Audience Recognition and Audience Recognition and InvolvementInvolvement

Audience Audience An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art.Audience is the receiver of any message. In technical writing, the people who will read your written documents or the people for whom you write will be your audience.

What is an audience?What is an audience?•An individual or collective group of people who read or consume any media text.

•Examples: Radio listeners, Television viewers, Newspaper and magazine readers, Web traffic on web sites.

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Why are audiences Why are audiences important?important?

Without audiences there would be no media.

Media organizations produce media texts to make profit – no audience = no profit.

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Types of Types of AudienceAudience

1.High tech2.Low tech3.Lay4.Multiple

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1.1. High Tech AudienceHigh Tech AudienceWork in your field of expertise

Same department or similar capacity in other company

Can be termed as colleagues because they have◦ Same educational background◦ Same work experience◦ Same level of understanding

Writing to high tech audience is easy.7

Characteristics of High Tech Characteristics of High Tech AudienceAudienceAre experts in the your field.

Minimal details about standard procedures or technical theories  

Little background information about a project’s history. 

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2.2. Low-Tech AudienceLow-Tech AudienceFamiliar with your field’s technology

but do not know the details.

Include ◦ Bosses◦ Subordinates ◦ Co-workers in other departments.◦ Colleagues in other companies.

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Characteristics of Low-tech Characteristics of Low-tech AudienceAudienceFamiliar with your field’s technology

without knowing details.

Define technical concepts. 

Need for providing background information 

 

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3.3. Lay AudienceLay Audience

Do not work for the company and have no knowledge about your field of expertise.

Include◦ Customers◦ Clients◦ End users

Writing to lay audience is difficult and demanding.

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Characteristics of Lay Characteristics of Lay AudienceAudienceAvoid terms, abbreviations and

acronyms (UNO, NUMAL & LUMS) or define them thoroughly. 

Avoid high-tech terms or define them thoroughly. 

Lay readers need background information. 

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4.4. Multiple AudienceMultiple Audience

Correspondence is not always sent to just one type of audience.

Challenging to write for multiple audience with different levels of understanding.

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Characteristics of Multiple Characteristics of Multiple Audience Audience Provide background data as some of

the readers will be unfamiliar with the subject matter. ( Use references )

Use a matter-of-fact business like tone. 

 

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Heterogeneous Heterogeneous Audience Audience Heterogeneous audience is group

of people who are different Demographically with different intellectual level(high tech, Low tech, lay and multiple audience).

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Avoid Sexist LanguageAvoid Sexist LanguageRadium was discovered by a woman, Marie Curie. Radium was discovered by Marie Curie.Mrs. Acton, an attractive blonde, is Joe’s assistant. Mrs. Acton is Joe’s assistant.The manager is responsible for the productivity of his department.Management is responsible for departmental productivity.A good lawyer will make sure that his clients are aware of their rights.A good lawyer will make sure that clients are aware of their rights. 16

Audience InvolvementAudience InvolvementKeep your reader interested !!

Achieve Audience Involvement Achieve Audience Involvement ThroughThrough

1. Personalized Tone◦ Modern technical writing is person

to person communication.

2. Reader Benefit◦ Motivate your readers by giving

them what they want or need.

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1. Personalized Tone1. Personalized Tone

1. Pronoun Usage (You, We, I, etc)

2. Names (Mr Ali, Mr. Usman, etc)

3. Contractions (we’re, let’s, can’t, etc)

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2. Reader Benefit2. Reader Benefit1. Explain the Benefit

◦ State benefit early or late in the technical document.

2. Use Positive Verbs and Words◦ We’ve received your letter complaining about

our services.◦ Thank you for writing to us about our

services.◦ We can not process your request. You failed

to follow the printed instructions.◦ So that we may process your request rapidly,

please fill in line 6 on the printed form.

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ThanksThanks

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