social media audiences: what are they?

One of the biggest advantages of working with a skilled social media manager is the ability to target the people who matter most to your business precisely. Whether you’re running Facebook Ads, Instagram campaigns, LinkedIn lead generation, TikTok growth initiatives, or YouTube advertising, smart audience targeting is the foundation of any effective social media strategy.

With social platforms continuing to expand, you may wonder:

• What kinds of users can I target?

• How do these audiences support my campaign goals at each stage of the funnel?

• And what’s the best way to create them?

I’ll walk you through how to identify your target audience and how to use audience segmentation to maximize your ROI on social media advertising.

What is a target audience in social media?

A target audience is a group of people who are most likely to engage with your brand, product, or service. Members of your audience typically share common traits, interests, or behaviors. For many businesses, multiple target audiences exist and can be divided into specific groups for more personalized messaging.

By understanding your audience, you can craft tailored campaigns that resonate at every stage from awareness to conversion.

Types of target audiences in social media advertising.

1. Core Audiences

   These are built using four main criteria inside ad platforms like Facebook Ads Manager or LinkedIn Campaign Manager:

   • Demographics: Age, gender, education, marital status, job title. These details influence buying decisions and pain points.

   • Interests: Hobbies, activities, entertainment, and lifestyle preferences. For example, a fitness brand can target users interested in wellness and nutrition.

   • Behaviors: Online shopping habits, device usage, travel frequency, etc.

   • Location: Target by country, city, or even zip code to keep your ads relevant.

     
     

2. Custom Audiences

   A custom audience is a group of users who already know your brand, past customers, email subscribers, or people who have interacted with your website or app. These audiences are ideal for retargeting campaigns that help move prospects further down the sales funnel.

   
   

   Ways to build Custom Audiences:

   • Upload customer email or phone lists.

   • Use social media Pixels (Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok) to track website visitors.

   • Target people who viewed specific product pages or categories.

   • Re-engage recent visitors within a set timeframe.

   
   

   Custom audiences are crucial if you're seeking to reduce ad costs and boost conversions by targeting warm leads.

   
   

3. Lookalike Audiences

   A Lookalike Audience helps you reach new people who share characteristics with your best customers. By analyzing your custom audience, platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn automatically find users with similar demographics, behaviors, and interests.

   
   

   This is one of the most cost-effective ways to scale social media advertising, providing you with access to highly qualified prospects while minimizing budget waste.

Final Thoughts

Audience targeting is the backbone of a successful social media strategy and advertising. By leveraging core audiences, custom audiences, and lookalike audiences, you can expand your reach, nurture relationships, and convert more leads into loyal customers.

👉 Share in the comments how you’ve used these audience types in your campaigns, or let’s connect if you’re ready to talk about how to help you build a winning strategy.