Finding the right audience for making content work is like putting the a plant in the right type of soil. Make conditions right and it will flourish. If not, the content basically dies, withering away being ignored on the grapevine of this terrible analogy.The problem of finding where to place content with the intention of reaching a certain audience is called targeting. Targeting is, not to understate this, usually the wanton fireball of poor logic that results in terrible marketing.The most creative, imperceptibly designed, well-structured, well-funded campaign cannot flourish without the correct targeting. Imagine trying to pitch a client a viral campaign for gay marriage for, say, Facebook users who also like Kim Davis. You get the point.Targeting is tricky. You may know where your audience is, but the only way to access them is through expensive ads. Or when you do have the budget to support advertising, there may not be enough people in a given location to support your goal (think of a local business offering services in a small geographic area). Some audiences live in places that you can't even advertise and that you can't likely integrate in with easily.Every once and awhile though, all the planets align. You find a chance to place things you make into communities where they naturally fit.

White Whales: Growth Hacking Big Communities

The original content strategy (itself a fireball by now) for this site included content devoted towards Etsy sellers, a fairly niche community and segment in terms of interest as it relates to marketing. Most Etsy sellers do not engage in traditional paid digital advertising in the same way, say, a website would.One pattern I quickly picked up about this audience was the prevalence of social media groups designed to self-promote products within their Shop to other Etsy sellers and to help new shop owners learn how to improve their existing Etsy shop.In other words, the perfect audience for Etsy Shop related content.

Step 1: Search

A simple search on Facebook under Groups showed a number of Etsy private groups. I simply applied to be part of them. Obviously, you want to shoot for larger groups here.