What are the risks of relying too much on demographic filters?

Demographics tell you who someone is, but not what they want. Over-relying on age, gender, or location creates rigid assumptions that ignore individual behavior and preferences. A 25 year old might have the buying habits of someone twice their age. A geographic segment might ignore the remote worker who lives in one place but shops in another.

The biggest risk is stereotyping. When you assume all millennials want the same thing or that income brackets share identical priorities, you miss the nuance that drives real engagement. You end up sending content that feels generic or tone deaf because it ignores what the subscriber actually does.

Demographic filters also create static segments that don't adapt. People change jobs, move cities, shift interests, but their demographic label stays the same. This leads to misaligned messaging and lost opportunities.

Think of demographics as the harbor where a ship docks, but behavior is the cargo it carries. One tells you location. The other tells you intent.