TRAFFIC LIGHT OF CONTENT
Easily check, score and improve your content
New: The Traffic Light of Content as an Interactive Online Tool
Check your content online and view detailed evaluations for each individual criterion as well as the overall assessment. Download the evaluation for each piece of content as a PDF.
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The Traffic Light of Content: Easily check, score and improve all your content
How can content marketing, marketing and PR succeed in creating content that exactly meets the needs of your target groups – permanently and in each individual case? How effectively do you contribute to the strategic and communication objectives of your company? How can you reliably check existing content?
In everyday work-life, it is often difficult to adhere to the quality standards that have been set once and to implement them. This is why I developed the content traffic light. Here I present you this valuable tool free of charge – with instructions and detailed questions about all seven criteria.
The content traffic light helps you and your team to quickly assess and improve your content in the main aspects that are crucial for your success – and thus also learn how to produce better content in the future.
A large number of people in companies and organizations, but also individual authors, have tested this easy-to-use score card and use it daily. May it help you, too.
Kerstin Hoffmann
Copyright: please read
The Content Traffic Light is published under Creative Commons license. This means that you are allowed to pass them on and embed them unchanged, if you include my name and the link to this page.
A commercial disclosure, for example in consultation and training, is expressly excluded. Modification and exploitation, for example in other tools, as well as translations into other languages are not permitted.
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Traffic Light of Content: Manual and Online-Tool
How to apply the Traffic Light of Content
Based on the seven criteria and their corresponding options, any type of content, post, or even early-stage topic idea can be evaluated – from a single photo to a long-form text, from a social media post to an e-book. The scorecard is not an objective instrument; rather, it is grounded in the specific content (marketing) strategy and the user’s expertise. However, it makes it remarkably easy to apply that expertise quickly and in a targeted way – without constantly having to refer back to the strategy manual or other guidelines.
The traffic-light system can also assist in internal discussions. For example, someone in the company – perhaps an executive – insists that the communications team should develop a particular topic for the corporate blog and distribute it across all social media channels. A quick check using the traffic light reveals that the topic doesn’t even achieve a decent (that is: yellow) average score in any area. This provides strong, objective arguments for either postponing the topic or taking another look at it: How can we adapt, refine, or expand the idea so that the resulting content scores better?
The simplest and fastest way to use the traffic light is to place it next to your content and select one field for each of the seven criteria. A more detailed analysis with nuanced sub-criteria is available through the interactive tool. You can use it directly in your browser and download the results as a PDF. Alternatively, you can use it offline by selecting one of the three statements for each criterion.
Take a look at your strategy first
The Content Traffic Light is a tactical tool. It complements the content strategy, but does not replace the strategic development. On the contrary: the better your strategy, the more effective your work with the content traffic lights can be.
In particular, you should ask the following questions before you start scoring your content:
- What are the strategic and communication goals we are pursuing with the content strategy?
- Which target groups / conversation partners do we want to reach?
- What do these people really need – in relation to our products, services and own goals?
- What value do our contents provide to these people, and how do they simultaneously contribute to our goals?
- Where do we find these people and when do we reach them?
The interactive Traffic Light of Content
Check online and download results
Evaluate your content piece – text, image, multimedia – quickly and easily!
This tool is currently in its first release phase. Have you discovered a bug? Something is not working? Would you like to give me feedback? Please write to me!
Here you can enter a code, inventory number, or label for the content piece you are checking. It will be included in the PDF you can download afterwards:*
For each of the 7 criteria, you will find 3 statements. Please click a number from 1 to 5 for each statement:
1 = does not apply at all
5 = fully applies
Important: All data is stored exclusively in your browser. If you reload the page during the process, the data will be lost.*
Let's get started!
1. Relevance
The content is so interesting for the target audiences that they are highly motivated to engage with it.
The focus is on relevance for the other person, not on what we want to tell about ourselves.
1. In this content, recipients and conversation partners are the focus. We do not primarily present ourselves or speak only about our own interests.
2. We have verified that the content precisely addresses actual needs, concerns, problems, or wishes of the recipients or conversation partners.
3. The people we want to reach recognize the relevance for themselves at first glance.
Evaluation Relevance: red – self-referential
Self-promotion and I or we messages that mainly interest one person: the sender.
Additional tip: Not everything has to be green! Nice-to-have content makes sense within a comprehensive content marketing strategy. Not everything can be of the highest relevance. Predominantly self-referential content, however, should be used only very sparingly and after careful consideration.
Evaluation Relevance: yellow – nice to have
The content is entertaining or interesting for the target audience, but more optional.
Additional tip: Not everything has to be green! Nice-to-have content makes sense within a comprehensive content marketing strategy. Not everything can be of the highest relevance. Predominantly self-referential content, however, should be used only very sparingly and after careful consideration.
Evaluation Relevance: green – urgently needed
Target audience representatives feel that without this content they would miss something very important.
Additional tip: Not everything has to be green! Nice-to-have content makes sense within a comprehensive content marketing strategy. Not everything can be of the highest relevance. Predominantly self-referential content, however, should be used only very sparingly and after careful consideration.
2. Timing
This content arrives at exactly the right time, precisely when the target audience needs it,
possibly even urgently.
1. We have thoroughly evaluated our target audiences with their specific needs and their media behavior at particular times.
2. We know the industry, market, and calendar dates and periods that matter to our target audiences.
3. We know exactly where our target audiences are at which times and how we can engage in conversations with them there and stay in exchange.
Evaluation Timing: red – irrelevant
We do not know when the target audience is particularly interested or in need, or we ignore it.
Additional tip: In most content marketing strategies, a balanced mix of evergreen content and content that is critical at a specific time is recommended. For this, it is crucial to identify the needs of your target audiences and stay in conversation with them.
Evaluation Timing: yellow – suitable
The content has no particular urgency or can be useful at any time.
Additional tip: In most content marketing strategies, a balanced mix of evergreen content and content that is critical at a specific time is recommended. For this, it is crucial to identify the needs of your target audiences and stay in conversation with them.
Evaluation Timing: green – crucial
Right now, the other person needs this content for their own success.
Additional tip: In most content marketing strategies, a balanced mix of evergreen content and content that is critical at a specific time is recommended. For this, it is crucial to identify the needs of your target audiences and stay in conversation with them.
3. Emotion
This content does not leave the target audience cold and does not remain purely factual.
It addresses the target audience personally. The other person recognizes a connection to themselves.
1. This content can touch the target audience in their own needs and according to their perception
in such a way that they are open to engaging with it.
2. We have ensured that the mood of the text and visual world supports the content statements.
3. The emotional impact we achieve fits our brand, our core messages, and is aligned with our brand image.
Evaluation Emotion: red – generic
Factual, boring, creates no personal involvement when reading, watching, or listening.
Additional tip: Content can trigger very different emotions, from goodwill to resistance. Even purely factual content can be more or less engaging depending on word choice. Therefore, it is crucial to work deliberately on tone in your content strategy.
Evaluation Emotion: yellow – appealing
The tone of the content addresses the recipient and fits the sender.
Additional tip: Content can trigger very different emotions, from goodwill to resistance. Even purely factual content can be more or less engaging depending on word choice. Therefore, it is crucial to work deliberately on tone in your content strategy.
Evaluation Emotion: green – moving
This content reaches the other person emotionally through symbols and imagery.
Additional tip: Content can trigger very different emotions, from goodwill to resistance. Even purely factual content can be more or less engaging depending on word choice. Therefore, it is crucial to work deliberately on tone in your content strategy.
4. Connection
This content creates connections beyond a single encounter.
It creates identification and recognition value.
1. We reliably know why our target audiences like us, and we show them that we value them.
2. We set deliberate signals for identification with our brand.
3. We have consciously created connection points for lasting relationships and for the desire to meet again.
Evaluation Connection: red – distant
The content remains on a factual level and offers hardly any starting points for identification or recognition.
Additional tip: Content marketing strategies should not only be designed for short-term success, but should create long-term relationships and brand loyalty. This works particularly well through visible people as brand ambassadors, through Corporate Influencers.
Evaluation Connection: yellow – friendly
The content appears likeable and trustworthy, but still remains relatively interchangeable.
Additional tip: Content marketing strategies should not only be designed for short-term success, but should create long-term relationships and brand loyalty. This works particularly well through visible people as brand ambassadors, through Corporate Influencers.
Evaluation Connection: green – connecting
The content strengthens the relationship and invites staying in lasting contact.
Additional tip: Content marketing strategies should not only be designed for short-term success, but should create long-term relationships and brand loyalty. This works particularly well through visible people as brand ambassadors, through Corporate Influencers.
5. Story
This content is memorable and tells a story that captivates the other person
and gives them a gain in insight.
1. We have defined the narrative goal of our content precisely and thoroughly in advance.
2. The other person is guided through the story dramatically, with stages and partial insights.
3. We effectively build tension and lead to a clear outcome.
Evaluation Story: red – unclear
Internal logic and clear structure are largely missing.
Additional tip: Every good piece of content follows a common thread and has an internal logic that captivates the recipient and keeps them engaged. This applies not only to telling experienced or fictional stories, but also to every short factual piece.
Evaluation Story: yellow – understandable
The content has a starting point and a destination as well as a common thread.
Additional tip: Every good piece of content follows a common thread and has an internal logic that captivates the recipient and keeps them engaged. This applies not only to telling experienced or fictional stories, but also to every short factual piece.
Evaluation Story: green – captivating
The content draws the recipient in, keeps them engaged, and leads them to an insight.
Additional tip: Every good piece of content follows a common thread and has an internal logic that captivates the recipient and keeps them engaged. This applies not only to telling experienced or fictional stories, but also to every short factual piece.
6. Benefit
This content carries a clearly identifiable value for the other person.
It fulfills needs and provides a gain for them.
1. This content solves an urgent problem.
2. Whoever invests time and attention can do, have, or know something clearly better afterwards.
3. The people we want to reach recognize this benefit for themselves at first glance.
Evaluation Benefit: red – questionable
The recipient may have more information, but it does not noticeably move them forward.
Additional tip: The benefit for the recipients should be recognizable at first glance, but should also withstand lasting examination. Only if something changes through content is it useful. This does not always have to be a gain in knowledge. Entertainment value also represents a benefit.
Evaluation Benefit: yellow – probable
We provide valuable information, though we partly leave it to the recipient
to recognize this value.
Additional tip: The benefit for the recipients should be recognizable at first glance, but should also withstand lasting examination. Only if something changes through content is it useful. This does not always have to be a gain in knowledge. Entertainment value also represents a benefit.
Evaluation Benefit: green – concrete
Whoever engages with this content has a clear gain. The invested attention is worthwhile.
Additional tip: The benefit for the recipients should be recognizable at first glance, but should also withstand lasting examination. Only if something changes through content is it useful. This does not always have to be a gain in knowledge. Entertainment value also represents a benefit.
7. Action
This content triggers a defined, desired action. It contributes to our goals
while also supporting the interests of the other person.
1. We have defined how this content contributes to our communication and strategic goals.
2. We have determined in advance what the next action should be when the recipient or conversation partner
has finished with the content.
3. We know exactly how and by what we measure that the content successfully converts.
Evaluation Action: red – none
A call to action, even implicitly, is not present. The recipient has no impulse
for a follow-up action.
Additional tip: Some content motivates sharing, others lead directly into a purchase process, and still others strengthen perception with the other person, that is, the image. Not every piece of content should or can contain an explicit call to action. What is crucial is that you clearly define the desired action or change in attitude for yourself.
Evaluation Action: yellow – obvious
The benefit or entertainment value of the content is large enough to motivate a follow-up action.
Additional tip: Some content motivates sharing, others lead directly into a purchase process, and still others strengthen perception with the other person, that is, the image. Not every piece of content should or can contain an explicit call to action. What is crucial is that you clearly define the desired action or change in attitude for yourself.
Evaluation Action: green – motivating
The other person can hardly help but proceed to the desired follow-up action.
Additional tip: Some content motivates sharing, others lead directly into a purchase process, and still others strengthen perception with the other person, that is, the image. Not every piece of content should or can contain an explicit call to action. What is crucial is that you clearly define the desired action or change in attitude for yourself.
Total score: 0 out of 105
Overall rating Red: This can be better.
Thank you for participating. It was definitely worth a try, but this piece of content clearly still has room for improvement. The target audiences do not reliably recognize why they should engage with it, and several key points do not work together. Relevance, benefit, or tone remain unclear at important places, so the content develops hardly any impact. A pity for the space or the consumed bits and bytes.
The good news: the individual evaluations show you where you can specifically improve your content.
Potential and further development: A thorough revision is worthwhile because even small adjustments can significantly improve your content. Start best where the lowest individual values are and work your way forward step by step. Orient yourself to the statements for the individual criteria and check how you can achieve a better value here. It may be worthwhile to fundamentally work on the strategy again. Probably information about target audiences and their behavior is missing. The Traffic Light of Content offers you many opportunities to work on details – but from there also to improve your overall content marketing strategy.
Additional tip: You don't have to turn everything green immediately. Invest specifically in your premium content. If these stand out positively, others may also perform less at times.
Overall rating Yellow: This is promising.
The approach is right, and you can see that immediately. The content has solid strengths but does not yet reach its full potential. Some aspects already address the target audiences well and thus contribute to your own goals. You could still refine others in detail.
Potential and further development: For many content pieces, such a value is perfectly sufficient. If your acceptable content should be developed into premium content, then it is worthwhile to expand the promising elements and specifically work on the weak points. Often just a few targeted adjustments are enough for the content to resonate more strongly and trigger greater response. Orient yourself to the statements for the individual criteria and check how you can achieve a better value here. The Traffic Light of Content offers you many opportunities to work on details – but from there also to improve your overall content marketing strategy.
Additional tip: This evaluation is initially based only on your assessment. That's why monitoring and success control are so important. Test variants in the next step and observe where the response increases. This way you develop a sense of how to best reach your target audiences with the right content.
Overall rating Green: Congratulations, perfect hit.
Good work. If your self-assessment based on the questions is correct, you have created a very good piece of content here that can really advance your content marketing. Your content clearly addresses the target audiences, delivers a clear gain, and remains comprehensible throughout. Relevance, tone, and benefit work together coherently and motivate to stay engaged and continue.
Potential and further development: This content piece is a strong example of how professional communication works. Clearly, you have already done a lot right in the basics and in the strategic development. This way you have the information you need so that your content reaches the desired conversation partners and at the same time contributes to your own goals. Use this content also as a template to develop further content in a similar direction and specifically expand it.
Additional tip: Also check here which elements work particularly well. Transfer these to other formats or topics. This way, step by step, a reliable style emerges, and you need to check your content less and less often. What is crucial is the response from the other person. Therefore, monitoring and success control must show how well your content actually resonates with your target audiences.
*When using this tool, no personal data is processed. Entries are made locally in the user's browser and are neither stored nor transmitted. When exporting as PDF, the libraries jsPDF and html2canvas are loaded from Cloudflare CDN. Your IP address is transmitted to Cloudflare. The evaluation data itself remains in your browser.
(c) Dr. Kerstin Hoffmann, all rights reserved. Legal notice: kerstin-hoffmann.de/impressum
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