Why You Shouldn’t Take Marketing Advice From Your Friends
Stop Asking Your Friends for Business Advice (They’re Not Your Audience)
If your roommate hates your brand color or your cousin thinks your logo should be “more exciting,” here’s your permission to ignore them completely.
In this Market Like It’s Hot episode, Yasmine and Izzy call out the all-too-common trap: trusting friends and family for marketing feedback when they’re nowhere near your ideal customer. You built your business to serve a specific audience, not to impress your neighbor’s daughter who “knows Instagram.”
Here’s how to block out the noise, tune into your real audience, and grow your business without second-guessing yourself every step of the way.
Your Cousin Isn’t Buying—So Why Are You Listening?
Let’s get one thing straight. If someone has never bought your product or service, their opinion on your branding, copy, or social media strategy doesn’t matter. Even if they mean well. Even if they’re family. Even if they’re your best friend since second grade.
This includes:
Your BFF who’s “really good at Instagram” (read: reposts cat memes)
Your roommate who hates orange (and convinced you to rebrand)
Your uncle who’s “in business” but hasn’t updated his LinkedIn since 2010
Your teen who knows TikTok but isn’t buying plumbing services
They’re not your audience. They don’t understand your strategy. And they’re not paying your bills.
Why Your Feedback Loop Is Broken
Too often, founders seek validation from the people closest to them. It feels safe. But that feedback is often biased, outdated, or completely irrelevant to your business goals.
Here’s what happens when you listen to the wrong people:
You change your brand direction based on random opinions
You dilute your message to please people who aren’t paying you
You second-guess every decision and never fully commit to anything
If your brand feels like a group project, it’s time to reclaim control.
So Who Is Your Target Audience?
Your target audience is the person who:
Has the problem you solve
Has the budget to solve it
Is actively looking for a solution like yours
Sometimes, that means your messaging is speaking to a decision-maker, not the end user. For example:
If you’re selling teen financial literacy programs, your audience is the parent, not the kid.
If you’re a nonprofit supporting single moms, your funding audience might be donors or sponsors, not the moms directly.
If you sell handmade soap, “anyone with skin” is not a real audience. Focus on the ones with disposable income who actually care about organic products.
Get specific. Get real.
Demographics and Psychographics: The Stalking Is Strategic
Demographics cover facts:
Age
Gender identity
Location
Income level
Job title
Psychographics dive deeper into behavior:
What they value
What they fear
What makes them feel seen
Where they shop and why
How their identity informs their decisions
Example: A 35-year-old woman who used to shop at Target but switched to Costco due to company values. That tells you her income, lifestyle, values, and where she’s making trade-offs. That’s insight you can actually use.
How to Tell If You’re Listening to the Wrong People
Ask yourself:
Are you constantly pivoting your brand based on casual feedback?
Do you feel defensive when someone critiques your decisions?
Are you more focused on what your friends say than what the data shows?
Have you ever changed something big (like a logo or tagline) because someone “didn’t like it,” even though they weren’t a client?
That’s a red flag.
Tips to Tune Out the Noise
If you want to stop spiraling, try this:
1. Create Brand Guardrails
Write out who you are, who you serve, and what you don’t do. Include tone of voice, words you love and hate, and how you describe yourself. Use it like a script when self-doubt creeps in.
2. Set Boundaries with Friends and Family
Ask for hype, not critique. “Can I get a hype sesh, not feedback?” works wonders.
3. Remind Yourself: It’s Not a Group Project
You’re the business owner. You get to decide. That’s the job.
4. Gut Check: Does This Person Reflect My Ideal Client?
If not, their input might be interesting—but it’s not essential.
Ask the Data, Not Your Friends
Let’s talk testing. If you want to know if something’s working, don’t crowdsource it. Use data.
Run A/B tests on captions, headlines, or visuals
Look at your website analytics. What’s actually converting?
Review your social posts. What gets real engagement—not just likes from friends?
Ask your actual customers why they chose you
One of the best questions you can ask a paying client:
“What made you choose me over someone else?”
That’s your gold.
Your New Mantra: Launch. Learn. Tweak. Repeat.
Test things in the real world. See how your actual audience responds. Adjust. And then do it again.
Just make sure you're tweaking your business based on strategic insight, not tweaking out because your cousin thinks your fonts are “a little much.”
