A terrible marketing strategy: your opinion

One of the most dangerous phrases in marketing is:

“I think.”

Not because your opinion doesn’t matter, but because great marketing is not about what you want.

A client named Pete reminded me of this recently.

He was excited about moodboards for a new website: dark colors, sleek tech-style buttons, polished stock photos of professionals in ties.

It looked modern and impressive.

It just completely missed the mark for a veterinary clinic.

Pete kept saying, “I think this looks professional.”

And he was right—for him.

But customers visiting a veterinary clinic website aren’t looking for “corporate” or “high-tech.”

They want warmth, trust, comfort, and reassurance that their pet will be cared for.

That’s what happens when marketing becomes centered around personal preference instead of customer perspective.

The result is often marketing filled with:

• Industry jargon
• Features instead of outcomes
• Messaging customers doesn’t emotionally connect with

You need to learn to step outside of your own perspective—and it’s hard, but not impossible.

A great first step is building an Ideal Client Profile.

When you understand who you’re speaking to, what they value, and how they make decisions, your marketing stops being based on “I think…”

And starts being built around what your customers actually need.