Purpose and audience
The relationship between audience and purpose is crucial in writing for the general public. Some authors decide on their purpose first, as this clarifies their target audience. Conversely, other authors first define their target audience to help them clarify their purpose.
Purpose
Purpose can be defined by asking: ‘What do I want my readers to take away from my writing?’ or ‘What is my point?’. A text may have a single purpose or multiple purposes.
Audience
The ‘general public’ is a very broad target audience. Essentially, ‘the general public’ is made up of non-academics or people with limited specialist knowledge.
A key question to ask is: ‘Who is my target audience?’. Answers will vary from broad to very specific audiences. For example, a broad target audience for a political opinion piece may be ‘all voting citizens in Australia’, and a very specific audience for a scientific infographic may be ‘students in Years 11 and 12’. Having a specific target audience will ensure effective, relevant communication.
In determining the target audience consider questions such as: ‘What research and ideas will be of interest to the target audience?’ and ‘What does the target audience already know or want to know about the topic?’.
