The right-customer content scorecard for social media

Key takeaways

A social media content scorecard tells you who a post is likely to attract before you publish it. The GBL Right-Customer Content Scorecard scores five parts, person, problem, proof, price signal and path, from 0 to 2 each. A total of 8 or more attracts buyers. A total of 4 or below attracts browsers.

• 5 parts, scored 0 to 2 each, give a total out of 10.
• 8 to 10 attracts buyers, 5 to 7 a mixed audience, 4 or below browsers.
• 20 minutes is enough to score five recent posts.
• Fix the lowest-scoring part first, across all posts.

What is the right-customer content scorecard?

The GBL Right-Customer Content Scorecard is a five-question check that rates how well a social media post is aimed at a specific buyer. It replaces 'did this get likes?' with 'would the right customer recognise this as being for them, believe it, and know what to do next?'

• How to create social media content that attracts the right customers

How do you score each part?

Score each part 0 if it is missing, 1 if it is implied, and 2 if it is explicit. Be strict. A photo of a finished kitchen with the caption 'Another happy customer' scores 1 for proof and 0 for everything else, which is why it attracts compliments instead of enquiries.

• Person: 2 if the buyer is named or unmistakably shown.
• Problem: 2 if the post opens with their situation.
• Proof: 2 if there is a result, figure or customer quote.
• Price signal: 2 if scale, range or fit is stated.
• Path: 2 if there is one clear next step.

• Ideal customer profile for social media: define yours

What do the totals mean?

A total of 8 to 10 means the post is aimed at buyers and should bring fitting enquiries over time. A total of 5 to 7 means a mixed audience: some buyers, many onlookers. A total of 4 or below means the post is written for general approval. Not every post needs an 8, but most weeks need at least one.

• 8 to 10: buyer content. Publish and repeat the format.
• 5 to 7: mixed. Add the missing part.
• 0 to 4: browser content. Limit to one post in four.

Which parts are usually weakest?

Price signal and path are usually the weakest. Businesses are reluctant to mention scale or cost, and many posts simply end. Adding a line such as 'Typical projects start from £3,000' and 'Message us with your postcode for availability' can move a post from 4 to 8 without changing the picture.

• Should you post prices on social media?
• Social media calls to action that get enquiries

How often should you run the scorecard?

Run it monthly on five recent posts, and before publishing anything you plan to put advertising budget behind. Record the average. A rising average alongside steadier, better-matched enquiries is the result you are looking for. If the average rises and enquiries do not, look at the profile and reply handling.

• A monthly social media review you can do in 30 minutes
• Which posts to boost: put budget behind the right content

What are the limits of a scorecard?

A scorecard measures aim, not craft. A post can score 10 and still be dull, badly photographed or too long. It also undervalues posts whose job is warmth, such as a team milestone. Use it to steer the mix, not to ban everything human from the account.

• Behind-the-scenes content that builds buyer confidence

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see when scoring accounts for the first time: the average sits in the lower half, with proof the strongest part and path the weakest. The first month's work is rarely new content. It is adding who the job was for, what it involved and how to enquire to posts the business was already making.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Scorecard checklist

Use this each month.

• Pick five posts from the last 30 days.
• Score person, problem, proof, price signal and path.
• Average the five totals.
• Find the part with the lowest total.
• Fix that part in the next five posts.
• Compare enquiries with last month.

Next step

Score your last five posts now. It takes about 20 minutes and you will know which single part to fix this month.