Start with a recognisable situation
A useful audience definition describes a situation you can help improve. “Small businesses” leaves many different needs inside one label. “Independent consultants whose service pages leave prospective clients unsure what to buy” gives the work a clearer starting point. You can picture the problem, the person affected, and a possible contribution.
Look for situations you understand through experience. They may come from projects you have completed, questions people repeatedly ask, or work you enjoy explaining. Your first audience can be a working hypothesis. It becomes more useful as actual conversations reveal what people find difficult and how they describe it.
Listen for the client’s words
Collect phrases from those conversations without forcing them into your professional vocabulary. Someone may talk about spending too long explaining an offer rather than needing a positioning strategy. Their language helps you connect your skills to a problem they already recognise, making the discussion easier for both people.
Keep the definition close to useful work: a kind of client, a situation, and an outcome you can reasonably support. Review it as you learn where you make the strongest contribution. Clarity does not require knowing everything about an audience; it requires enough specificity to start relevant conversations and recognise when a project fits.