As a writer, you would want to be read, wouldn’t you? Your reader is the reason you write, especially if you write professionally. It could be one person, or two, or a million — that’s beside the point. The important thing is that you offer a beautiful reading experience to the reader. Therefore, it is always a good idea to start with some basic questions before you start the writing process.
Some of the questions that you would like to ask yourself are:
- Who is my reader?
- What does my reader already know about this subject?
- What does my reader need to know?
- How will my reader respond? Will he or she be receptive? Will he or she object? Will he or she be hostile? Will he or she be indifferent?
Make some notes about your reader, as a guide. This will help ensure that you have your reader firmly in mind, which will, in turn, give your writing the proper focus.
Suppose, you are going to announce a company open house to department employees and to the general public. So, you have two groups of readers — two audiences. You will need to write two messages. For the department employee readers, the focus and content of what you will communicate will be very different from the focus and content of the announcement for the general public.
Obviously, since you have two very different groups of readers, the best approach will be to complete two written communications. This is why knowing your reader before you begin writing is vital to effective communication.
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