MKT-brand-audit

MKT-brand-audit — Comprehensive Brand Intelligence

Overview

Performs a full analysis of a personal or business brand across digital channels. Examines social media presence, website, search visibility, content strategy, messaging consistency, and competitive positioning. Output includes a brand snapshot, gap analysis, competitive comparison, 30-day improvement plan, content pillar recommendations, and bio/tagline suggestions.

This is the difference between hoping your brand works and knowing exactly where it stands and what to fix.

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Pre-Flight — Client Preferences

1. Search Cloud Brain: mcp__cloud-brain__search_notes with query "MKT preferences"
2. If found: confirm in ONE line — "Auditing [Name]'s brand at [Business], correct?"
   • If yes: proceed with saved identity, target audience, platforms, and goals
   • If no: ask what changed, offer to update brand kit, proceed
3. If not found: ask the six context questions in Step 1 below. After the audit, offer to save these as a brand kit: "Want me to save your brand details so you don't have to re-enter them next time? Just say 'set up my brand kit.'"
4. Show preferences banner at top of output:

   Brand Audit for: [Name] | [Business] | [Industry] | Platforms: [list] | Goals: [goals]

Identity preferences loaded from brand kit (do not re-ask if found):

• Full name, business name, industry/niche
• Target audience
• Primary platforms
• Brand goals

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When This Skill Applies

• User says "audit my brand" or "brand audit"
• User says "personal brand audit" or "review my online presence"
• User says "how does my brand look?" or "brand health check"
• User says "social media audit" or "audit my profiles"
• User says "brand gap analysis" or "brand consistency check"
• User says "improve my brand" or "brand improvement plan"
• User says "brand positioning" or "how am I perceived online?"
• User says "30-day brand plan" or "brand strategy"
• User says "content pillars" or "content strategy review"
• User says "bio suggestions" or "tagline suggestions"
• User says "brand snapshot" or "digital presence review"
• User mentions wanting to strengthen, refresh, or understand their brand

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Step 1: Gather Brand Context

Determine from the user's request or loaded preferences:

1. Who: The person or business being audited
2. Handles/URLs: Social media handles, website URL, any online profiles
3. Industry/Niche: What space are they in?
4. Target Audience: Who are they trying to reach?
5. Current Goals: What is the brand supposed to accomplish? (lead generation, thought leadership, deal flow, community building, product sales)
6. Self-perception: How does the user think their brand is perceived vs. how they want it to be perceived?

Check for prior audit:

• Search: mcp__cloud-brain__search_notes with query "brand-audit"
• If a prior audit exists, note the date and overall score
• Flag: "A prior brand audit exists from [date] with an overall score of [X/100]. I'll compare scores and highlight what has improved or regressed."

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Step 2: Audit the Digital Presence

Research each channel where the subject has a presence.

Website Audit

• Search for the website and fetch key pages
• Evaluate: messaging clarity, value proposition, design impression, CTA strength
• Note: Is the website doing its job? Does it convert visitors into action-takers?

Social Media Audit

For each active platform (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads), research:

Audit Point	What to Evaluate
Profile Setup	Photo, bio, handle consistency, link in bio, highlights/pinned content
Content Quality	Visual consistency, writing quality, value delivery, professionalism
Posting Frequency	How often? Is it consistent?
Engagement	Comments, likes, shares relative to follower count
Content Mix	Educational vs. promotional vs. personal vs. entertainment ratio
Audience Fit	Does the content attract the RIGHT audience for their goals?
Calls to Action	Are they driving followers somewhere?
Messaging Consistency	Does the brand message match across platforms?
Visual Identity	Color consistency, font usage, photo style, brand cohesion
Bio/Tagline	Clear, compelling, tells people what you do and why they should care

Per platform output:

### [Platform Name]

**Handle:** @[handle]
**Followers:** [count if discoverable]
**Posting Frequency:** [X posts per week/month]
**Content Focus:** [What they mostly post about]

**Strengths:**
- [What is working]

**Weaknesses:**
- [What needs improvement]

**Score:** [X/10]
**Priority Fix:** [The single most impactful change for this platform]

Search Presence Audit

• Search the user's name and brand name
• What comes up first? (LinkedIn, website, social, press, nothing?)
• Any negative or outdated content?
• Showing up for relevant keywords?
• Note the "digital first impression" — what does someone see when they Google this person?

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Step 3: Build the Brand Snapshot

## Current Brand Snapshot

### Who You Are (Based on What the Internet Says)
[2–3 paragraph honest assessment of how the brand currently reads to a stranger. This is not what they WANT to be perceived as — this is what actually comes through.]

### Brand Identity Summary
| Element | Current State | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| **Core Message** | [What their brand is currently saying] | [Clear / Unclear / Missing] |
| **Value Proposition** | [What value they promise] | [Strong / Weak / Nonexistent] |
| **Target Audience** | [Who their content speaks to] | [Well-defined / Vague / Confused] |
| **Visual Identity** | [Logo, colors, style consistency] | [Cohesive / Inconsistent / Missing] |
| **Tone of Voice** | [How they communicate] | [Consistent / Varies / Undefined] |
| **Credibility Signals** | [Proof, testimonials, results, press] | [Strong / Moderate / Weak] |
| **Differentiation** | [What makes them different] | [Clear / Unclear / Generic] |

### Platform Presence Overview
| Platform | Active? | Score | Top Issue |
|---|---|:---:|---|
| Website | [Yes/No] | [X/10] | [Issue] |
| Instagram | [Yes/No] | [X/10] | [Issue] |
| TikTok | [Yes/No] | [X/10] | [Issue] |
| YouTube | [Yes/No] | [X/10] | [Issue] |
| LinkedIn | [Yes/No] | [X/10] | [Issue] |
| Facebook | [Yes/No] | [X/10] | [Issue] |
| Twitter/X | [Yes/No] | [X/10] | [Issue] |
| Threads | [Yes/No] | [X/10] | [Issue] |
| Google Search | — | [X/10] | [Issue] |

### Overall Brand Score: [X/100]

If a prior audit exists: Add a comparison row:

### Progress Since Last Audit ([Prior Date])
| Dimension | Prior Score | Current Score | Change |
|---|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| Overall | [X/100] | [X/100] | [▲/▼ N points] |
| [Platform] | [X/10] | [X/10] | [▲/▼ N] |

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Step 4: Gap Analysis

## Gap Analysis

### Perception vs. Reality

| Dimension | Where You Are | Where You Need to Be | Gap Size |
|---|---|---|:---:|
| **Authority** | [Current level of perceived expertise] | [Where your goals require you to be] | [Small/Medium/Large] |
| **Visibility** | [Current reach and discovery] | [Required reach for goals] | [Small/Medium/Large] |
| **Trust** | [Current credibility signals] | [What your audience needs to see] | [Small/Medium/Large] |
| **Clarity** | [How clear your message is now] | [Crystal clear positioning] | [Small/Medium/Large] |
| **Consistency** | [How consistent across channels] | [Unified brand experience] | [Small/Medium/Large] |
| **Engagement** | [Current audience interaction] | [Active community interaction] | [Small/Medium/Large] |
| **Conversion** | [Brand → business results] | [Brand drives revenue] | [Small/Medium/Large] |

### Top 5 Gaps (Ranked by Impact)
1. **[Gap 1]** — [Why it matters for business goals] — [What to do about it]
2. **[Gap 2]** — [Why it matters] — [What to do]
3. **[Gap 3]** — [Why it matters] — [What to do]
4. **[Gap 4]** — [Why it matters] — [What to do]
5. **[Gap 5]** — [Why it matters] — [What to do]

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Step 5: Competitor Positioning Comparison

Identify 3–5 people or brands in the same space and compare positioning:

## Competitive Positioning

### Competitor Landscape

| Competitor | Platform Focus | Positioning | Audience Size | What They Do Well | Your Edge |
|---|---|---|:---:|---|---|
| [Name 1] | [Platform] | [How they position] | [Rough size] | [Strength] | [Your edge] |
| [Name 2] | [Platform] | [How they position] | [Rough size] | [Strength] | [Your edge] |
| [Name 3] | [Platform] | [How they position] | [Rough size] | [Strength] | [Your edge] |

### Positioning Map
[Text-based positioning map showing where the user sits relative to competitors on two key dimensions relevant to their industry]

### Positioning Recommendation
[2–3 paragraphs on how the user should position relative to competitors. What space is open? What angle is underserved? What makes them genuinely different?]

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Step 6: 30-Day Brand Improvement Plan

## 30-Day Brand Improvement Plan

### Week 1: Foundation (Fix the Basics)
| Day | Task | Platform | Time |
|:---:|---|---|:---:|
| 1 | Update all bios to match new positioning | All | 1 hr |
| 2 | Fix profile photos for consistency | All | 30 min |
| 3 | Update website messaging / hero section | Website | 1 hr |
| 4 | Create or update link-in-bio page | All | 30 min |
| 5 | Pin/highlight best content on each platform | All | 30 min |
| 6–7 | Content batch: create 5 posts following content pillars below | Primary platforms | 2 hrs |

### Week 2: Content Machine (Start Posting Consistently)
[Specific posts tied to the content pillars identified in Step 7]

### Week 3: Authority Building (Get Visible)
[Collaboration, long-form content, engagement strategy]

### Week 4: Optimize and Scale
[Repurposing top performers, adding email opt-in, month-end review]

### Total Time Investment: ~20–25 hours over 30 days (~45 min/day)

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Step 7: Content Pillar Recommendations

If a social calendar exists in Cloud Brain (search_notes: "social-calendar"), load the existing content pillars and note: "These pillars align with your active content calendar."

If no calendar exists, build fresh:

## Content Pillar Recommendations

Content pillars are the 3–5 core topics your brand consistently creates around. Every post should tie back to one of these.

**Pillar 1: [Topic]** — "[One-line description]"
- Why this serves your goals: [explanation]
- Content types: [post formats that work here]
- Example posts: [3 specific ideas]

**Pillar 2: [Topic]** — "[One-line description]"
[same structure]

**Pillar 3: [Topic]** — "[One-line description]"
[same structure]

**Pillar 4: [Topic]** — (optional)
[same structure]

**Pillar 5: Personal/Lifestyle** — (optional)
- Why: People buy from people — humanize the brand

### Recommended Content Mix
- [X]% Pillar 1 (Educational / Value)
- [X]% Pillar 2 (Personal / Storytelling)
- [X]% Pillar 3 (Proof / Authority)
- [X]% Pillar 4 (Industry / Commentary)
- [X]% Pillar 5 (Lifestyle / Human)

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Step 8: Bio and Tagline Suggestions

## Bio & Tagline Suggestions

### Universal Bio (Adapt per platform)

**Option 1 (Authority-led):**
[Title/Role] | [Key achievement or credential] | [What you help people do] | [CTA]

**Option 2 (Value-led):**
[What you do for people] | [Proof point] | [Brand slogan or philosophy] | [CTA]

**Option 3 (Story-led):**
[From X to Y] | [What you teach/share/build now] | [CTA]

### Platform-Specific Bios
- **Instagram:** [150 chars max — punchy, emoji-light]
- **TikTok:** [80 chars max — casual, direct]
- **LinkedIn:** [Professional headline — title + what you do + who you help]
- **Threads / Twitter/X:** [160 chars max — personality-forward]

### Tagline Options (5-8 words max)
1. "[Tagline 1]"
2. "[Tagline 2]"
3. "[Tagline 3]"
4. "[Tagline 4]"
5. "[Tagline 5]"

A great tagline answers "what do you do?" in under 10 words, speaks to the audience's desire (not your resume), and is memorable enough to repeat.

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Step 9: Save and Present

Save the full audit to Cloud Brain:

mcp__cloud-brain__write_note
path: brain/mkt/brand-audit-[slug]-[YYYY-MM-DD].md

Where slug is the brand's slug from the brand kit (or a slugified version of the brand/person name if no kit exists).

Present to user:

1. Preferences banner (who this audit is for)
2. Overall brand score (X/100) with one-line verdict
3. Top 3 gaps ranked by impact
4. Positioning recommendation summary
5. Week 1 priorities from the 30-day plan
6. Top bio/tagline suggestion
7. Where the full audit was saved

If a prior audit exists: lead with the comparison — improvement or regression — before diving into the new findings.

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Quality Standards

1. Honest, not flattering. Only useful if it tells the truth. If the brand is weak, say so with specifics and solutions.
2. Evidence-based. Scores and assessments based on what was actually found, not assumptions. If a platform could not be assessed, say so explicitly.
3. Actionable over analytical. Every finding comes with a recommendation. "Your bio is unclear" is useless without "Here's a better bio."
4. Goal-aligned. Recommendations tie directly back to stated business goals.
5. Platform-current. Recommendations reflect current platform algorithms, formats, and best practices.
6. Respectful of time. The 30-day plan must be achievable — 30–60 minutes per day max.

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Error Handling

• No handles or website provided: Ask — "What are your social media handles and/or website URL? I need at least one channel to audit. If you have no online presence yet, I can build a brand launch plan from scratch instead."
• Private or inaccessible profiles: Note: "Your [Platform] profile appears to be private or could not be accessed. Auditing based on what's publicly visible. For a deeper audit, share screenshots or export your analytics."
• No social presence found: Pivot to a brand-launch plan: "I could not find an existing online presence for [name/brand]. Instead of an audit, I've built a brand launch plan — how to set up your profiles, what to post first, and how to build from zero."
• Limited public data: Note which channels were and were not assessed. Flag: "Limited public data was available. Scores reflect what I could find — actual brand strength may be higher if engagement or reputation isn't publicly visible."
• Competitor brand audit (not their own): Proceed, but adjust framing — it becomes competitive intelligence rather than self-improvement. Note: "This is a brand audit of [competitor]. Want me to audit your brand too and compare?"
• Overwrite existing audit for same date: Overwrite and note: "Updated your existing brand audit for today."