Sorry Not Sorry: Your Friends Aren’t Qualified to Chime in On Your Marketing

We’ve got a hot take and we’re gonna hold your hand while we start this conversation: Stop asking your friends for their opinions on your marketing strategy. We know, we know, it’s fun to show off the work you’re proud of and it’s normal to want to know what the people we love most think. However, we’ve got a few good reasons that we think you’re going to want to hear. They might make you think twice before asking your friend what they think about your recent marketing efforts. Let’s get right into it.

Are Your Friends Marketers?

If the answer is yes to this question, then let us be the first to encourage you to pay your friend for their time when asking them for effort in their area of expertise. However, not everyone is so lucky to have a marketing bestie and in that case, it’s important to remember that any marketing feedback they give you is not based on strategy. If they don’t have insight into your target market, awareness about your branding, or experience with your client base, their opinions will likely be based on personal preference. This means it’s likely not the best advice to base your large marketing decisions on.

Are Your Friends Your Ideal Client?

If the first reason wasn’t enough to deter you, another question to ask is whether or not your friends are even in your ideal client demographic. If the answer is yes, ok great! Throw them in a focus group instead of taking 1:1 advice to heart. If the answer is no, it’s important to remember that your ideal client should be the guiding influence in your marketing decisions. You don’t need your business to appeal to everyone, not even your closest friends. It only needs to appeal to the people you are trying to do business with. Let the other opinions lie!

As much as we love the idea of including everyone you love in the business that you’re proud of, we hope this inspires you to include them in other ways that don’t affect your ability to bring in revenue. It really is that high stakes! No matter how incredible your product or service is, bad marketing can totally wreck your ability to find and retain good business. On the other hand, great marketing can take you to the next level faster than you can say, “Hey, what do you think of this?”

Ready to get insight from the real marketing experts? Work with us at Mango Marketing Co. We plant the seed to make your business grow. Contact us to discuss your marketing needs!