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Principle #2:  Know your audience

A clear understanding of the content's target audience helps you make decisions about:

Once you know your audience, it is easier to write to their abilities and expectations.

Audience types

Before making a decision about whether web content will reach a target audience, find out who the audience is.

For example, it could include:

business owners
a small restaurant owner looking for licensing information; a medium-sized enterprise looking for statistical information
residents
a keen gardener looking for information on weeds and pests; a parent wanting to know what schools are in their area
community groups
an environmental group wanting research information
tourists
visitors wanting information on things to see and do in Queensland.

A piece of content will often have multiple target audiences

Identifying the audience

Audiences can be identified by:

For each audience type consider:

Questions to consider when identifying your audience

What does your audience already know about the subject? (e.g. do they have general or specialised knowledge)

What are the main ideas that your audience needs to know?

How does the audience expect to be spoken to? (e.g. a business audience expects a more formal tone than a residential audience)

Is there any specialised language your audience needs or that you should avoid? (Ensure that inclusive terms are used where required)

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Last updated 02 August 2005

Tip: Check if there is current market research available that will help define the target audience and their needs.