Unlocking Your Ideal Audience on Instagram
DATE: NOVEMBER 10TH 2023
TIME: 5 MINUTE READ
SUBJECT: MARKETING
Are you tired of spending your time and energy on creating social media content just to post your daily image or video and then hear… crickets? Hey, it happens to everyone at least a few times. But, if you're not consistently seeing the engagement you'd hoped for on your social media accounts (low likes, no comments, zero shares), then there's a high possibility that you're speaking to the wrong people or sharing the wrong type of content for your audience.
Of course, when you started your business, you probably had an idea of the people you thought could benefit from your services or products, but how long has it been since you revisited that topic and really dove into what makes your customers your customers? Have you taken the time to ask yourself “what do my clients want to know”?
Today's the day! With this blog and our free PDF worksheet, you’ll be well on your way to aligning with your target audience.
Who is the person that you want to see engage with your business again and again? Who is your DREAM customer? When you understand who that person is, what their buying habits are, what values they hold close, and what type of content they are used to interacting with online, you'll position yourself accordingly and meet them where they are. It's the essential first step to putting together a social marketing strategy that will align with your customers and bring you results.
In this blog post, we'll focus on identifying your dream customers, taking a peek at your current Instagram analytics, and guiding you on how to pivot your content to meet your audience and drive sales for your business.
IDENTIFYING YOUR IDEAL AUDIENCE
First, we want to work to identify your target audience by answering the following questions. If you're feeling overwhelmed, just stop and think about a client or customer that you've really enjoyed working with in the past.
Specifically, this is the person who is your business's biggest fan — someone that loves your products or services, engages with you online, buys everything you have to sell, and spreads your name around to their friends and family. So, with that person in mind, let's answer these questions —
What is this person's gender?
How old is this person?
Are they married? Single? Divorced?
Do they have any children?
What level of education did they receive?
What are their hobbies?
Why is this person choosing your product or service?
What about what you offer makes them willing to spend money?
What attributes do they have?
Who has already bought from me often?
What do they value?
How old are they?
What niche does your business relate to most?
Where do they hang out online?
What are their fears and frustrations?
Using your answers from the questions above, create a persona for your ideal client/customer.
Give them a name, write about their life, acknowledge the pain points they might be feeling WITHOUT your product/service, and how by them making the choice to buy from you will solve their problems and accomplish their goals.
Now that we've got those questions answered and your ideal client persona created, let's move on.
ANALYZING YOUR INSTAGRAM ANALYTICS
Now, it's time to dive into your social media analytics and do a little comparison, specifically in your 'Accounts Engaged” section on Instagram.
– Log into your Instagram account.
– Click your profile (make sure your account is a business one to access these analytics).
– Navigate to the professional dashboard and select "Accounts Engaged."
Now that you are here, take note of the following:
– Top Cities
– Top Countries
– Top age ranges
– Gender
It's also helpful to be aware of the people who comment and like your posts often. If your analytics closely match your target audience, then you're already off to a great start.
However, if you're not seeing the desired engagement despite the right audience being present, it might mean you're posting the wrong content.
Pivoting Your Content Strategy
Now that you have answered all the questions and compared your ideal client persona with your current analytics, it's time to pivot if needed. Don't let this scare you! It means you are on the road to recovering your socials and generating more engagement!
Focus on finding people who fit your ideal client persona and create content that THEY would relate to. This part is critical! You can know your ideal audience and still be posting the wrong stuff. Now more than ever, you need to start curating content with the ideal audience in mind and keep it consistent.
To grow, you need to hit three key elements:
– Identify your target audience.
– Create content that aligns with their goals.
– Show up consistently in your online community.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Now that you have your audience nailed down, it's time to dive into content creation. We understand that it can be intimidating to think of a post for every day of the week (or a whole month) at a time. That's why we have more tips and modules to help you along your way. Check out our next section to learn about content brainstorming, categories, and how you should be thinking about your overall strategy when it comes to Instagram.
We hope this guide has been helpful in finding your ideal audience. While this is a great stepping stone, remember that there's more to creating engaging content and having a strong social media presence.
A full account audit, creating multiple reels a month (at least), having engaging photography to interact with, witty and informative captions, and daily stories are what really make you stand out on the feed and help you reach your goals faster. So keep refining your strategy, keep engaging with your audience, and watch your social media presence thrive.
