presenting to a smaller pre-set audience (e.g. Board of Directors, Classroom of Students, or similar). Here you can do specific research on the individuals. Understand their business ventures, their backgrounds, or their aspirations. Use the information you find to help you determine the questions and concerns they will have on your topic.

5. What motivates them?

People are motivated by different things. Some are motivated by a desire for achievement, while others are motivated by a desire for social connection or personal growth. Understanding your audience’s motivations can help you create a message that resonates with them on a deeper level. For example, if your audience is motivated by a desire for achievement, you can emphasize the benefits of your product or service in terms of success and accomplishment.

Identifying audience motivators is second only to addressing pain points in building trust with your audience and getting them to listen to you. The process for identifying motivations is the same as pain points — avatar or individual research — and will help you get ahead of playing on these motivations and incorporating them into your communication.

6. How will you address their pain points and motivations?

Once you have a deep understanding of your audience, you can tailor your message to resonate with them. This means using language and messaging that is specific to their needs and desires. For example, if your audience is concerned about the environment, you can emphasize the eco-friendliness of your product or service. Tailoring your message shows your audience that you understand their needs and are invested in meeting them.

7. How will you relate to your audience?

People relate to stories and examples. Using stories and examples in your communication can help your audience connect with your message on a deeper level. For example, if you are selling a product that saves time, you can share a story about how the product helped someone save time in their daily routine. This helps your audience understand the benefits of your product in a more relatable and personal way.

If you have a personal story to share with your audience, you should! If you don’t have a specific example from your past to share, then work with others on a case study or ask if you can share their story. Stories resonate, stories build trust, and humanize even mechanical interactions.

And stories lead into our bonus tip:

(Bonus Tip!) Be Authentic

Authenticity is key to effective communication. People can sense when someone is being insincere or disingenuous. Be honest and transparent in your communication, and show your audience that you care about their needs and desires. Sharing stories is an elegant way to showcase your personal authenticity as well as the working knowledge of what you are sharing with your audience. When you communicate authentically, you build trust and credibility.

Effective communication requires a deep understanding of your audience. By knowing your target audience — or the audience chosen for you — you will connect more authentically with them. Using empathy to build a relationship with your audience will gain you the much-needed trust that’s required both for you to gain the confidence you need AND that your audience needs in you to effectively communicate with them.

Like what you read? Want to hear more from me? Subscribe to my email list here!

If you’d like to read from all medium writers, click here to join! Your membership supports me and all of the writers you read! You’ll also get full access to every story on Medium.com.