The Assumption Bubble: Why Your Marketing Beliefs Are Riskier Than the Competition
Is comfort clouding your clarity?
Your biggest marketing risk isn’t the competition — it’s the assumptions you’re making about your clients.
An “assumption bubble” forms when you keep making business and marketing decisions based on outdated (or imaginary) information about your audience. Even well-established businesses fall into this trap.
It feels comfortable inside the bubble — predictable, familiar, safe. But it’s dangerous because the world outside is moving fast. If you’re not regularly testing what you think you know, you risk marketing to an audience that only exists in your head.
And don’t assume you’ve nailed it just because you work closely with clients or have long-term retainers. That only tells you what’s true for them right now. What about the people who haven’t hired you yet? Or past clients whose needs and challenges have evolved?
Why listening is your growth lever
Research and social listening are some of the most underused growth tools available to small businesses — and they don’t have to cost a cent. They give you real, current data about what your audience actually thinks, wants, and struggles with.
I’ve worked with several clients who’ve changed their offerings, repositioned entirely, or redefined their target audience after uncovering that their long-held assumptions were off the mark. It’s not failure — it’s growth.
Companies that actively listen to their audiences can increase revenue by up to 10%.* That’s a meaningful lift for service-based businesses, especially those already operating on lean teams and tight timeframes.
Quick bubble-busting shortcuts
If you suspect you’re floating around comfortably in your own assumption bubble, here are some practical ways to burst it:
🔍 Search LinkedIn for keywords related to your expertise. Read posts and comments, notice themes, and ask thoughtful questions.
💬 Join and observe conversations in industry or business groups and forums.
🧠 List your assumptions about your clients — then ask them if they’re true. Use the 5 Whys technique to dig deeper.
🪩 Search Reddit for your keywords. It’s a goldmine of unfiltered perspectives. (It’s one of my favourite tools when developing client strategies at Blue Bean Media — Reddit users don’t hold back 😆.)
The golden pin that bursts the bubble is often a single comment, phrase, or throwaway line that makes you go, “Ohhh — that’s what they’re struggling with right now.”
That nugget is the one that should shape your next marketing move.
Where strategy meets reality
At Blue Bean Media, this is exactly where we start with clients — combining insight-driven research with the Beanstalk Visibility Framework to align messaging, positioning, and content with what clients actually care about today.
It’s how we’ve helped clients double their revenue, land global contracts, top Google search results, and increase organic traffic by over 200%.
So if you think you might be drifting in an assumption bubble, it’s time to get curious — because clarity starts with listening.
Is it time to burst the bubble?
If you’re ready to see your business the way your clients do, start with a Marketing Strategy Triage Consultation. This 60-minute rapid diagnostic can help you identify where your assumptions might be leading to strategic gaps in your marketing approach. You'll walk away with specific insights and actionable next steps you can implement immediately to improve your visibility and lead generation opportunities.
*Source: Influencer Marketing Hub
About the Author
Karen Moloney is on a mission to help brilliant business owners ditch the marketing fluff and grow visibility that sticks. Through the Beanstalk Visibility Framework, she creates marketing strategies for small service business owners who want to know where to spend their time and marketing budget for the best ROI. She’s not into choreographed dance videos or sugar hit hacks - just clear, achievable steps to help you be seen by the right people and keep that pipeline full!
Connect with Karen on LinkedIn for no-BS marketing strategy and visibility tips.
