Most of us who've been running our business for a while know exactly who our target market is. But, the thing with social media is that your audience could be quite different. Each network is unique, so how you approach one as compared to another might be considerably different. It’s important to take the time to explore your target market because the better you understand them, the easier it will be for you to create a connection and keep their attention.

Here are a few things to look at when getting to know your social network target market:

Learn Where Your Customers Hang Out

Some people are just concerned with the sheer number of followers they have, but that won't make you money. Ideally, you want your social media following to be reflective of your target customer base. There is no sense in building up an audience of people who have no interest in buying your products.

This report from comScore gives you some indication on how certain demographics of the population are spending their time online. This will get you moving in the right direction to find out where your market might be. You can also gather this information by engaging your own audience on your blog and elsewhere to find out which social networks they use most.

Just Ask Them

When you have conversations with your followers, you'll get to know them better. You can ask them direct questions or create polls about what kind of content they're interested in, hurdles they're trying to overcome, what questions they need answers to and more.

Pay Attention To What Your Current Followers Like

Take note of what they respond to, share and comment on. Look beyond their interaction with you and look at their own profiles. What some commonalities of the people who follow you? Everything you can learn about your audience will help you get to know them better, making it easier for you to build your target market assessment.

Shape Your Target Market

You have some control over your target market as well. Certain types of content attract a certain type of follower or audience. If you want to build a specific audience learn to post the content that draws this type and don't be afraid to experiment.

You can also shape your audience by following targeted people as well. Follow individuals and companies whose social network presence resonates with you. Participate in their conversations and connect with their audience as well.

Put The Information You've Gathered To Use

Once you have a good idea about who your target market is, you have to deliver the content they are looking for. Put aside your personal preferences and find out what really gets their attention and engages them. This will most likely be a time of trial and error. Just experiment with it.

To help you start formulating the right kind of content, ask yourself the following questions:

• What beliefs are vital to them, as it relates to your niche?
• What are their key interests?
• What are their dreams and wishes?
• What are their goals?
• What challenges do they have?

When you have this deep understanding, you can start delivering things that satisfy the questions above. Remember, to experiment with different types of content. Whether it’s text, pictures, videos, links to blog posts or really just about anything, Find out what it is they like and give them more of it.