Audience

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Knowing the purpose of your writing is like taking aim at a bulls-eye.  Understanding your audience fully is like drawing back the bow.  It gives your writing the power to reach its destination.

Perhaps no one thinks about an audience more than a professional public speaker.  Consider this acronym, adapted from Lenny Laskowski, from LJL Public Speaking Seminars.  It has been restructured with the writer in mind:

A nalysis - Who is my audience?
U nderstanding - What is their knowledge of the subject?
D emographics - What is their age, gender, educational background or culture?
I nterest - Why are they reading this?
E xperience - How does their experience compare with what I am presenting?
N eeds - What are their needs?
C ustomize - How can I customize my approach to their needs?
E xpectations - What do they expect to learn or hear from me?

 

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Considering the identity and needs of your audience is a form of respect.  When you are considerate of who will be reading your writing, and adjust your approach accordingly, you will become more readily understood.  Having something to say (purpose) and having it be understood (received by an audience) is really the end goal of all effective communication.