The Marketing Audit Scorecard (2026): A 60-Minute Checklist for Founders and CEOs

Direct answer/summary: A marketing audit scorecard is a fast way to assess whether your strategy, funnel, tracking, and channel spend are strong enough to scale. In about 60 minutes, you score each area 0–2, identify the biggest constraint (often tracking, conversion, or lead quality), and prioritize fixes that improve CAC, revenue, and profit. Use this scorecard to decide what to stop, what to fix first, and where to invest next.

If you’ve ever asked, “Is our marketing actually working?” you’re not alone.

Most growth-stage businesses have activity—emails going out, ads running, posts being published—but they don’t have clarity.

This audit scorecard is designed to give you that clarity in 60 minutes, using a simple framework a fractional CMO would use to diagnose what’s working, what’s waste, and what to do next.

What this scorecard is (and isn’t)

• It is a decision tool: where to invest, what to stop, what to fix first.

• It isn’t a perfection checklist. You’re looking for the top constraints, not 100 micro-optimizations.

How to use it

Score each section 0–2:

• 0 = missing / unclear

• 1 = partially in place

• 2 = strong and consistent

Total possible score: 20.

Section 1: Strategy clarity (0–2)

Question: Can you explain, in one sentence, who you’re for and why you win?

Score 2 if:

• Your positioning is specific

• Your offer is clear

• Your message matches what customers actually care about

Red flags:

• You sound like everyone else

• Your homepage headline could be swapped with a competitor’s

Section 2: Offer + conversion path (0–2)

Question: Is your primary CTA aligned to how buyers actually want to buy?

Score 2 if:

• The next step is obvious (book, request, buy)

• The page answers objections near the CTA

• The conversion path is short and clear on mobile

Section 3: Proof and trust (0–2)

Question: Do you have credible proof where decisions happen?

Score 2 if:

• Case studies, reviews, or outcomes are visible before scrolling

• You show process and what to expect

• Your expertise is obvious within 10 seconds

Section 4: Measurement integrity (0–2)

Question: Do you trust your data enough to make budget decisions?

Score 2 if:

• You have one “primary conversion” that matches real value

• You can connect marketing to qualified leads or revenue directionally

• Your tracking isn’t inflated by meaningless events

Section 5: Funnel health (0–2)

Question: Where does performance break—traffic, conversion, or follow-through?

Score 2 if you know:

• Visitor → lead conversion rate

• Lead → qualified lead rate

• Qualified lead → close rate (or best proxy)

Section 6: Channel performance and budget allocation (0–2)

Question: Can you explain why you’re spending where you’re spending?

Score 2 if:

• Budget follows performance and margin realities

• You know which channel is best for quality vs volume

• You can name what you’ll stop if CAC rises

Section 7: Voice of Customer (0–2)

Question: Are your messages based on real customer language?

Score 2 if:

• You have recent customer insights (calls, surveys, reviews)

• Your copy uses customer words and objections

• Your content matches buyer intent

Section 8: Testing system (0–2)

Question: Do you have a repeatable experimentation rhythm?

Score 2 if:

• You run 1–3 tests per month with clear hypotheses

• You document results and decisions

• You don’t “randomly tweak” things constantly

Section 9: Team ownership (0–2)

Question: Is there a clear owner of strategy, budget, and outcomes?

Score 2 if:

• One person is accountable for marketing performance

• Vendors are managed with clear priorities and scorecards

• You have a weekly decision meeting

Section 10: Operational capacity (0–2)

Question: Can you actually fulfill the growth you’re trying to create?

Score 2 if:

• Sales follow-up is consistent

• Intake is fast and tracked

• Delivery/fulfillment doesn’t bottleneck

How to interpret your score

• 17–20: You have a functioning marketing system. Scale carefully.

• 13–16: You’re close. Fix the biggest constraint and you’ll unlock growth.

• 9–12: You’re leaking in multiple places. Prioritize measurement + conversion first.

• 0–8: Marketing is running without a system. Start with strategy + analytics cleanup.

The fastest way to improve your score

Most businesses see the biggest lift by doing these in order:

1. Clarify positioning + offer

2. Fix measurement integrity

3. Improve proof near CTAs

4. Build a weekly operating cadence

5. Install a testing roadmap

If you want help: a Fractional CMO diagnostic

Orr Consulting provides fractional CMO leadership, strategy, and analytics for growth-stage teams that want marketing to be accountable to business outcomes.

If you want a second set of eyes, a short diagnostic can identify:

• what’s working,

• what’s waste,

• and the top 3–5 priorities that will unlock revenue impact.