How to Find the Right People to Message on Instagram: Complete Targeting Guide

Finding the right people to message is the foundation of successful Instagram outreach. Message the wrong people, and you'll get ignored or blocked. Message the right people, and you'll get 15-25% reply rates.

This guide shows you exactly how to find the right people to message on Instagram, using both manual techniques and automated tools. This is part of our comprehensive guide on how to do Instagram outreach that actually gets replies.

Why Targeting Matters for Instagram Outreach

Poor targeting is the #1 reason outreach fails:

• Low Reply Rates: Wrong audience = ignored messages

• Wasted Time: Researching and messaging people who don't need your solution

• Account Risk: Messaging random people can trigger spam flags

• Poor Conversions: Even if they reply, wrong audience won't convert

Good targeting, on the other hand, leads to:

• 15-25% reply rates (vs. 2% industry average)

• Higher quality conversations

• Better conversion rates

• Stronger relationships

Define Your Ideal Prospect Profile

Before finding people, clearly define who you want to reach:

Demographics

• Age range

• Location (city, country, region)

• Gender (if relevant)

• Language

Psychographics

• Interests and hobbies

• Pain points and challenges

• Goals and aspirations

• Values and beliefs

Behavioral Indicators

• Hashtags they use

• Accounts they follow

• Content they engage with

• Posts they create

Manual Methods: How to Find Prospects Manually

Method 1: Hashtag Research

Hashtags are goldmines for finding prospects:

Step-by-Step Process

• Identify 10-20 relevant hashtags in your niche

• Search each hashtag on Instagram

• Filter by "Recent" to find active users

• Review profiles that match your criteria

• Save prospects to a list or spreadsheet

Hashtag Types to Target

• Industry Hashtags: #marketing, #entrepreneurship, #fitness

• Problem Hashtags: #strugglingwithgrowth, #needhelpwith

• Location Hashtags: #newyorkbusiness, #londonentrepreneurs

• Community Hashtags: #smallbusinessowners, #startupfounders

Method 2: Competitor Follower Analysis

Your competitors' followers are your prospects:

How to Do It

• Identify 5-10 competitors in your niche

• Visit their Instagram profiles

• Click "Followers" to see their audience

• Review profiles that match your criteria

• Note which ones are most engaged

Why This Works

If they follow your competitor, they're already interested in your niche. They're warm prospects who understand the value proposition.

Method 3: Location-Based Search

For local businesses or location-specific targeting:

Process

• Search for location-specific hashtags

• Use Instagram's location tags

• Filter by location in your targeting

• Look for location mentions in bios

Method 4: Bio Keyword Matching

Search for specific keywords in bios:

• Job titles: "CEO," "Founder," "Marketing Director"

• Industries: "E-commerce," "SaaS," "Agency"

• Interests: "Coffee enthusiast," "Fitness coach"

• Pain points: "Growing my business," "Need help with"

Method 5: Engagement-Based Targeting

Find people actively engaging with relevant content:

• Find popular posts in your niche

• Check who's commenting

• Review commenters' profiles

• Target those who match your criteria

Automated Methods: Using Instagram Outreach Tools

Manual research is time-consuming. Automated tools like SocialOra help you find prospects faster:

Hashtag Targeting

Automatically find people using specific hashtags:

• Enter relevant hashtags

• Set filters (location, follower count, etc.)

• Tool finds and filters prospects

• Review and approve before messaging

Competitor Follower Targeting

Automatically find competitor followers:

• Enter competitor usernames

• Set criteria (follower count, engagement rate, etc.)

• Tool extracts follower list

• Filter and prioritize prospects

Location-Based Targeting

Find prospects in specific locations:

• Enter cities, countries, or regions

• Combine with other filters

• Tool finds matching profiles

Bio Keyword Targeting

Find people with specific keywords in their bio:

• Enter keywords to search for

• Set match criteria

• Tool finds matching profiles

Advanced Filtering

Tools like SocialOra offer advanced filters:

• Follower count range

• Following count range

• Engagement rate thresholds

• Account type (business, personal, creator)

• Verification status

• Recent activity level

Instagram Lead Generation Strategies

Combine targeting methods for better Instagram lead generation:

Strategy 1: Multi-Criteria Targeting

Use multiple criteria together:

• Hashtags + Location + Bio keywords

• Competitor followers + Engagement rate

• Industry hashtags + Follower count

Strategy 2: Lookalike Audiences

Find people similar to your best customers:

• Identify your best customers on Instagram

• Analyze their characteristics

• Find people with similar profiles

• Target them with outreach

Strategy 3: Engagement-Based Lead Generation

Target people actively engaging:

• Commenters on industry posts

• People liking competitor content

• Active story viewers

• Recent post engagers

Social Media Lead Generation Best Practices

For broader social media lead generation, apply these principles:

Quality Over Quantity

Better to find 50 perfect prospects than 500 random people.

Continuous Refinement

Regularly review and refine your targeting criteria based on results.

Test Different Approaches

Try different hashtags, competitors, and filters to see what works best.

Track Performance

Monitor which targeting methods generate the best replies and conversions.

Using Instagram Prospecting Tools

Effective Instagram prospecting requires the right tools:

Must-Have Features

• Multiple targeting methods (hashtags, competitors, locations)

• Advanced filtering options

• Lead scoring and prioritization

• Export and organization features

• Integration with outreach tools

SocialOra combines powerful prospecting with outreach automation, making it a complete solution for Instagram lead generation.

Common Targeting Mistakes to Avoid

• Too Broad: Targeting everyone instead of specific criteria

• Too Narrow: Being so specific you find no one

• Ignoring Engagement: Targeting inactive accounts

• Wrong Competitors: Analyzing competitors outside your niche

• No Refinement: Not adjusting based on results

Measuring Targeting Success

Track these metrics to improve your targeting:

• Reply Rate: Are the right people responding?

• Conversion Rate: Are replies turning into customers?

• Engagement Quality: Are conversations meaningful?

• Unfollow Rate: Are people blocking or unfollowing?

Conclusion: Find the Right People, Get Better Results

Finding the right people to message is the foundation of successful Instagram outreach. By combining manual research with automated tools, using multiple targeting methods, and continuously refining your approach, you can reach the perfect prospects who actually want to hear from you.

Tools like SocialOra make this process faster and more effective, helping you find and target the right people at scale.

Ready to find your ideal prospects? Start your free trial of SocialOra and discover how powerful targeting can transform your Instagram outreach.

Related: This is part of our guide on how to do Instagram outreach that actually gets replies. Also check out our guides on Instagram outreach strategies and Instagram lead generation without ads.