Learning About Your Audience

Audience research, says Jay Labov, senior advisor for education and communication at the National Academy of Sciences, is critical in helping scientists shape important outreach strategies. The first experiment in using this research came as a team of scientists was developing a publication on the often-thorny subject of evolution. “Evolutionary biologists are fascinated with Darwin's finches,” said Labov. “The American public…not so much.” When asked about Darwin's finches, those famous Galapagos Islands birds that played such an important role in the inception of Darwin's theory of natural selection, polling subjects “just didn't care about the little brown birds.”

The Washington, DC–based nonprofit found it highly beneficial to use focus groups, telephone surveys, and targeted interviews to help them, according to Labov, “find out what people want to know about science and the science of evolution more specifically, not just what scientists think people ought to know.” The research helped members of the authoring committee and Academy staff see a long-term communication challenge in a new light.

The Academy was concerned by polls showing skepticism—or complete lack of acceptance—of evolution. Some critics of evolution believe supernatural explanations should also be included as part of a definition of science. These individuals assert that features of the universe and all living things in the universe are explained by an intelligent cause and not from only natural processes. These beliefs are at odds with the Academy and most mainstream religious organizations, both of which promote evidence-based scientific theory to answer questions about the diversity of life.

In 2008 the National Academy of Sciences along with the Institute of Medicine jointly authored and published the third edition of Science, Evolution, and Creationism. The third in a series of books on this topic, it was influenced by audience research conducted by a professional audience research organization that worked closely with Labov and his colleagues. This booklet sought to help people better understand evolution's underlying principles and role as an integral component of scientific research.³ Labov explained that there are “a lot of people sitting on the fence” when it comes to the debate about evolution. The large group of undecideds was the target for the newest edition of their book. The Academy wanted to reach people with key messages to offer a fresh perspective on an age-old debate. With an effective use of audience research they were able to learn more about their audiences and what specifically would cause them to respond favorably to scientific information about evolution.

The first two editions of Science, Evolution, and Creationism included discussion on Darwin's finches. In the third edition, which followed new audience insights, the Academy changed the discussion.

What did excite the Academy's focus groups? Research revealed that people were more intrigued about the evolution of cetaceans—whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Scientists had discovered from fossil and molecular evidence that a succession of organisms moved from land to sea about 50 million years ago. The focus groups were intrigued—they wanted to know more about how cetaceans lost their hind limbs and developed more streamlined bodies and became the ocean mammals they are today.⁴ Consequently, the committee that authored the book was able to use findings like this to produce a booklet with different approaches that more closely aligned with the interests of intended audiences.

Labov says they got a lot more out of the survey than what's described in the previous example. Doing the research helped them get into the minds of an audience that had perplexed them for so long. After years of assuming they understood disconnects between some Americans and the teaching of evolution, audience research enabled Labov and his colleagues to see the controversy of this issue with new eyes. That finding fueled significant changes in the development of their book and reshaped a critical argument. And that's really the whole point of knowing thy audience.

There are many ways to go about learning about your audience, from using free online tools to hiring a professional market research firm—with other options in between. Our discussion here focuses on the importance of audience research with a few recommendations to get you started.

Taking some time to think about your audience is a necessary practice no matter how straightforward the task, no matter how small the audience. Research is the foundation of good communication; you simply can't build an effective campaign—or write an email—without fully understanding who's on the receiving end.

BUILDING AWARENESS: SMALL TO MID-SIZED AUDIENCES

The corporate world relies heavily on professional market research efforts to make decisions about developing and marketing products and services. You too may consider this option if you're working on a large or especially important project. Telephone surveys, interviews, and focus groups help us find out what consumers want whether it's in electronics or fashion or healthcare. Corporations spend big money to understand their markets. To them, market research is just another cost of doing business. They need to constantly have their finger on their audience's pulse. You as the communicator can benefit by doing the same with audience research.

What can you learn about your audience if you have a research company helping you out? Sometimes you are not sure what you are looking for or need an objective opinion. Professionals with survey design experience can help you decide what types of questions to ask and how to phrase those questions. Results generated from good audience research can be eye opening—or sometimes they just confirm what you expected. If you have a significant communication challenge—research can provide a window into your audience's mind that can be illuminating.

Unfortunately, audience research studies can cost enough money to put this tool out of reach for many organizations. But there are less expensive options if you are willing to be flexible. For a few thousand dollars you can get a market research company to tack on a few questions onto omnibus survey—an existing survey they're already conducting. You can get some of the data you need at a fraction of the cost.

Big-time communication efforts can warrant professional audience research costing in the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, but getting to know your audience usually doesn't require such extravagance. You can probably get by using lower budget, or even free techniques. Audience awareness can be easy—and sometimes takes only a few minutes—the important thing is that you take the time to focus on whom you're communicating to and figuring out what they need to get from you as the communicator.

Gathering information about your audience is easier today than ever before. Sometimes the answers to all you need to know about your audience—their interests, levels of education, or technical capabilities—is right at your fingertips. The Internet is an incredible tool to research audiences and will probably be your first stop as an audience investigator. The Web provides abundant information—professional and personal—about people. You can learn about their technical experience or their academic achievements in seconds. Maybe they've written scholarly articles or blogs that could provide insight. Become a detective and find out what's relevant to your needs.

Social media is a relatively recent but especially useful tool to research audiences. Communicators like tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more because they start a conversation with audiences and engage them, unlike traditional single-directional media. Creating dialogue between parties leads to collecting information about individuals. We're just beginning to see how social media is unfolding as a research tool; we may not know exactly what the future holds in this area, but greater awareness of audience preferences is a near certainty. What we do know now is that its interactive nature offers intelligence gatherers and marketers a gold mine of information. Many of us may not be comfortable with the privacy issues these platforms present, but it's hard to overlook how social media can help us generate audience awareness.

If you're tasked with a bigger assignment with an audience of unknowns, you'll have to work a bit harder. I learned an easy approach to conduct audience research while working as a conference producer. It wasn't my job to be a specialist in any specific field (hence my lack of background in telecommunications). Instead, my task was to find out what topics business people wanted to learn more about so we could develop a targeted product for them. Solid audience research always proved to be the key to any conference's success. The approach was traditional, but it was effective.

It worked like this: I was assigned to research a specific industry or a current issue we believed important. I'd call insiders—executives and consultants—and talk to them about their most pressing concerns. I'd ask questions like: Are new regulations going to impact your business? Is there a new application for your product? Or does new technology impact your bottom line? After about three-dozen fifteen-minute interviews I'd usually have enough information about the market to determine if there was sufficient interest to produce a conference on the proposed topic. This formula worked surprisingly well. My calls weren't scientific (statisticians would probably be horrified by this approach), but my calls provided an adequate survey for my needs. If I read my market correctly, the chances for a profitable event increased significantly. In a week's time I could collect enough information about a potential audience to design an entire event.

This free audience research tool is something I still rely on today, though, admittedly, more of my research is likely to be done through social media and with fewer phone calls. Investing a few hours or days to discuss market trends or new developments with the right people can give you a beneficial perspective on audience development. You can find out if the topic you planned on presenting or writing about is already passé or too technical for audience members. You can learn what changes to make to adjust the focus of your presentation or paper. In short—you can prevent a train wreck from happening. Armed with the right information about your target audience, you can deliver highly focused content in your communication product.