When it comes to reviewing marketing content (ads, websites, social posts, email campaigns) it’s natural to lean on your instincts. You know what looks good. You know what you’d click on. You know what made you stop scrolling. That gut reaction feels like the best compass you have.

But here’s the catch: you’re not the audience.

And the sooner you internalize that, the easier – and more effective – your marketing decisions become.

Why Your Gut Isn’t Always Right

Your gut is shaped by your background, preferences, education, and experience. Which is a great thing when it comes to business strategy.

But when you’re evaluating creative work meant for a different demographic (say, a 27-year-old first-time homebuyer, or a time-strapped parent researching healthcare options), those unique individual experiences actually become a liability.

Maybe you find the design “too playful.” Or think the headline is “a little much.” It could just be that you hate the font.

All valid. For you.

But what if that playful design is exactly what resonates with your audience? What if the over-the-top headline is what gets them to pause? In other words, what if you don’t like it – but they do?

When you insist on marketing that you personally prefer, you risk watering down creative work until it’s more palatable to you… and less effective for the people it’s actually meant to reach.

How can you take “you” out of the equation?

Learning to Love Research and Data

This is where data becomes your ally. You don’t have to guess what your audience wants because you can measure it.

Run A/B tests. Monitor click-through rates. Watch how different segments respond.

The right data tells you what’s working and what’s falling flat. It gives you permission to go with the version that makes you cringe a little if it’s what’s really going to get results.

Marketing isn’t about your personal taste. It’s about communication. About connecting with the people you want to serve.

And it often requires you to step out of your own head.

What happens when you can do this?

A Mindset Shift That Changes Everything

When you stop judging creative work based on whether you like it, you start asking better questions:

• “Will this speak to our target customer?”
• “Does this message address their pain points?”
• “Is the CTA clear and compelling for them?”

This shift doesn’t mean you surrender your expertise. It means you apply it in a more strategic, audience-centered way.

Which actually makes your job easier. You spend less time debating subjective details (“I just don’t like the color”) and more time focused on effectiveness (“Which one drives more signups?”).

Bottom Line: You’re Not the Buyer

The truth is weird, but powerful: marketing works better when you remember that you are not the buyer. The ad isn’t for you. The website isn’t for you. The copy isn’t for you.

When you stop trying to make yourself the target audience, you give your team the freedom to create work that resonates with the people who really matter: your customers.

That’s when marketing starts to click.

One of the big ways we try to help this idea “click” with our clients is by going through our initial strategy process, which gets you thinking about (and hopefully like) your audience.

Interested in learning more? Set up a free consultation.