Finding Your Audience in 2023: A Helpful Guide

As a new blogger, I know my dream audience is out there waiting to be found. But how do I connect with those people as a beginner? In this post, I'll share some strategies I've learned from running my Facebook group “Side Hustles for Gals” for young women interested in side gigs. These strategies will help you identify, understand, and reach your ideal audience.

The most important thing is getting crystal clear on who you're trying to serve. My group has taught me not to water down my message by appealing to everyone. Specify exactly who you want to reach and how you can help them. For example, instead of all women, I could target “busy students in their 20s looking for flexible side hustles.”

Next, meet them where they already are online. Don't just spam links – provide value by engaging thoughtfully on blogs, groups, and social platforms your audience uses. Become a familiar, helpful presence over time.

Also, pay attention to the terms and hashtags your audience uses to stay relevant. Directly survey them to discover their biggest needs and challenges. This market research is invaluable for creating content that truly resonates.

The key is focusing on serving real people, not faceless stats. When you write authentically from the heart, your audience will recognize themselves in your work. That personal connection builds loyalty and community.

Key Steps to Finding Your Audience

1. Get clear on your niche and offerings

• Identify your niche or topical focus. Drill down on a specific category, industry, or area of interest that you want to focus on. Get as niche as possible to better attract your ideal audience.
• Determine the core value you provide. Are you offering helpful information, entertaining content, utility/tools, or something else? Getting clear on what core emotional or functional jobs you fulfill for readers will help shape your content and messaging.
• Outline your unique perspective and approach. What distinct point of view, voice, or angle do you bring to your niche? This is your unique selling proposition or why an audience would choose you over alternatives. Lean into what makes you stand out.

2. Understand your target audience's needs

• Create audience personas. Detail the demographic info, challenges, goals and motivations of your ideal reader. Get very specific – give them a name and picture.
• Identify their pain points. What problems or frustrations does your audience have that you can help solve? These insights should inform the angle of your content.
• Map out their customer journey. Analyze the steps your audience goes through before discovering your work. This will reveal new opportunities to reach them.

3. Create content matched to their interests

• Optimize for search intent. Use keyword research to determine what queries your audience is inputting to find solutions online. Target these terms.
• Produce different formats. Offer a mix of written posts, videos, podcasts etc. tailored to different consumption preferences.
• Promote engagement. Include your audience in the process via surveys, interviews, and co-creation opportunities. This builds connection.

Build an audience avatar

• Detail target demographics like age, gender, income level, location, job title, family status, etc. Get very specific.
• Note personality traits, interests, values, and quirks. Really imagine what your ideal audience member is like as an individual.
• Understand their goals, challenges, pain points, and needs. What keeps them up at night? What are they trying to achieve in their life or career? How can you help?

Getting clear on all these details will help you tailor your content and messaging to resonate deeply with your ideal reader. Give your audience avatar a name and picture to make them more real. Check in often as you create content and ask yourself – would my audience avatar find this relevant, interesting and helpful? Putting a face to your target audience fosters that vital personal connection.

Find where your audience hangs out online

I regularly research relevant online communities and forums for women interested in side gigs. For example, I search Facebook to identify large groups focused on women in business, side hustling moms, Etsy sellers, direct sales consultants, and more. Join the conversations in these groups to provide value and get a sense of what topics resonate.

I also look at which blogs, websites, and social media influencers my audience already engages with. Who do they follow on Instagram and YouTube? What websites show up again and again when I Google my topic? Make a list of the movers and shakers in your niche space. Then you can guest post, get featured, promote their work, or simply draw inspiration from their success.

Tools like Facebook Audience Insights are invaluable for analyzing the interests, behaviors, and demographics of your target audience. I can enter terms like “work from home moms” and see what pages they like, what they Buy, where they live, and more. These insights help me fine-tune my content.

Getting familiar with the main online spaces your audience already inhabits takes some dedicated research. But it ensures you're showing up where your readers are actively looking for your type of content. Meet them on their own turf before trying to draw them back to your website or social platforms. Go where your audience goes first.

Create content tailored to your audience

Whenever I'm creating content – whether it's a blog post or social media graphic – I always optimize it with my target audience of young women entrepreneurs in mind. I focus on solving their unique pain points around balancing side gigs with busy lives. My goal is to provide actionable tips and inspiration to help them achieve their dreams of financial freedom.

I use language and messaging that will really resonate with 20-30 year old women in my niche. That means speaking directly to their desires for flexibility, community, and making a positive impact while earning income on their own terms. I avoid corporate jargon and instead opt for a casual, empowering tone that feels like advice from a trusted friend.

Getting feedback directly from my Facebook group members is invaluable. I often ask what their biggest challenges are or what types of content they want to see more of. This market research ensures I'm creating things that truly meet their needs and interests. They know best what will help them succeed.

While finding your audience takes patience and persistence, retaining them takes consistently publishing content that speaks to them like a close companion. My goal is helping my readers achieve their dreams – if I keep their specific wants and needs in mind with every piece of content, I know I'll be giving them value.

Interact with and survey your audience

Ask them questions directly. Send out surveys or polls through email lists or social media to get direct input on what content they want to see. This can include ideas for future posts, pain points to address, or formats they prefer.

Monitor engagement and feedback. Pay close attention to comments on your content, shares, likes, click-through rates, and other metrics. This shows what resonates most with your audience and what could be improved.

Run regular Q&As. Host live sessions on social media or your website where the audience can ask questions. This provides invaluable insight into their interests and needs.

Adjust your approach accordingly. Use what you learn from surveys, feedback, and interactions to refine your content strategy. Meet your audience's needs while staying true to your unique voice.

Send email updates. Brief your audience on what you're working on and ask for input. Email is a great way to interact one-on-one.

Don't over-rely on analytics. While important, data shouldn't dictate everything. Stay grounded in your expertise and passions.

The more you involve your audience in the process, the stronger your connection will be. Show you care about their thoughts by consistently interacting and surveying. This two-way conversation helps you deliver maximum value.

It's a journey…

Finding your ideal audience is crucial yet challenging work. In this post, we covered key steps like defining your niche, understanding your audience's needs, finding where they spend time online, creating tailored content, and directly interacting with them.

Taking the time to identify and get to know your target audience in this holistic way provides enormous benefits. You can craft content and messaging that truly resonates with their concerns, interests, and goals. This results in higher engagement and loyalty from readers who feel understood.

Most importantly, it enables you to build products, services, and content that add real value by solving your audience's pain points. When you make their lives easier, you build authority and trust in your niche.

If you're feeling overwhelmed as you build your online presence and community, remember to start small. Implement just one or two of the strategies outlined here first. Perhaps focus on surveying your current readers or spending time where your audience hangs out online.

Then gradually work your way toward a comprehensive audience-centered approach. Stay persistent and know that your dream audience is out there searching for you too. Meet them where they are with relevant, meaningful content and they will come. You’ve got this!

Frequently asked Questions (FAQs)

I'm feeling overwhelmed. Where should I start?

Begin with just one strategy like surveying your current readers or spending time in your niche's online communities. Go step-by-step and don't try to tackle everything at once. Identifying your audience is an ongoing process.

How do I identify my niche?

Make a list of your passions, skills, and experiences. Look for the intersections. Reflect on past feedback from others about what you excel at. Aim for a specific, focused niche that fills an audience need.

What if I can't find where my audience hangs out online?

Use Google searches, look for relevant hashtags on social media, and try tools like SimilarWeb to find sites related to your niche. Explore broadly at first, then narrow in on the most active communities. Ask your current readers for recommendations too.

What kinds of questions should I ask my audience?

Ask about their biggest challenges, how they'd describe their work, what motivates them, what they wish was more straightforward, and what types of information they need most. Focus on their goals and pain points.

How much should I rely on analytics vs. my instincts?

Data should inform but not dictate your approach. Consider analytics as feedback to guide you, but stay true to your authority as the subject matter expert. Trust your instincts combined with audience input.

How do I turn audience research into great content?

Identify everyday needs and problems that came up in your research. Brainstorm angles and formats to address those pain points. Craft content that educates, entertains, inspires, or helps your audience.