YouTube: How To Find Your Target Audience

Article last updated on:
May 02, 2024
  • Find your target audience on YouTube
  • Make more appealing videos
  • Reach even more people in your niche

No time to waste, so let’s dive in.

How to reach the right Audience on YouTube

To find your target YouTube audience, you just have to be consistent. This’ll help you identify and analyze demographic details, and interests.

1. Consistency is Key

YouTuber uploading videos consistently
  • Identify Your Strengths:
  • Authenticity & Ease:
    • Authentic content comes from working within your areas of interest.
    • It makes creating content more enjoyable and less of a chore.
  • Content Focus:
    • Focusing on your strengths helps narrow down your channel’s theme.
    • A clear focus makes your content more coherent and engaging.
  • Connecting with Your Audience:
    • Sharing what you love creates a genuine connection with viewers.
    • People are drawn to creators who are authentic and enthusiastic about their subjects.

2. User-First Content

Google's SEO User-First Content Guide

Treat viewers like you’d treat yourself:

  • Create content that prioritizes the viewer’s interests and preferences.
  • Focus on making videos that you would enjoy watching yourself.

This is the same approach Google has for SEO on written content.

Videos and articles are no different!

3. Hear Your Community

Weird picture ahead… We all know Penguinz0 (Charlie or Moist Cr1TiKaL).

Invite in the Official Discord Community -  penguinz0
  • Audience Selection:
  • Audience Research:
  • Engage with Communities:
    • Discover and join relevant fan communities.
    • Learn and use their specific jargon in your content.
  • Active Participation:
    • Become an active member in these communities.
    • Notice the positive impact it has on your content and engagement.

4. Make use of Analytics

To get to YouTube Analytics, click this text or follow the process below:

Open YouTube > Click your profile picture > YouTube Studio > Analytics.

Channel Analytics on YouTube
  • Utilize YouTube Tools:
    • Use YouTube’s analytics to understand viewer engagement.
    • Identify which parts of your videos capture the most interest.
    • Improve segments with lower engagement to maintain viewer interest.
  • Importance of First 5 Seconds:
    • Capture attention quickly as viewers decide to watch in the first few seconds.
  • Engaging Video Beginnings:
    • Ensure the start of your video is compelling to retain viewers.

5. Optimize & A/B Test

ThumbnailTest.com - Website Home Page
  • Video Optimization:
  • Effective Descriptions and Headlines:
    • Use recent subjects and relevant keywords for better visibility.
  • Judicious Use of Tags:
    • Avoid excessive tags; stick to relevant ones.
  • Incorporate Audio Transcripts:
    • Transcripts add context and boost search rankings.
    • They also allow for more keyword inclusion, aiding discoverability.

6. Share on other Platforms

First MrBeast video on X (Twitter)
  • Boost Visibility: Sharing on social networks increases your video’s reach.
  • Tagging: Mention friends, brands, and fellow creators to engage.
  • Spark Conversations: Keep the dialogue going beyond YouTube.
  • Target Audience: Choose platforms with your desired viewers.
  • Relevance is Key: Ensure your content matches the platform’s audience.
  • Expand Your Reach: Tap into new audiences by sharing across different channels.

7. Collaborate with other YouTubers

  • Team Up: Partner with other creators or engaging users.
  • Share the Love: Recommend other YouTubers to your viewers.
  • Network: Many creators know each other — join the community.
  • Cross-Promote: Increase your visibility across channels.

Find further advice in Google’s official YouTube-Collaboration guide.

Checklist: Find your audience

StepTaskTips
1Define your nicheFocus on what you love or are knowledgeable about.
2Research your audienceUse YouTube Analytics to understand demographics.
3Check out competitorsSee who’s watching similar channels and what they prefer.
4Identify audience needsWhat problems can your content solve for them?
5Analyze content trendsUse tools like Google Trends to see what’s popular.
6Engage with your viewersRead comments to understand what they like/dislike.
7Use social mediaSee what potential viewers talk about on platforms like X (Twitter) and Reddit.
8Create personasBuild profiles of your ideal viewers to tailor content to.
9Test and iterateTry different content types and see what resonates.
10Stay updatedKeep an eye on changing trends and preferences.

This checklist can guide you through the process of identifying and understanding your target audience on YouTube, allowing you to create more relevant and engaging content for them.


Thank you for reading this,
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About the author

David is the head of the editing team at ThumbnailTest. With his help, the editorial team is able to provide you with the best free guides related to YouTube thumbnails and A/B testing.