The short answer
Learn how to define your target audience, create better content, and balance messaging between customers and your wider community.
To nail your target audience, think about two groups: your ideal customer, and your wider community. Content for your ideal customer builds business opportunities. Content for your community, often peers in your industry, builds presence, credibility and referrals. Speak to both, be creative and keep it authentic, then test what works.
Who is your ideal customer?
Describe them clearly: the type of business or person, their size, their biggest problems and what they’re trying to achieve. For example, “founder-led businesses with 5 to 20 staff who want consistent marketing but don’t have time to do it themselves.”
Who is your community?
Your community is the wider group around your work: peers, partners and people in your industry. For a social media manager, that might be other marketers and agencies. Content that resonates with them builds credibility and leads to collaborations and referrals.
How do you create content for both?
For customers: answer their questions, show results and explain your process.
For community: share insights, behind-the-scenes lessons and industry opinions.
Mix formats: short videos, carousels, case studies and posts.
Can you use humour?
Yes, if it fits your brand. Be creative with your content, including the occasional meme or light-hearted post, but keep it authentic. Your audience should recognise the same voice whether you’re being funny or serious.
How do you test what works?
Track engagement, enquiries and follows for each type of content. Double down on what attracts the right customers and the right community, and drop what doesn’t.
A typical Melbourne scenario
A Collingwood videographer posted polished showreels that attracted other videographers but few clients. She added short “before and after” posts showing how video helped local cafés increase bookings, and kept the behind-the-scenes content for her peers. Enquiries from hospitality businesses tripled within three months.
Key takeaways
Define both your ideal customer and your community.
Create content that serves each group.
Be creative and authentic, including humour where it fits.
Test, measure and refine.
General information only.
See our content strategy and social media management services.
Mia is the driving force behind Elephant's marketing and the founder of Elephant Digital. With a background in social media strategy, brand storytelling, and creative direction, she helps businesses cut through the noise with clear, high-impact digital marketing. She leads Elephant Digital's team across content, campaigns, and creative - and shapes how the whole herd shows up online.
