For The People, By The People

Everyone has someone to answer to, it's a fact of life. But when you are writing a press release or blog, whether it will be read by reporters or the general public, it can be hard to think about who you're writing for, when you have to hand it up to your boss to look over. I experience it myself, all of the time. I want my supervisor to like what I've written, and I want to make them happy, but the bottom line is that you are not writing for you supervisor or board of directors, etc. You are writing for an audience. Check out the tips below on how to write for your readers--not your executives:

Use the words your audience would use when describing your product: While you may work for a company that manufactures technology used in space, using industry jargon will get you no where. If you are aiming at a younger audience in an effort to gain more widespread support, think about the language they use. The culture they are in. Adjust to that, and you will get more of a response and a better understanding of the product you're selling.

Your customers are people; treat them that way: In some industries, companies will refer to their customers as "insureds" or "patron". Using these terms can sometimes de-humanize clients. Your customers are people too, and most likely don't refer to themselves as such, and may not even appreciate it. I would personally prefer someone to cut to the chase and call me what I am--a consumer, or a customer.

Writing informally is not dumbing down: Nix the ain't and the ya'll, writing informally is getting rid of the static and getting down to the roots. Who, what, where, when? Try to write in such a way that your reader won't have to keep going over what you wrote. This saves both you and the customer time, energy and frustration.

Have you ever been met with the challenge of writing to your audience while still keeping appearances with your boss? How did you manage? Let us know!