In the time it takes you to read this first sentence, an average of eight new people started using social media platforms.
Almost 64% of the world's population are social media users. How do you cater your marketing efforts to such a large crowd? You find your social media target audience.
Effective social media marketing starts with a target audience. File it under “hope isn't a strategy” because you need to find potential customers and meet your intended audience where they are on social media.
The good news is that finding your right target audience on social media isn't hard if you know how to strategize and read data. We're going to help you find real customers and get a better understanding of your specific target audience.
What is a social media target audience?
A social media target audience is the people you are trying to reach who use social media. Your potential customer base checks off certain boxes that make it easier to connect directly with a specific group instead of broadcasting a brand message that may not be of interest to the masses.
You've heard the phrases shouting at the moon and preaching to the choir, right? Those are the types of things successful marketing campaigns weed out to find the right social media audience for your brand or business.
Types of social media target audiences
When creating a social media strategy for your target audience, consider these categories to find common characteristics.
Demographics
Also known as key demos, demographics include specific qualities of a population segment. This can include age, income level, gender identity, and education level.
Location-based
Target demographics can also be sorted by location, but that doesn't always have to be a particular city. A rural internet provider will have little reason to advertise to an urban crowd.
If you're hosting a health fair in Chicago, you probably want to fine-tune your reach to within 100 miles of the city.
Location-based target audiences could also be pinpointed by spending power, with social posts focusing on those in wealthy zip codes.
Interest-based
Interest-based targeting revolves around the hobbies or personal interests of the potential audience. For example, football fans may have a different purchase intent than ballet fans. If you're a fitness influencer, you should know whether you're going after older generations trying to stay fit or working with elite athletes for HIIT training.
Behavioral-based
When you're focused on a target market's behavior, that means knowing their spending patterns, tracking their online activity to adjust your publishing times, and finding their preferred social media platforms.
Keep in mind, your target audience could have more than one persona. As you identify patterns that relate to your business goals, you may find two to three specific target demos.
Why should you know your target audience?
In a social media sea of 5.2 billion users, it might seem like the crowd is ripe for the picking. However, would you rather have a one in five million chance of winning the lottery or learn the first three numbers being drawn?
Your marketing budget and content strategy must laser-focus on those who speak the same language and offer the best chance of brand loyalty.
Save money by talking to the right people
You aren't trying to appeal to the masses on social media sites. The goal is to maximize your marketing budget for social media ads to reach the ideal customer. Companies selling dog toys won't have a social media target audience of those allergic to dogs.
Speak to a social media crowd that actually cares
One aspect of social media marketing that is too often overlooked is engagement. It doesn't matter if all 5.2 billion people see your ad yet scroll right on by. A meaningful connection with your target audience is a priority.
Also, social media networks want the same thing, and more engagement means a better chance of performing higher in the algorithms. When your customers interact, everyone wins.
Increase conversion rates through personalization
Part of knowing your social media target audience is understanding their specific needs. At its best, it feels like a tailored experience for your customer, which in turn creates brand loyalty.
That includes elements like what content formats they prefer, such as if they usually shop with a small business instead of a big box store, or which social media channels they are most likely to use. While your marketing efforts appeal to a target audience, each customer should feel like an ad or email was designed just for them.
How to define your social media target audience
Now that we understand why a social media target audience is important, let's work through how to find your ideal fan.
Analyze your current audience
Start by figuring out who your existing customers are and where they are coming from. That means looking at your website analytics and data from various social media platforms. Explore every touchstone, as going by website data alone could rule out a large group connecting with you on Instagram or Facebook. A review of your existing audience base helps you plan for future marketing efforts.
Research your industry and competitors
Your social media target audience is also likely going to be the same as your competitors, which means you have to keep an eye on the competition. Review their most successful social media posts, while also noting what did not work for them.
Sign up for industry emails and join social media groups to find new information that could connect with your current customers. Plus, this helps build your background knowledge, making you a more trustworthy brand for new customers.
Add a review of Google Trends for trending topics in your niche, and follow industry leaders on social media apps like LinkedIn.
Identify key demographics
You can't be everything to everyone. Remember, you're identifying key demographics that are most likely to interact with you and utilize your business services.
Maximize your reach by finding a target audience on various social media sites. At the same time, balance your target audience demographics to avoid being too niched with just one, but do not dilute your message with too many. Stick with up to three target audience demographics.
Use advanced social listening tools like Brandwatch to find and know your target audience better. With the Social Panels feature, you can choose from pre-defined panels such as generations or interests or create your own panel groups. Read more about the feature here or chat with one of our experts.
Understand customer pain points and desires
Knowing what your target audience wants is as important as knowing what frustrates them. Part of your research on competitors and the industry should include taking advantage of reading comments or reviews. This is another form of social listening.
A pain point for your target audience could be a lack of good customer service, products that are too expensive, or complicated instructions for a new product. If you know your competitors are not good at customer service, you can make it a priority to answer questions as they come in.
Use social media insights and analytics
As an advanced step of learning about your target audience, this one is less about who they are and more about how they act and react. Identify which platforms they are on and how often they engage with your content there.
For example, younger generations may spend more time on TikTok, while Gen Xers and Boomers are more likely to use Facebook. From there, look at engagement rates for sharing, commenting, and liking specific content elements. Your marketing can cater to particular demos on various platforms.
Segment by interests and behaviors
We're back to that personalized experience. When you mix the data with the pain points, your business can identify ways to connect directly with niche audiences.
For example, if you notice comments on your page or your competitor's page about people being burned out, it could mean they need some helpful motivation tips. Consider hosting a live weekend detox flow for those who are interested.
Use marketing to meet your customers where they are, including anything from discount deals to 10-minute workout tips.
Create buyer personas
Once you've crunched the data, know your audience, and have an idea of what motivates them, create buyer personas. You make that persona by highlighting your ideal customer (or customers) and giving them a name, job title, background, and attribute list.
You might even choose one of your current customers who are highly engaged with your company and use them as an example behind the scenes.
For example, “Jennifer is a single, middle-aged woman with two dogs who loves to scroll Instagram and Facebook for dog videos. She works from home and needs engaging toys that will keep her dogs focused while she works, as she often comments.”
Best practices for creating content for your social media target audience
Whether you're running a small business or a big brand, some simple steps will connect you with the right audience.
Choosing the right social media networks
Your target audience on social could be split between different sites, as the younger generations steer toward TikTok, while older generations like Gen X and Boomers still flock to Facebook. Customize your content for each platform, but make it malleable enough that you don't have to start from scratch each time.
Also, look for ways to maximize your budget by advertising on Meta's properties (IG, FB, Threads, and WhatsApp) to get the most out of your ad budget.
Experiment with different types of content on social media
The algorithms on social media ebb and flow, sometimes without a clear understanding of why. That's one reason it's important to diversify your content with a mix of photos, carousels, videos, threads, lives, and any other tool available.
Since each type of content and placement for content is rewarded through a separate algorithm, you need to get in front of all content viewing spots. Then measure the analytics to see which content is most engaging to your audience.
Expand social media marketing tools
Balancing all those platforms can be overwhelming, especially if you don't have a large staff or are a sole proprietor or influencer. Brandwatch offers an all-in-one social media tool for posting, messaging, and analytics.
At the rate social media platforms are cranking out new features, like trial Reels from Instagram, you can't afford to be left behind.
Here are some of our favorite sources to bookmark to keep up to date:
- Instagram Announcements
- Meta Newsroom (IG, Threads, WhatsApp, Facebook)
- TikTok Newsroom
- X Blog
- YouTube Creator Updates
- LinkedIn Business Solutions
Be prepared to pivot
Did you know that Stanley Tumblers were originally designed to appeal to rugged outdoorsmen, not fashionable women? Or that Doc Martens shoes were designed as work boots before becoming mainstream a few decades later? How about the Nintendo Wii, which was geared toward kids but famously found a middle-aged audience?
All the right research, content, and intuition could still reach untapped potential target audiences. If you see a trend like this happening, change your content strategy to embrace the new crowd without alienating your original audience.
Is target audience research worth it?
Absolutely. The more crowded the social landscape becomes with users, businesses, and influencers, the harder it will be to stand out in a crowd. Find the path of least resistance to your target crowd and appeal to them on a personal level.
FAQs
How can I better reach my target audience on social media?
First, you identify the target audience through the methods we've discussed here. Then, create various forms of content on different social channels. Finally, measure your performance through analytics. Adjust your marketing as needed.
Can my target audience change over time?
Remember in the movie The Social Network, where the actor portraying Mark Zuckerberg said, “It's like fashion; fashion's never finished.”? Treat your target audience as the same living, breathing group that will adjust, adapt, and expand as time goes on.
Your target market will always be flexible, and that means the potential for new customers.
How do I create content for multiple target audiences?
Once you've established the personas, it will be much easier to cater to that particular group. Always be respectful of the tone, language, and lingo you use in marketing. Having a brand guide helps create content that can resonate with everyone, from the professionals on LinkedIn to the Gen Z crowd on TikTok. Again, check your analytics to see which efforts are most effective.
