As an event organizer, no matter what your specific goals are, you want your audience to leave satisfied and delighted. That said, it’s impossible to blow away your audience if you don’t understand who they are.
Have you ever noticed how your communication style changes depending on who you’re talking to? The last conversation you had with your dental hygienist was probably very different from the one you had with your best friend.
When we talk to one another in person, we automatically adjust our communication style depending on the person, but too often, in written communication, we get stuck using the same voice with everyone. Imagine how boring your communication would become if you spoke to everyone the same way you spoke to your dental hygienist!
If you want to make your communication more effective and get to know your audience better, ask these 4 questions about them.
1. What are the demographics and psychographics of your audience?
Dig into both the demographics and psychographics of your audience. What is the breakdown of age, gender, race, and economic status? Take it a step further and explore their values, opinions, interests, and lifestyle. Are your customers made up of middle-aged men, mothers in their 40’s, or bachelors in their 20’s? Do they care deeply about the environment? Are they nuts about healthy food?
Use your email list and social media accounts to poll the audience. What are they curious to learn about? What problems are they trying to solve? Ask them questions about their pain points and motivations.
The more you can learn, the better. Then, use the information you’ve gathered to adjust your communication accordingly and delight your audience in the delivery.
Protip: Use Surveys.
If you want to get even more specific with your audience, our software makes it incredibly easy to tack on a few quick survey questions at the end of the registration. Feel free to incentivize survey completion with discounts or free merch.
You can learn about marital status, income level, education, or food preferences. If you’re worried about coming across as too intrusive (since some people prefer to keep their love of donuts anonymous) make the questions optional. In our experience, 80% of registrant buyers still provide the information to optional questions.
2. What is the audience’s level of subject knowledge?
If you want to ace your communication with your audience, you need to gain an understanding of their understanding of the event subject. When it comes to subject knowledge, your audience will likely fall into one of three categories.
The “lay” audience has little to no expert knowledge on the subject. This means you need to equip them with background information. If you’re organizing a beginner’s financial conference, explain the definition of a 401(k) and a high-yield savings account in simple terms.
When communicating with the lay audience, avoid using insider jargon and lesser-known acronyms. Since this audience is newer to the material, be careful not to flood them with a firehose of information. Instead, use infographics and appealing visuals to make the educational component engaging.
The “managerial” audience does not necessarily have more knowledge than the lay audience, but their required level of knowledge is what sets them apart. This group needs a certain level of knowledge to make decisions in their role. As such, provide them with a content combo platter of both background information, and more detailed facts and statistics.
Lastly, the “expert” audience has a robust and extensive background knowledge on the subject. At the financial conference, think of the breakout room filled with savvy investors—no need to spell out the definition of a savings account there! The expert audience is full of practitioners in their respective fields, so you’ll need to be on top of your game in your communication. Feel free to use specialized terms, insider acronyms, and elaborate copy. That said, make sure you can back up your content with reliable citations, up-to-date research, and solid documentation.
3. What is the appropriate style for this audience?
Knowing whether your event is designed for upper management, potential clients, or team members will help you decide the voice and tone you use to communicate throughout.
In a team bonding event, for example, you can likely infuse the event copy with company jargon and inside jokes—as long as it fits the company culture. On the other hand, an event with potential partners will have different objectives and, as such, require a more professional tone of voice.
4. How does this audience take in information?
As you create content for your event, it’s important to consider the context in which the bulk of your audience will be consuming it. If your audience is mostly Gen Z, for example, you can assume that Instagram captions and TikTok reels will grab their attention. On the other hand, if your audience is filled with Boomers, they’ll be more likely to read a long Facebook post about your Renaissance Faire. Whoever your audience is, include multiple mediums of communication to increase your exposure.
Final Takeaways
When it comes to communicating about your event, knowing your audience matters. Answer these 4 questions, and you’ll be well-equipped to communicate effectively with your audience.
- What are the demographics and psychographics?
- What is their level of subject knowledge?
- What is the appropriate style for this audience?
- How does this audience take in information?
If you have more questions about audience communication, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team at RegFox. We’re here to help you have the best event ever!
The Reg Fox Team
