How to Identify Your Target Audience on Social Media: A Strategy Guide for Personal Brands
- Akinyinka Omikunle
- Jul 14
- 4 min read
If there’s one question I get asked time and time again by entrepreneurs, professionals, and people trying to build a personal brand, it’s this:
👉🏽 How do I know who my target audience is?
It’s a fair question — and an essential one.
In the world of marketing with social media, shouting into the void is easy. But speaking directly to the right people? That’s where the magic happens.
Whether you’re building a business, growing a platform, or refining your brand, knowing your audience is foundational. Without it, your content won’t land, your offers won’t convert, and your presence won’t resonate.
As a seasoned marketing strategist, I’ve helped countless clients go from guessing who they’re speaking to… to confidently building communities that feel like home.
In this article, I’ll show you how to do the same through simple, strategic steps that also apply across different marketing strategies, including new market strategies and go-to-market strategy examples.
Why Knowing Your Audience Matters
Imagine walking into a room of strangers and giving a speech without knowing who they are, what they care about, or why they’re there. That’s what posting blindly on social media feels like.
When you know your audience, everything changes:
Your content becomes sharper and more relevant
You create connection, not confusion
Engagement rises because people feel seen
Your growth becomes intentional, not accidental
Let’s break down exactly how to find and understand your target audience.
1. Start with Self-Awareness
Before you can understand your audience, you need to understand yourself. This isn’t fluff, it’s coach strategy.
Ask yourself:
What am I offering? (Knowledge, inspiration, entertainment, products, services?)
What are my values?
What results do I help people achieve?
What problems do I solve?
Your audience is looking for one thing: transformation. The clearer you are on your values, the easier it becomes to identify the kind of person who needs it.
Example:
If you’re a wellness coach helping busy mums regain energy, your audience isn’t “everyone.”
It’s likely: women aged 30–45, juggling work and home, who value health but lack time.
This clarity is key to building a strong go-to-market strategy, whether for a personal brand or small business.
2. Create a Detailed Audience Persona
Once you’re clear on what you offer, build a profile of your ideal audience member. This is your audience persona, and it should go beyond basic demographics.
Think about:
Age range and gender
Location (urban, suburban, rural?)
Career or industry
Pain points and desires
Hobbies and habits
Which platforms they use
What time they’re online
What tone and language they prefer
Example Persona:
Name: Sarah
Age: 22
Location: London
Pain Point: Feels unsure about her career and overwhelmed by pressure to succeed
Platforms: Instagram, TikTok, occasional LinkedIn
Needs: Guidance that’s relatable, clear, and hopeful
With Sarah in mind, your content becomes more personal and effective. This is the foundation of any good marketing strategy course or real-life marketing strategy example.
3. Analyse Your Existing Audience
If you already have a presence, your followers offer powerful clues. Use tools from Instagram, LinkedIn, X, or Facebook to discover:
Where your followers live
Their age range
When they’re most active
Which posts perform best
Also, pay attention to:
Comments, saves, shares
DMs and emails
The languagee your audience uses to describe their problems
This is how you move from guessing to clarity, especially if you're building a personal brand or offering marketing for a small online business
4. Study Your Competitors and Peers
One of the most effective but underrated marketing strategies for small businesses is competitor research.
Ask:
Who are they speaking to?
What type of content drives response?
What audience gaps are they missing?
This isn’t about copying, it’s about noticing patterns. You’ll see the strengths and blind spots in the market and tailor your messaging with confidence.
Bonus tip: Read the comments on trending content in your niche. It reveals audience questions and desires, perfect for shaping your marketing and branding efforts.
5. Engage to Refine
Your audience isn’t static. As your brand grows, it evolves. That’s why identifying your audience is not a one-off task; it’s an ongoing process.
Try:
Asking open-ended questions in your captions
Using polls and quizzes in Stories
Encouraging conversations in your comments
For example, one of my clients running a career page on LinkedIn used weekly “This or That” polls. Within a month, she realized her audience preferred interview prep content over resume tips. That pivot tripled her engagement.
Audience feedback is one of the best marketing solutions on LinkedIn.
6. Let Data Guide You, but Not Define You
Data is powerful. But don’t let it silence your instinct. The best marketing strategy websites to know how to blend data with intuition.
Sometimes, the right audience doesn’t show up in numbers right away they grow with you.
True connection happens when your content reflects who you are.
That’s where loyalty is born, especially in branding and personal branding.
Final Words
Identifying your target audience isn’t about boxing yourself in, it’s about focusing your fire.
It’s how you move from content that feels generic to posts that feel magnetic.
Social media is noisy. The ones who cut through? They’re not always the loudest, they’re the clearest.
Whether you’re in a marketing apprenticeship, running a small business, or simply building your online visibility, knowing your audience unlocks every other strategy.
If you take one thing away, let it be this:
Don’t just speak. Connect.
Don’t just attract. Align.
Your people are already out there. Waiting to be seen. Waiting to be served.
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