How to Attract the Right Audience on Social Media (Because Who Follows You Matters)
If your audience demographics are off, don’t panic. You can influence who shows up by being intentional with your content, captions, and strategy.
In my last post, I talked about why knowing your Instagram and Facebook audience breakdown matters. (And if you haven’t read that one, go back to it and catch up—it’s a good one.)
But that post triggered a flurry of DMs, emails, and coaching questions:
“What if I don’t have the right audience yet? Can I actually fix that?”
The short answer?
Yes. You can absolutely influence who follows you. But it’s not just about what you post—it’s about how, where, and for whom you’re posting.
So if your audience currently skews 60% men and you’re a motherhood creator…
Or you’re based in the U.S. but most of your followers are overseas…
Here’s how to shift that.
Step 1: Be Loud About Who You’re For
If you’re trying to attract U.S.-based, millennial women who love solo travel or DIY home makeovers, you need to make that clear in your content.
Show your face. People follow people. Static home shots with no personality? Aesthetically pleasing, but not connection-building.
Reference your audience directly in your captions. “If you’re in Denver and love a good coffee run…” or “Fellow East Coast moms, here’s your reminder…”
Use identity markers in your bio and post copy. Think: Latina creator, Texas-based foodie, Midwest mama of two, small space renter. These attract your people.
It may make you feel like a broken record but I promise you, it’ll work. Don’t ever assume that everyone already knows you and what you’re all about. Because they do NOT. Especially if you’re doing content that’s landing on their FYP. You want convert them to a random viewer to a dedicated followers.
You can NOT be for everyone so don’t try to be. You’ll end up being for no one. Pick your lane(s).
Step 2: Geo-Tag Everything (Yes, Still)
Tag your city, neighborhood, or state—especially if you're posting food, travel, or lifestyle content.
If you’re on FB & IG, mention the location in the actual caption. It still helps with discoverability in local groups or feeds.
This is how you start signaling to the algorithm (and future followers) where you’re based and who your content is relevant for.
I tag Denver all the time on my content. That’s where I’m based and while I’m not location dependent for my clients, I like people know I’m in Denver - it helps people know more about me and therefore connect.
I tag US cities all the time - either Denver or wherever I’ve traveled to for a conference or work event. As a result, I have a strong US based following. I also know that my audience is very strongly a female one so I make sure to speak to them/us.
Step 3: Use Strategic Location-Based Hashtags
Even if Instagram has said hashtags don’t matter “as much,” I promise you they still do. Or you can at least leverage them for your business.
Use 1–2 specific hashtags that signal your content’s location or community:
#DallasMoms #NYCFoodie #DenverCreators #HoustonInfluencerWant to reach a certain type of audience? Add niche identity or interest-based tags:
#BlackGirlTravel #MillennialMoms #LatinaBlogger #SoloTravelOver30Mix your locations: don’t just use your city—add state-level and broader tags too.
Even if the reach is low, the quality of those viewers is often higher—and it stacks over time.
Pro tip : I often ask ChatGPT aka my BFF for hashtags relevant to a certain topic (talent management or agency retreats) with under 10k uses. That always keeps them fresh for me and not competing in a saturated space.
Step 4: Collaborate With Creators Who Already Have the Audience You Want
This is one of the most overlooked strategies—especially by newer creators.
Find creators in your niche who have a more aligned audience and propose a collab or content swap.
This could be a shared Reel, a giveaway, a joint Story Q&A, or a simple shout-out.
Their audience sees you, and you get new eyeballs that are already primed to like what you’re posting.
Pro tip: Pick creators in your country or city. This helps shift your audience to a more geo-targeted one naturally.
Step 5: Audit. Adjust. Repeat.
Don’t just set it and forget it. This isn’t about your Tuesday night chicken dinner. ( I went on a date once with a guy who LOVED his infomercial purchase of chicken roaster thing, “set it and forget it!". It’s still funny. He was a lame, lame human tho!)
This is WORK. Friendly reminder, being a successful content creator is a business. You’re an entrepreneur. You have to find ways to always work both on AND in the business.
Check your audience insights monthly. Look at top cities, countries, age ranges, and gender breakdown.
If something’s trending in the wrong direction, adjust. Are your hashtags pulling in the wrong people? Are your captions too generic? Is your content lacking specificity?
Social media is just as much a strategy game as it is a creative one.
Final Thought
If your audience is off, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed NOR does it mean you have to give up. Or start over. It means it’s time to recalibrate. The way I look at it, all of this is data. Helpful information that allows you to pivot and adjust……to thrive!
Which is what entrepreneurship is all about.
Just like you can clean up your closet or update your rates, you can clean up your content and intentionally attract the audience you want to work with, speak to, and build community with.
Who do you want your content to reach?
Have you ever noticed a mismatch between who you’re creating for and who’s actually following? Let’s talk about it.
Is your content not showing to your followers? That was yet another hot topic in our agency thread and on a talent call I had last week (I’m telling you, this was really getting both my talent and my consulting clients fired up to figure out what’s going on and improve who sees their content as well as improve their audience demographic information to be better positioned for brand collabs.)
Stick around and what’s what I’m writing about next.
Until next time,
