Always consider the audience to whom you are writing when considering how to adapt your message. For specialized audiences with knowledge in your field, such as academic institutions or peer employees, write in a formal and detailed manner. This consideration will show your specialized audience that you have knowledge of your subject and can convey your knowledge proficiently through writing. In contrast, to adapt your message to a wider audience, you may find it beneficial to adopt a less-formal voice and write in broader terms. These techniques will make your writing more palatable for readers without knowledge in your field.
Readers often find it difficult to grasp a message or idea that is abstract in nature. For this reason, include concrete examples in your writing to help adapt your message. By applying the ideas of your message to a metaphoric situation or analogy, you offer your readers a different perspective from which to understand your message. A famous example of this technique can be seen in Plato's cave allegory from his book "Republic," in which he explains his theory of metaphysics through a metaphor of prisoners who see reality as shadows on the wall of a cave.
Even if you alone have adequate knowledge to convey your message, plan to incorporate numerous outside sources as supporting references. To adapt your message to a broader audience, incorporate references to varied sources. For example, use an academic reference to back up the veracity of your message. To make your message more relatable, however, incorporate less-formal references, such as to popular media. If your message has historical context, incorporate references to real-world events to make the ideas of your message concrete.
If appropriate, include visual aids throughout your writing --- especially for Internet writing, as Web users tend to shy away from pages comprising only text. Many readers are visual learners, meaning they understand concepts best by seeing a visual example. By including visual aids such as diagrams or charts, you can adapt your message for the visual learners of your audience. Moreover, visual aids offer your readers momentary relief from written text, which helps keep your audience interested and engaged with the text, and therefore they will better understand your written message.