How to simplify your messaging to suit your audience
Did you know that, in order to achieve maximum accessibility and readability of your content in Australia, you should be writing content to the reading level of a 12-to-14 year old?
That’s because even if people do understand the words we use, they’re still unlikely to read them due to their complexity, jargon or length. That’s why simplicity reigns supreme in the realm of communication. In fact, the ability to distil complex ideas and data into clear, understandable messages is a skill that many strive for but few master. Luckily for you, we’ve got some tips to help you do exactly that.
Map it out
Start by mapping out your complex topic, idea, or data. Get all of the details, from the beginning to the end, and map out where they intersect, how it works, and which audience/s will be included in any part of the concept or process. This will help you personalise your comms so that your messages are relevant, and stick with the intended audience.
Stick to the key parts
Don’t try to over-communicate to compensate for the complexity of the comms; instead, understand your audience’s needs and motivations and tailor the comms specifically for them. Each audience segment needs to know, feel or do something with the information you’re providing - so make sure you’re answering this by pulling only the crucial information from the content map you’ve made.
One story, one graph
From here, it’s crucial you convey only one clear message - if you can do so in one sentence, even better. If you’re using graphs, adopt a "one story, one graph" rule to maintain clarity and comprehension by your audience. Simplify your graphs and visuals to make any complex data more digestible for all audiences, regardless of their level of data literacy.
Minimise the look, maximise the impact
Common mistakes people make when presenting include a lack of time awareness (ie, talking for too long), and reliance on presentation slides (ie, using them as your notes). If you’ve ever created a presentation, you’ll know that the less text on the slide, the better the presentation will be. By addressing your audience in a concise and purposeful way, with clarity and engagement (NOT with excessive detail), your knowledge will shine through.
So, if we applied all of the above and simplified this blog:
Map out the content and boil it down to specific, relevant points.
Stick to the key messages in the content and personalise it based on the relevance for your audience/s.
Keep to one story, with one graph. Don’t over-communicate to compensate for complexity.
Minimise your presentations and keep them short, clear and concise. Speak to the key points on a slide, not around them.
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