Think about the audience you are trying to influence. Is it elected officials? Is it the broader community? Is it a specific age group in the community? Who you are trying to influence will be very important in your message formulation and how you reach them. Remember, this is not necessarily the audience that you have targeted for a behavior change, like underage youth, but rather the audience whose readiness levels you are trying to raise. Think carefully about what motivates your audience and its beliefs and attitudes. If you don’t know, find out.

Here are a few tips for identifying your audience:

1. Who does your issue affect?
2. Which area does your community need the most progress in?
3. Who influences that area of your community?
4. What are the demographics of those influencers?
5. Where do they spend their time?
6. Get their information from?