Reference

How the Calibration Matrix works

Everything on Step 2 of the audit form changes either how your score is weighted or what the Hard Gates are allowed to assume about your content. Nothing here is decorative - every field feeds directly into the scoring prompt. For where the pillars and their weighting actually come from, see Credibility.

Content mode - sets the pillar weights

Every piece of content is scored on the same 28 questions across 5 pillars. What changes per mode is how much each pillar counts toward your weighted percentage (the raw 0-56 score itself never changes - mode only affects the weighted view and the tier label).

Trust AssetProve authority, evidence, experience.

e.g. a case study, an about page, a 'why trust us' piece.

Credibility

30%

Leverage

25%

Empathy

15%

Action

10%

Reach

20%

Decision AssetHelp someone compare, choose, justify, or buy.

e.g. a pricing page, a buyer's guide, an 'X vs Y' comparison post.

Credibility

30%

Leverage

30%

Empathy

10%

Action

20%

Reach

10%

Teaching AssetHelp someone understand and apply.

e.g. a how-to guide, a tutorial, an onboarding doc.

Credibility

20%

Leverage

35%

Empathy

25%

Action

10%

Reach

10%

Community AssetInvite participation, identity, belonging.

e.g. a community update, a member spotlight, an event recap.

Credibility

15%

Leverage

15%

Empathy

30%

Action

25%

Reach

15%

Discovery AssetBe found, shared, cited, remembered.

e.g. a shareable LinkedIn post, an SEO blog post, a citable framework.

Credibility

15%

Leverage

20%

Empathy

20%

Action

10%

Reach

35%

Conversion AssetMove someone to a specific next step.

e.g. a landing page, a lead-magnet CTA, a signup-driving post.

Credibility

25%

Leverage

25%

Empathy

10%

Action

30%

Reach

10%

Relationship AssetDeepen long-term affinity over time.

e.g. a newsletter, a founder update, a behind-the-scenes post.

Credibility

20%

Leverage

15%

Empathy

30%

Action

20%

Reach

15%

Target audience - sets the grading lens

Audience doesn't change the pillar weights - it changes what the auditor expects to see within each answer (depth of evidence, tone, what "specific enough" means for this reader) and drives the audience-specific guidance card in your report.

B2B - In-Market (5%)

Self-serve completeness: pricing, comparisons, risk.

e.g. someone actively evaluating vendors right now - bottom-of-funnel.

B2B - Out-of-Market (95%)

Mental availability: bold perspective, frameworks.

e.g. most of your audience, most of the time - not ready to buy yet.

Enterprise Decision Maker

Multi-stakeholder evidence, risk framing, governance fit.

e.g. content aimed at a buying committee, not a single reader.

Technical / Expert

Depth, precision, primary evidence.

e.g. developer docs, a technical deep-dive for practitioners.

Consumer

Clarity, emotional resonance, accessible language.

e.g. general public, no jargon - most personal social posts land here.

Community Member

Identity, belonging, participation mechanics.

e.g. posts to an audience you're already building loyalty with.

Creator / Practitioner

Executable how-to, real examples, original insight.

e.g. content for other practitioners who want the real playbook.

Quick picker - which one is my content?

Still not sure? Find the closest match below - these are real combinations for common content types.

LinkedIn/X post sharing a framework or insight, meant to be shared

Public post for people who don't know you yet - built to be found, shared, and remembered, not to close a sale.

Discovery AssetB2B - Out-of-Market

Comparison page or 'X vs Y' post

Reader is actively evaluating options right now and needs a self-serve, evidence-backed decision.

Decision AssetB2B - In-Market

Step-by-step how-to guide or tutorial

Reader wants to actually do the thing, not just understand it conceptually - depth and executability matter.

Teaching AssetCreator / Practitioner

Company newsletter or founder update

Existing audience you're deepening affinity with, not cold traffic you're trying to convert.

Relationship AssetCommunity Member

Landing page or lead-magnet promotion

One clear next step is the entire point - everything else is in service of that single action.

Conversion AssetConsumer

Case study or 'why trust us' page

Proving credibility to a buying committee that needs risk-framed, demonstrable evidence.

Trust AssetEnterprise Decision Maker

Publishing context - feeds the Hard Gates

The auditor can only judge what it's told. Without this section, Gate 1 and Gate 4 have to guess from the content alone - and will fail conservatively if they can't tell.

Publishing channel & byline: Tells the auditor who's accountable for this content and where it will appear. Feeds Gate 1 (No accountable source) - if a named author or publisher is given here, the body text doesn't need to repeat it.
AI assisted drafting this content: If on, the auditor expects an explicit AI-disclosure statement somewhere in the content itself (Gate 4). If off, no disclosure is required. This must match reality - the toggle doesn't change what your content says, it changes what's expected of it.
Reviewed by a qualified SME: Feeds Gate 5 - only relevant if the content contains health, financial, legal, safety, or compliance advice. Otherwise this gate passes regardless.

The 5 Hard Gates - pass/fail, before scoring

Checked first. Any gate failure blocks the 28-question scorecard entirely - fix the gate issue and re-run before you get a score at all.

Gate 1 - No accountable source

Fails if: No accountable source is present for expertise claims.

Gate 2 - Unsupported significant claims

Fails if: A significant factual claim is made with no source, data, or qualification.

Gate 3 - Material overclaiming

Fails if: The content asserts outcomes, credentials, or capabilities that cannot credibly be demonstrated.

Gate 4 - Misleading AI disclosure

Fails if: AI-assisted content is presented misleadingly where disclosure would reasonably be expected.

Gate 5 - Unreviewed high-risk advice

Fails if: High-risk advice is given without review by a qualified subject-matter expert.

The 5 pillars - what's actually being measured

Credibility /12 points

Is there a named, accountable source? Are significant claims backed by evidence, not just asserted?

Leverage /12 points

Can the reader actually do something with this? Does it deliver value beyond generic AI output?

Empathy & Resonance /12 points

Does it name a specific tension and feel written for this exact audience, not a general one?

Action & Continuity /10 points

Is there a single, clear next step - sized right for where the reader is in their journey?

Reach & Relevance /10 points

Is it native to the channel, citable by AI and search, and recognisably from this creator?

Ready to run one? Go to the audit form.