{"id":8362,"date":"2023-07-13T15:27:27","date_gmt":"2023-07-13T09:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/?p=8362"},"modified":"2023-07-21T13:27:28","modified_gmt":"2023-07-21T07:57:28","slug":"guide-to-audience-research-tech-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/guide-to-audience-research-tech-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Audience Research in Technical Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Writing content without understanding your audience or conducting audience research is like shooting in the dark. You hope your arrow will reach its mark, but how can it, if not aimed properly? By creating a one size fits all content, you will be pushing out generic content not tailored to your audience\u2019s needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you are writing a thriller novel or a blog, or straight-up technical documentation, it is vital to research the intended audience. This helps to create content that truly connects with your readers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Types of Audiences<\/span><\/h1>\n

Broadly, there are three types of audiences that you must consider while writing any piece of technical content:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Professionals\/Technical Experts<\/b><\/p>\n

This audience segment is technically sound and has advanced topic knowledge. They are used to industry jargon and words. This cohort forms the main user base if you are writing API\/SDK documentation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Business Executives\/ Decision Makers<\/b><\/p>\n

This segment consists of leaders and executives who navigate through the documentation and make the buy or no-buy decision based on the perceived business value\/ease of use. They may or may not have extensive technical knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n

Non-technical Users<\/b><\/p>\n

This segment comprises employees or other individuals such as students. They don\u2019t have in-depth technical acumen and are mostly looking for procedural documentation which explains how to use a particular product.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is Audience Research Important<\/span><\/h1>\n

As we saw above, various audiences come from all walks of life. While some can understand complex information, others seek simple instructions to complete a task and achieve their goal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let us take the example of API Integration Documents<\/a>. The main users of these documents are developers. Now these developers may have different experience levels – some may be fresh college graduates, while others could be industry veterans. It is then the writer\u2019s responsibility to craft documentation that suits all cohorts’ needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not convinced? Here are some more reasons:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n