Audience
Audience analysis, a process in which you identify your readers and their expectations, can often help you determine how to accomplish your purpose—how much detail or explanation to provide, what kind of tone and language to use, and what potential objections to address.
You may need to consider multiple audiences:
- The audience for a business report might include readers who want details and those who prefer a quick overview.
- The audience for a service learning report might include both your instructor and the supervisor at the organization at which you volunteered.
In some writing situations, the audience will not be neatly defined for you. The choices you make as you write will tell readers who you think they are (novices or experts, for example) and will show respect for your readers’ values and perspectives.
Here are some observations made by a student whose purpose was to persuade first-year college students to recycle:
Considering audience when writing e-mail messages
Related topics:
Academic audiences
Business audiences
Public audiences
Exercise:
Purpose and audience