understanding your audience

Understanding Understanding Your AudienceYour Audience

Susan DonaldsonSusan Donaldson

What’s your purpose in attending this training?

How do you prefer to learn?(What’s your learning

style?)

What outcomes do you seek from this training?

What are we building?

Developed land: A combination of land cover/use categories Large urban and built-up areas Small built-up areas (developed land Small built-up areas (developed land

units of 0.25 to 10 acres)units of 0.25 to 10 acres) Rural transportation land (roads,

rights of way, etc.)

Small Built Up Small Built Up Areas Areas

(millions of acres)(millions of acres)19821982 4.74.7

19871987 5.15.1

19921992 5.45.4

19971997 6.16.1

20012001 6.76.7

Data from ERS

Number of farms by size

19971997 200220021 to 9 acres1 to 9 acres

ArizonaArizona 2,4842,484 2,3312,331ColoradoColorado 3,0463,046 2,813 2,813 WyomingWyoming 421421 477 477

10 to 49 acres10 to 49 acresArizonaArizona 1,8851,885 1,9001,900ColoradoColorado 6,2536,253 7,474 7,474 WyomingWyoming 1,2071,207 1,536 1,536

AZ/CO/WY Small Farms Survey

Characteristics of low-density regions

Lower population Fast growth Few foreign-born residents More Hispanic residents Fewer houses on sewers Adjacent to at least one rural county Flat land Little or no wetland Most land owned by private owners

July 2001, Brookings Institute, “Who Sprawls Most? How Growth Patters Differ Across the U.S.”

Who lives on these properties?

Professionals Urbanites fleeing the city Retirees Aging rural residents Suburbanites Investors Etc…

Why do they want to live on small acreage properties?

Pastoral lifestyles Green properties Increased property values Fewer restrictions on

property uses Animal ownership (horses,

llamas, etc.) Privacy Investment potential Make some money Etc…

Did you have any livestock in 2002?

81.4%

18.6%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Yes NoSource: AZ, CO, & WY Survey

Percentage of household income from farm

Source: AZ, CO, & WY Survey

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0 to 20 21 to 40 41 to 60 61 to 80 81 to 100

Perc

ent

Why engaged in small farm agriculture?Working close to nature 19.1%Supplement income 17.9%Make profit 17.3%Close to family 9.6%Hobby extended into business 9.0%Unique and challenging 8.8%Other 8.3%Inherited 5.3%Change in career 2.6%Limited alternatives 2.1%

Source: AZ, CO, & WY Survey

How do we reachHow do we reachdifferent audiences?different audiences?

Group 1: Retirees

Group 2: Baby boomers

Born between 1946 and 1964

Group 3: Gen Xers

Group 4:Lifestylers 1: Return to the ‘60s

Group 5:Lifestylers 2: Save the earth!

Group 6:Highly educated people

High hopes

Group 7:People with problems

A different reality!

Group 8: Entrepreneurs

Things you need to know about your audience

Who will be there? What will they expect from you? What do they already know? Will they all understand me? How technical can I (or should I)

be?

Use tools to gather information

Needs assessments Pre-program surveys Focus groups Key informants Community forums Interviews

Start by asking questions:

What’s your purpose in attending this training?

How do you prefer to learn? What outcomes do you seek from

this training?

Things to avoid

Talking down to an audience - people hate to be patronized

Showing that you know little or nothing about them (at least know something about who they are)

Being totally unprepared for questions Knowing nothing about their current

concerns

Remember:

Every audience is unique Understanding your audience helps

you focus your information Don’t try to be all things to all

people!