How to Find Your Target Audience on Social Media
Here's something we say in every Social Media Strategy workshop:
"Everyone" is not a target audience.
We know. It feels safer to keep things broad. If you speak to everyone, you can't get it wrong, right?
Actually, the opposite is true. When your content is for everyone, it resonates with no one. It's too vague to stop someone mid-scroll. Too generic to make anyone feel seen.
The businesses that build real followings aren't talking to the whole world. They're talking to a specific person - and that person feels it.
Start With a Real Person
The easiest way to define your target audience is to picture one real person.
Not a demographic profile. An actual human. Maybe it's your favourite client. Maybe it's someone you want more of. Picture them clearly.
How old are they?
What do they do for work?
Where do they live?
What does their day actually look like?
What keeps them up at night?
What do they scroll social media to find?
Write it down. This is your audience in its most useful form.
The Questions That Help You Get Specific
Once you've got your person in mind, dig a little deeper:
What problem do they have that you can solve?
Not in a clinical, corporate way. In a real, human way. "They're time-poor and feel behind on their marketing" is more useful than "they need content creation services."
Where do they hang out online?
Facebook? Instagram? LinkedIn? TikTok? You don't need to be everywhere - you need to be where your person actually is.
What kind of content stops their scroll?
Educational? Entertaining? Inspiring? Real and unfiltered? Knowing this shapes how you create, not just what you create.
What words do they use to describe their problem?
Using the same language as your audience in your captions makes people feel like you're reading their mind. That's not a trick - it's empathy.
A Simple Exercise to Try Today
Set a timer for 15 minutes. Open a blank document and answer these prompts:
My ideal client is... (describe them like a person, not a category)
Their biggest challenge right now is...
They spend time on... (platforms)
The type of content they'd stop scrolling for is...
If my content could make them feel one thing, it would be...
That's your audience brief. Keep it somewhere you can see it when you're planning content.
The Payoff
When you know who you're talking to, everything gets easier.
Your captions write faster because you know the tone. Your visuals have a clear mood. Your calls to action make sense for the person you're speaking to.
And your content starts to connect - really connect - instead of just taking up space.
Want to Build Your Strategy From the Ground Up?
Our Social Media Strategy workshop walks Gippsland small businesses through building their audience profile, defining content pillars, and setting goals that make sense for their business - in just two hours.
Get in touch to find out about upcoming dates.
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