Writing Media for Different Audiences in a Social World-A Few Good Tips

The mood of this picture might sell insurance
or safety equipment but not sun tan lotion. :)

Writing has an important influence on marketing. Writing well for your audience and media channel helps companies to increase sales. At its core marketing is communication. Nothing more or less. Marketers share information about their products as directly to interested parties as they can. Learning how to write helps to improve sales.  You will also need to find your demographic and use their preferred technology so as to best reach them with the least amount of distraction.

People are not always open to new information so we should consider how we are reaching them and what we are saying. Modern writing has changed to match new technologies. Using the proper language for that media (i.e. text vs. traditional writing) makes a difference its ability to get through the "noise". The channel will often depend on who your audience is and how they like to communicate.

The Impact of Modern Media on Writing: Texting and fast paced information has changed the very nature in which we communicate online. We would once write our sentences out in full using  typewriters and computers. Each borrowed from the next to implement into the new technology.

Because cell phones had a fundamentally different functionality it was necessary to develop a text language or otherwise it would take a lot of effort to communicate with others. Discussions became truncated and new words were developed that made their way into other language channels.

As this technology changes again with easier keyboards, speech-to-text software, and greater processing speed the language is likely to change again. For example, emojis change the meaning of a sentence through providing emotion. This was something text often lacked leading to miscommunication.

Audience Influence on Content: In today's world technology has changed and people have more access to information than they did in the past. They become co-authors in the creation of brands and have no problem voicing their opinions. Online forums and customer reviews have put the customer at the center of product value.

This is a positive and beneficial thing when we consider that people should be in charge of the product value discussion. As we use products and share our opinions we find that some products have more value and some don't. This value is not dictated by companies but by the people who use them.

Identify Targets for Marketing: The era of big data is here and companies can use that information to find their core demographics that are most likely to buy products. When a target audience is found the return on investment of a product moves upward. People of certain demographic backgrounds have more interest and motivation to buy certain products (i.e. outdoor products and outdoor enthusiasts).

Conducting marketing research makes it more possible you will find the demographics you seek and are capable of reaching those groups using channels. Channels are the type of media you use to reach out and communicate with potential customers (i.e. newspaper, email, text, etc...). In essence, they are pathways of communication. The better we get at finding them, the more sales we can make.

Tips:

          1. Write for Your Customer and Technology Limitations: Write for your customer in the
              language they understand while keeping in mind how technology is used.

          2. Audience is a Co-Creator: It is important to remember that the audience is a co-creator of
             information. You may write it and customers may change its meaning.

         3. Understand  Your Target: The target can get confusing so make sure you know who you   
             want to reach and what channel you will use.