Tag Archives: audience

How to increase the chances of people reading your text

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip, , , ,

People are more likely to read your text if it answers a need they have

– if it gives them the knowledge they need to make a decision, or information they can act on to do something useful, or an insight that interests them or intrigues.

That’s why thinking about your reader – they are the user of the information product you will produce – thinking about your reader is so important before you start writing any document.

Think about their needs and interests, their fears, and the work they need to do. What do they want out of your document. Consider the questions they may have about the topic you are writing about.

But, if your document is going to be truly effective, it’s not just about your reader. The document must meet your organisation’s needs too.

Know your audience

writing tip,

Before you write anything (even a simple email), spend some time thinking about your reader.

This is the person you will be having a written conversation with.

Consider what’s important to them, what excites or scares them, what do they already know, and what do they need to know.

How do they like to receive information and how will they find your document – will they search it out or will you give it to them?

What will be their emotional state as they read.

Will they read a long document, or do you need to keep it short and to the point? Can they handle complex language?

And most importantly, what do they need to do with the document you provide, with this information product you are giving them?

Only after doing some serious thinking around these types of questions can you match your writing to your readers needs and wants.