A customer question log that feeds the calendar

Key takeaways

A customer question log is a running list of the questions buyers ask by phone, email, message and in person, with a tally of how often each comes up. Before each planning session, take the five most-asked and turn them into posts. It is the most reliable source of content a small business has, because every question is a buyer telling you what they need to know.

• Capture questions in the words customers use.
• Tally repeats: the most-asked questions become posts first.
• 5 questions a month fill a quarter of a 20-post calendar.
• Use the same answers on your website and in replies.

What goes in a customer question log?

Each entry needs the question in the customer's own words, where it came from (call, email, message, visit), the date, and a tally of repeats. Keep it in one shared note or spreadsheet that everyone who talks to customers can add to in seconds. The customer's wording matters, because it is also how people search.

• How to build a monthly social media content calendar

How do you turn questions into posts?

Take the five questions with the highest tally and give each one a post: a straight answer in the first line, the detail in a carousel or short video, and a next step. The questions about price, timing and 'is this normal?' usually bring the most enquiries, because they come from people close to buying.

• Turn customer questions into FAQ posts on social media
• Carousel posts: the format that pre-qualifies buyers

Who should add to the log?

Anyone who talks to customers: whoever answers the phone, the people on site, sales staff and whoever replies to social media messages. Make it part of the job to add a question when it is asked, not something to remember at the end of the week. A two-second tally is enough for repeats.

• Collect content ideas from your team every month

Can the log help more than social media?

Yes. The same top questions should be answered on your website's service pages and FAQ, and in saved replies for messages, so every answer is consistent. Questions that keep coming back after you have posted the answer often point to something unclear in your pricing or process.

• Plan social posts around your blog articles

When is a question log not enough?

It is not enough when you have few customer conversations, such as a new business or an online shop with little contact. In that case, look at review sites, competitor comments and forums where your buyers ask questions, and log those instead.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: the same three questions answered by phone dozens of times a month, and none of them ever answered in a post. Turning those into posts, and pinning one, usually reduces repeat calls and brings in enquiries from people who were not ready to phone.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Question log checklist

• One shared log everyone can add to.
• Record the question in the customer's words.
• Tally repeats.
• Turn the top five into posts each month.
• Use the same answers on your website.

• Collect content ideas from your team every month
• What to gather before you plan a month of posts

Next step

Write down the five questions customers asked most last month. That is five posts for next month, and the start of your log.