Know your audience

- Would you sign yourself for a standup comedy night and get on stage only to talk about something super serious and heart wrenching, likely not. And if you do, you might end up with some boos and not the best feedback. Think of this scenario kind of like doing a video before understanding who your audience is. If you don't define your audience from the start, no matter how compelling or engaging your video is, you run the risk of having your training completely lost in the process. Before I start any video, I like to envision who I'm talking to and ask these questions. What problems are they having? What's the solution that I have for them to ease any constraints? I know this sounds silly but give them a name, give them a personality and speak to them with personality. The more you can identify with them as if you're speaking to a friend, the more that they connect with you and the information that you're giving them, and the more that they trust you. What are you hoping your audience will feel afterward? Knowing what type of emotion you want to elicit creates engagement. Will this viewer be inspired with a call to action? Will they be contemplative about a question you've just asked? These are just some thoughts to consider. Now to really hone in on your target audience, I ask these questions that really get people thinking above and beyond demographics. Think of exactly what you're teaching and answer the following. If this training didn't exist, who would be affected? If your training ceased to exist tomorrow, what gap would you leave? If you decided to pull the plug on all of your ideas, who would be missing out and why? If you can answer these questions clearly and envision who you're talking to, you've got your target. One last and very important element that I want to leave you with is this. When creating a video most people make the mistake of envisioning a large audience in front of them and speaking to every single person. The problem with this is that it could get overwhelming and no longer interactive or personal. Think of a feeling you'd get if you were in a classroom of 300 people and the professor had no idea who you were. You want to avoid that, and the best way to do this is to imagine one person, just one person, on the other side of the camera. Some might find themselves fearing the camera, but think of the camera as just a piece of metal and plastic and envision that one person who really, really needs to hear what you're saying. When you can speak to one, you grow your trust factor with your entire audience. Now that you know exactly who you're talking to in your message, your purpose for the video becomes even clearer, and you're able to focus on the people who you are meant to impact.