The Audience is Key_52

217479655 · Wysłany: Pią 5:10, 25 Mar 2011 Temat postu: The Audience is Key_52

As a writer by profession and passion alike, I know that knowing your audience is a cardinal rule in the practice. The explanation is simple, really. If I am writing for a supposedly intellectual bunch of people in the academe, I put a little air of sophistication in my language. When I write for a more general audience,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], I intentionally make it simple and direct. It is not only a matter of preference, it is a matter of courtesy. And ultimately, it is ensuring that what you write is read,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], understood, and appreciated.
Writing copies for the web is slightly different and I guess slightly more complicated. On one hand, your copy is made available to anyone who stumbles upon it. On the other, chances are the people who will click on your link via search engine results are there for a purpose. And they are looking for something specific that led them to your site. So which school of thought do you adhere to?
Your target audience: no one or everyone?
I sometimes think that writing a copy that can be universal in terms of its target audience is the best way to go. How can it fail, right? A copy that addresses a seemingly general audience is bound to catch anyone's attention after all, and it sounds to me that there is no harm in that. I think this is easy enough to do when you're the one writing the copy. All you have to do is put yourself on the shoes of a potential customer who does not have anything in mind,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], no specific need, no goal, no nothing. I normally think of how I would feel about a copy if I have no plans of either getting the merchandise or subscribing to a service. Will I even consider it? Will I inquire further? Is it that good that I will try it out even without the initial need for it?
I think the pitfall of this view of writing copy for no particular audience is failing to zoom in on a business prospect's needs. If I don't find anything special and specific on a site, I will go away. I will think: it does not have what I need, or it is too broad to give me what I need.
Your target audience: someone?
This is the reason why most copywriters for the web determine a particular segment of society that they aim to market on. Again,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], as an online citizen, I stumble upon sites mostly through search engines. And I'm looking for something specific, I want a copy that caters specifically to that. This gives me the assurance that I am in the right place.
It is not always this easy, though. Let me give you an example. For instance, you are in the business of digital frames. Clearly,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], these things appeal and is marketable to almost everyone. Personally,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], I may find it a tad bit difficult to single out one demographic to address when writing my copy for the web. What do I do now?
In cases like this, when your product caters to a potentially wide demographic, the rule of thumb I follow is making sure that my copy can be understood by someone as young as a fifth-grader and as old as a senior citizen. A potential customer who wanders into your site and fails to understand a copy is, needless to say, a loss.