The Audience is Key

Read my draft out loud? To an audience?! But it isn’t perfect. There are mistakes. It isn’t done!

I have always been one of those writers who is much happier being locked away in my room, fixing my pieces until I feel that they are good enough for a second opinion. Jane Smiley, though, found it truly beneficial to include another person in her creative process.

http://www.hazelfoster.com/2011/06/30/the-search-jane-smiley/

In ‘The Muse: The Listener Also Instructs,’ Smiley discusses how writing with a particular audience in mind helped her to distinguish what was funny, what needed clarification, and what needed to be scrapped all together. By writing for her husband, and knowing that she would be reading her drafts to him, Smiley could distinguish what her audience needed and wanted during her creative process, rather than just waiting for feedback to then change the tone or storyline.

At first I thought this advice would benefit me the most in my personal writing. I know that sharing your work with a ‘safe’ audience is smart, and it certainly helps to notice any holes in the plot or areas that need clarification. But this idea of writing for a very small, particular audience and then taking their feedback into consideration can be translated into social media as well.

When using social media you need to define your target audience and then appeal to their needs. Much like how Smiley considered her husbands reactions while writing her stories, marketers need to consider their audience’s reactions in advance.

Is this post relevant to my audience? Will they read the whole thing? Is this information relevant to my brand? These are all questions that need to be answered before posting on social media—especially since once the post is out there, it can’t be taken back.

I really enjoyed reading Smiley’s thoughts on the writing process; both for my personal works, as well as in regards to communicating with new technology. I think we can learn something from everyone’s process, but keeping the audience’s needs as the driving factor behind mass communication is an idea that everyone in the field of communication should constantly remind themselves.

Engaging. Visually appealing. Audience oriented.

When I hear these words my mind immediately goes to the company that I think embodies them – Disney. Based on making magic happen both in their films and at their theme parks, Disney keeps their focus on their target audience and uses all kinds of means to keep them engaged and happy.

This is also the case for the Disney Parks blog, which first greets individuals with the bold colors and fantastic scenes that one would expect when thinking ‘Disney.’ Having pictures of families enjoying their time at the parks and resorts makes the reader imagine themselves in the situations depicted. Along with capturing people’s attention with images, the blog also gives behind the scenes video that engages readers on another level and makes them feel like they are getting classified information.

With their use of images and video clips the Disney Parks blog gets people’s attention and makes readers want to investigate the articles posted. Disney isn’t the only company that utilizes the tools of multimedia, though. Many blogs and websites are getting better at incorporating visuals and audio to emphasize points or engage viewers. The important thing for these designers to keep in mind is what would appeal to the people they are targeting.

For example, if someone was blogging about new bands, then videos and audio clips would be things that their audience would want. While still images of the bands would be nice, the audience reading the blog would probably prefer to actually hear the music.

Keeping the focus on the audience is one of the most important aspects of writing or designing blogs. As we can see with the Disney blog, visual aids can really bring text alive and engage readers. By showing people what they could experience, Disney is enticing people to visit their locations. The images and video clips they choose stay on brand and show the magic that takes place at their parks and resorts.

Looking at the Ameri-Blog

As an individual who has now devoted 2 years of my life to national service I find it interesting to learn what other branches of AmeriCorps are doing. NCCC, or National Civilian Community Corps, does a great job of making their activities known to the public through their 'Ameri-Blog.'

For a blog to be successful it has to target a particular audience and then deliver information that will be relevant to that group. With their Ameri-Blog, NCCC Teams are able to share their stories with other AmeriCorps members across the country, as well as any other individuals who are interested in service on a larger scale.

They alternate between teams sharing their experience so readers can have a better understanding of all the types of projects NCCC works on. From fighting fires to building shelters, the teams are always doing something interesting, which is another key aspect to blogging. Writers need to find what interests their audience and then consistently deliver; in order to have a strong audience base you need to prove that you are dependable and consistently have new stories to share.

Another aspect for successful blogging is reliability and trustworthiness. As a branch of AmeriCorps that works to better communities through direct service, NCCC teams are a dependable source for information on volunteering. They not only tell people about their service, though, they also provide pictures to actually show what they are accomplishing. Having both images to show their work as well as being a well-known organization gives the Ameri-Blog more credibility.

The Ameri-Blog is also successful in another way- using language that appeals to their audience. Since it is members of NCCC teams writing each entry the blog posts feel real and are phrased in a way that are easy for large audiences to understand and relate to. Relating to an audience is key in maintaining a successful blog, and the easiest way to lose an audience is through using the wrong tone or structure.

Overall the NCCC blog is very successful because it targets an audience that is interested in community service and then delivers information that those people would be interested in. They keep the stories updated frequently so that people will continue to check back, and they use language that works for their audience. By focusing on maintaining a successful blog, NCCC is able to spread awareness about their program and engage people who may be interested in getting involved in national service. 

Check out NCCC's latest adventures here: http://ncccblog.americorps.gov 

The death of a legend

STATE COLLEGE, PA- Joe Paterno, known for being the most successful coach in major college football history, passed away Sunday morning, surrounded by family, said State College’s Mount Nittany Medical Center in a statement.  Shortly after losing his battle to lung cancer, Paterno’s family made the initial announcement in a statement:

"He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

Paterno will be remembered by all for being the most successful Division I coach in the history of college football, but his memory is also tarnished by the scandal that surrounded his last days at the university. The news of Paterno’s lung cancer came shortly after the university’s Board of Trustees voted to fire him because of the child sex-abuse scandal involving Jerry Sandusky, who was an assistant on Paterno's Penn State staff.

The end of his career was full of shocking events but throughout his time coaching, Paterno built a strong reputation as a caring man both on the field and in life.

Penn State's board of trustees and President Rodney Erickson said in a statement, "We grieve for the loss of Joe Paterno, a great man who made us a greater university. His dedication to ensuring his players were successful both on the field and in life is legendary and his commitment to education is unmatched in college football. His life, work and generosity will be remembered always."

Although Paterno is mostly remembered for his success in sports, which include posting 11 or more victories in 13 seasons, winning a record 24 bowl games and seeing more than 250 of his former players make the NFL, he will also be remembered for his philanthropy. Paterno and his family gave more that $4 million to the school during his tenure, which helped fund scholarships as well as support two building projects.

Remembered as a giving man as well as a legendary coach, Paterno will be greatly missed by not only friends and family, but by all of the fans that cheered him along his journey to the most successful college football coach in history.

Facebook post: The world of college football mourns the loss of the most successful coach of all time- Joe Paterno. After fighting lung cancer while trying to maintain a positive reputation in light of scandal, Paterno passed away Sunday morning. For more information click here.

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/22/us/pennsylvania-obit-paterno

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/story/2012-01-21/former-penn-state-coach-joe-paterno-dead/52737230/1