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Why Your Friends Aren’t Your Target Audience
Ignoring Your Inner Circle: How to Define and Reach Your Real Target Audience
We are talking about one of the most common marketing mistakes out there.
Relying on feedback from friends and family instead of your real target audience.
With plenty of laughs (and a few dad jokes), we share candid stories about well-meaning relatives, the pitfalls of crowd-sourcing opinions from people who’ll never become customers, and why your cousin’s Instagram advice probably isn’t gold.
What makes true audience research so important?
How do you define who your ideal clients actually are?
How do you gather meaningful data and feedback that drives your business forward?
We unpack the difference between demographics and psychographics, giving you practical tips to home in on your perfect customer, not just the people in your group chat.
If you’ve ever felt stuck taking advice that doesn’t serve your business or wondered how to tune out the noise and focus on growth, this episode is your permission slip to stop asking your roommate what they think of your brand colors.
Hot Moments
00:00 Non-Customers' Opinions Don't Matter
04:04 Assumptions About Teens & Social Media
09:00 Targeting Audiences for Financial Support
10:55 Demographics vs. Psychographics Explained
15:46 "Choose Advice Wisely"
20:00 Ideal Client-Centric Decision Making
22:18 "Launch, Learn, Tweak, Repeat"
24:20 Rebel Marketing Guidance Available
Here are 3 key takeaways every entrepreneur should remember:
Your mom, roommate, or cousin is not your market. Just because your loved ones have opinions (and they will!) doesn’t mean their perspective matches your ideal client or customer’s needs. Unless they’ve actually paid for your product or service, their feedback shouldn’t weigh more than your actual buyers.
Data beats opinions—every time. Instead of crowd-sourcing feedback from people who may never buy from you, turn to your data. Review your analytics, run AB tests, and ask your real customers why they chose you. Their answers will provide actionable insights, not just well-meaning noise.
Create “brand guardrails” to filter the feedback you do take. Establish who you are, who you serve, and how you want to be perceived. This “guardrail” helps keep your brand direction clear even when well-meaning friends or family try to nudge you off course with their personal preferences.
Stay in touch and get the latest updates by following us on:
- Instagram: @myrebelmarketing
- YouTube
- Rebel Marketing
The Rebel Hour
Join us for a live, no-fluff strategy session where you can ask real questions, get real answers, and finally fix what’s not working with your marketing. Whether you’re stuck on content, confused by SEO, or spiraling over your site, this is your space to vent, troubleshoot, and walk away with the next steps you can actually use.
Submit your question ahead of time or grab the mic live. It’s bold, it’s unscripted, and it’s built for small businesses ready to grow.
Copyright 2026 Rebel Marketing
View all episodes
By Rebel MarketingIgnoring Your Inner Circle: How to Define and Reach Your Real Target Audience
We are talking about one of the most common marketing mistakes out there.
Relying on feedback from friends and family instead of your real target audience.
With plenty of laughs (and a few dad jokes), we share candid stories about well-meaning relatives, the pitfalls of crowd-sourcing opinions from people who’ll never become customers, and why your cousin’s Instagram advice probably isn’t gold.
What makes true audience research so important?
How do you define who your ideal clients actually are?
How do you gather meaningful data and feedback that drives your business forward?
We unpack the difference between demographics and psychographics, giving you practical tips to home in on your perfect customer, not just the people in your group chat.
If you’ve ever felt stuck taking advice that doesn’t serve your business or wondered how to tune out the noise and focus on growth, this episode is your permission slip to stop asking your roommate what they think of your brand colors.
Hot Moments
00:00 Non-Customers' Opinions Don't Matter
04:04 Assumptions About Teens & Social Media
09:00 Targeting Audiences for Financial Support
10:55 Demographics vs. Psychographics Explained
15:46 "Choose Advice Wisely"
20:00 Ideal Client-Centric Decision Making
22:18 "Launch, Learn, Tweak, Repeat"
24:20 Rebel Marketing Guidance Available
Here are 3 key takeaways every entrepreneur should remember:
Your mom, roommate, or cousin is not your market. Just because your loved ones have opinions (and they will!) doesn’t mean their perspective matches your ideal client or customer’s needs. Unless they’ve actually paid for your product or service, their feedback shouldn’t weigh more than your actual buyers.
Data beats opinions—every time. Instead of crowd-sourcing feedback from people who may never buy from you, turn to your data. Review your analytics, run AB tests, and ask your real customers why they chose you. Their answers will provide actionable insights, not just well-meaning noise.
Create “brand guardrails” to filter the feedback you do take. Establish who you are, who you serve, and how you want to be perceived. This “guardrail” helps keep your brand direction clear even when well-meaning friends or family try to nudge you off course with their personal preferences.
Stay in touch and get the latest updates by following us on:
- Instagram: @myrebelmarketing
- YouTube
- Rebel Marketing
The Rebel Hour
Join us for a live, no-fluff strategy session where you can ask real questions, get real answers, and finally fix what’s not working with your marketing. Whether you’re stuck on content, confused by SEO, or spiraling over your site, this is your space to vent, troubleshoot, and walk away with the next steps you can actually use.
Submit your question ahead of time or grab the mic live. It’s bold, it’s unscripted, and it’s built for small businesses ready to grow.
Copyright 2026 Rebel Marketing