How to Identify and Build the Right Target Audience on Instagram

Katherine Morgan
4 min readNov 17, 2021

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If you’ve been finding it difficult to shape an Instagram strategy that is powerful enough to deliver results that align with your objectives, don’t panic. Many other businesses have been and are currently in the same boat. So, let’s take a closer look at how to find your audience before exploring how partnering with a digital marketing agency in Colchester or your local area could help you to create a powerful strategy that will drive more engagement, leads and conversions.

Your Audience Matters

A robust and effective Instagram strategy starts with an inherent understanding of your ideal audience. Without this key piece of information, you are going to find it impossible to create content that the people you most want to impress will find inspiring, valuable, and engaging.

Why does this matter? Because you simply aren’t going to secure the engagement and conversion levels you want to see from a cold audience.

Finding your Ideal Instagram Audience

The good news is that there are myriad resources, tools and methods you can use to define your ideal audience.

- Personas

If you already have a set of clearly defined personas, using these for your Instagram strategy is likely to deliver solid results. If not, buyer personas essentially help you to gain a clear understanding of your typical customer.

- Insight

You can gain so much knowledge from deep-diving into the audiences of your primary competitors. What does their audience look like and what types of content are they sharing? You can also use this insight to determine whether you have missed any key segments with the personas you have created.

- Demographics

Instagram analytics can offer a surprising amount of detail about your existing audience, including their gender, location, and age range. Merge this data with the information you have learned from your competitor research.

- Social Listening

It’s impossible to understand your audience if you aren’t listening to them. What are your audience talking about online and what are they interested in? This information will help you to start engaging conversations they will want to be part of.

So, we’ve looked at a few ways in which you can build a more comprehensive picture of your ideal audience. Now, let’s explore some of the ways you can use this information to really connect with your audience.

Connecting with your Ideal Instagram Audience

Now you understand what your target audience looks like, you need to understand how to leverage this knowledge to effectively target the right people.

- Hashtags

Using the right hashtags can put your business right in front of your ideal audience. After identifying something your audience are interested in that is also relevant to your brand, you can work on creating content that will capture their attention and let them know that you are a brand to engage with.

- Location

Posts and Stories that have been tagged with a specific location will appear in relevant searches, which means this is a powerful tactic for local businesses eager to connect with a local audience.

- Influencers

Some businesses may find it beneficial to partner with relevant influencers who have built a loyal audience who share similar interests. There are a range of approaches you could take here, including providing a product or service for review, allowing them to take over your Instagram account for a day, and partnering with them to host a contest or giveaway.

- Analytics

It is important to keep a close eye on your Instagram analytics as this is one of the simplest ways to determine which types of content are garnering the most engagement from your target audience. This information will help you to further refine your strategic approach to such a valuable platform while also ensuring that your time and resources are being directed towards the right places to drive the outcomes you need.

How Can a Digital Marketing Agency in Colchester Help?

Understanding your ideal Instagram audience will give you the tools you need to strengthen your strategy to drive beneficial outcomes. If some of the details feel overwhelming or you are keen for some support when getting started, working with a digital marketing agency in Colchester, for example, will give you the opportunity to leverage the skills and expertise of social media professionals. From correctly positioning your brand to leveraging the full potential of every tool available to you, your digital agency will ensure your digital strategy is delivering the best possible return on your investment.

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