Page 97; 6 Steps for Audience Analysis

1. Identify your primary audience. For some messages, certain audience members may be more important than others.
2. Determine audience size and geographic distribution. Depending on the size of the audience, the message will be needed to be altered based on the size.
3. Determine audience composition. Look for similarities and differences in culture, language, age, education, organizational rank and status, attitudes, experience, motivations, and any other factors that could affect the successful reception and decoding of your message.
4. Gauge audience members' level of understanding. If audience members share your general background, they'll probably understand your material without difficulty, If not, your message will need an element of education to help people understand your message.
5. Understand audience expectations and preferences. Members of the audience may expect an extreme detailed report or just a short summary.
6. Forecast probable audience expectations. Potential audience reaction affects message organization, If you expect a favorable response, you can state conclusions and recommendations up front and offer minimal supporting evidence, If you expect skepticism, you can introduce conclusions gradually and with more proof.