James is in the stage of identifying the target audience. This involves creating detailed personas that represent different segments of potential customers. By ranking these personas based on their level of interest in the product, James can prioritize marketing efforts towards those most likely to convert, thereby optimizing the effectiveness of the social media strategy. This stage is crucial for understanding who the customers are, what they need, and how best to engage with them. Setting goals, listening and analyzing, and defining strategies are separate stages that follow after the target audience is clearly identified.