In the February 13 Content Workshop I looked at three stylistic approaches to writing:  journalistic, personal, and technical.  In that article I said:

Depending on the type of content you're generating, some styles of writing are better suited than others.  For example, a personal message to someone you know on first name basis would sound pretty strange if written in a technical or professional manner.  Right?  On the same token, a press release might not go over well if it's written using Internet jargon, slang, or from a personal perspective.

Today I'd like to expand on that paragraph and talk in more detail about the impact your target audience on the style of writing that you produce.  Keep in mind that there are few, if any, set rules when it comes to how you approach writing content.  That being said, there are several excepted norms and "best practice" ideas that I'd like to float your way.

The Stylistic Battle of the Sexes

Before I say a word about this, let me stress something:  these are all generalizations.  That being said, men and women make up two distinct audiences.  If your content is being generated primarily for one sex over the other, your style and approach to writing should be different.  Men, for example, are generally more apt to read through technical and "jargony" content than women.  Women, on the other hand, are more likely to read human interest and creative styles of writing.

The topic of your writing also plays into this quite a bit.  Some topics of conversation are more appealing to one sex than the other.  But your writing style can also have an impact on the type of traffic that you generate and retain.  Even content generated about what would generally be considered a feminine or masculine topic can attract or turn off your intended audience if you don't tailor your writing style appropriately.

The Generational Difference

A couple of weeks ago I looked at different approaches to marketing as they relate to different generations.  Your writing style should also reflect the age of your audience.  Younger generations, who grew up with computers and the Internet, are more likely to follow along if your writing includes Internet slang, instant-message-speak, and conversational writing approaches.  Older generations will most likely respond better to the journalistic style of writing - that is, just-the-facts types of content.  That isn't to say the two don't cross over (I know quite a few Internet-savvy grandparents).  But again… these are generalizations.

What Do Your Readers Already Know?

The knowledge and expertise of your readers should also play an important role in the style of writing you take.  If your content is targeted at people who already know the basics of your subject, the writing should be different than that generated for amateurs or people new to the topic.  For the most part, technical jargon and industry-speak should be left out of writing targeted at newcomers.  That stuff is fine, however, in content written for industry professionals.  You also have to take education into account.  Generally speaking, what kind of education do the people reading your content most likely have?  High school?  College?  Doctorate or scholastic?  The writing for each is much different.

Know Your Purpose

Are you passing along information?  Are you offering a service?  Are you trying to get hired?  Are you selling something?  Combined with the knowledge and expertise of your audience, the purpose of your site is one of the most influential aspects of the reader experience.  While it's possible to accomplish all of the above purposes with a wide array of writing styles, some just lend themselves better to a specific style.  For example, if you're trying to pass along information, avoid marketing and PR-ish styles of writing…  because your message might be taken as such.  On the other hand, if you're trying to sell something, make sure your writing conveys that… and throw in a little marketing style ;)

What About a Mixed Audience?

For most of us, there is no clear-cut audience that fits nicely into one of the above categories. Most of us who write online are doing so for a wide variety of readers.  In that case, the forum in which your writing appears will have a lot to do with how you write.  Even with different types of forums you'll find different approaches.  Blogs, for example, can be written from a very personal and conversational approach… or a very technical, professional approach.

The Internet Marketing Monitor is written in a much different way than.. say… the Microsoft Knowledge base.  The opinion section within the Internet Marketing Monitor is written differently than the other more "newsy" sections.  So even within a single site you can find different forums and, thus, different writing styles.

Conclusions

Ultimately, your target audience is a complex and dynamic group of people.  If you're not able to list at least 5 or 6 qualities that define the majority of your readers it's probably time to do a little research.  When readership isn't what we expect it to be we often look at a lot of different things:  advertising, linkage, search engine optimization, etc.  But few people look at the style of their content.

The next time you're looking for a way to improve the effectiveness of your site, take a look at your writing style.  Compare it to the list of qualities that you made to describe your target audience.  You might be surprised at the incongruencies.