This is one of those steps that seems simple but makes all the difference. Picking the right targets helps Kenji focus on the kinds of people who are actually going to follow you, engage with your content, and maybe even become customers down the line.

Think like your audience

You probably already have a pretty good idea of who your ideal followers are. The next step is figuring out where they’re already spending time.

• If you’re a real estate agent, look at accounts run by interior designers, local builders, or mortgage pros.

• A photographer? Think about venues, wedding planners, or stylists.

• Running a wellness page? You might target fitness coaches, eco-beauty brands, or creators who post about mental health or nutrition.

If you wouldn’t follow the account yourself, your audience probably wouldn’t either.

Keep an eye on size

Target size matters, not because bigger is always better, but because extremes on either end usually don’t work.

• Under 20k followers? Kenji will run out of people to follow quite fast. You’ll need to update your targets all the time.

• Over 250k? Feels exciting, but you’ll mostly find inactive followers, bots, or people who won’t even notice you.

Somewhere in between is usually the best call. Active, mid-sized accounts tend to have stronger, more engaged audiences. That’s who you want to show up in front of.

Avoid the Accounts You Can’t Reach

Private profiles? Verified accounts? Not worth adding. Kenji can’t engage with them anyway. Keep it simple and go for public accounts with visible content.

Good Starting Points

Here are four target types that almost always deliver good results:

1. Direct Competitors

   Basically, anyone doing what you’re doing. Their followers are already interested in the space, so you’re not starting from zero and have a decent chance of getting engaging followers.

2. Complementary Brands

   Not competing with you, but probably speaking to the same kind of audience. Think of partnerships, but one-sided. For example, a fitness coach can be targeting healthy meal prep brands or gym wear accounts. Same audience, not the same product.

3. Influencers and Niche Creators

   Mid-sized influencers can work well, especially ones who aren’t overloaded with spammy comments or bot followers. Their audience should become your audience.

4. Hashtags with Context

   Skip the trending or ultra-generic stuff. Try hashtags tied to your location, your community, or your niche. Something your audience would actually type when posting.

Bottom line:

You don’t need a huge list of targets to get started. You just need the right ones.

Focus on relevance, stay within the 20k to 250k range, and skip accounts Kenji can’t interact with. Once you get going, you can always swap in new ones based on what’s working.

Bonus tip: The Targeting Suggestions feature inside your dashboard can point you in the right direction!