The Grunt Test: Why Your Social Media Page Might Be Costing You Sales

There are many things you can do to improve your social media presence and how much you use it for your business brand, but for now, let’s focus on the Grunt Test.

Have you ever worn the shoes of a potential customer or just someone strolling through Facebook or Instagram?
If yes and that should be a yes, unless you’re using a torchlight phone, then this will hit home.
Picture this in your mind: you’re scrolling, minding your business, when you stumble on a business page. Let’s say it’s into accessories and of course, nice logo, fine pictures but something seems off.

You’ve spent five minutes. Then ten. Still, you couldn’t clearly understand what they actually sell, who they sell to, or how to even sell. You’re just… confused.

In fact, you scrolled through the bio, and still, nothing helpful. Then you decided to tap on a few posts and all you saw was just personal vibes and hashtags. Maybe it’s only from the logo you finally connect the dots.
At that point, you either roll your eyes and move on. It sounds like something you’ve encountered, right?

Now, let’s take a retrogressive step. (Yes, take am back.)

This time, put on the character of a business owner which you are. That confusion you just felt? That’s what potential customers or your audiences experience when they land on your own page and can’t figure out what your brand stands for.

They bounce. And you lose money. It’s that simple. And this is the reason we’re looking into the concept of the Grunt Test.

What Does the Grunt Test Mean?

The grunt test is a simple, quick way to evaluate how clearly a brand communicates what it offers. It was popularised by Donald Miller in his book Building a StoryBrand. Although he channelled it majorly to websites, for the sake of this article, we’d narrow it down to social media.

This is the idea behind the grunt test: within five seconds of landing on your website, social media page, or seeing your marketing message, a visitor should be able to “grunt” answers to these three key questions:

1. What do you offer?
2. How will it make my life better?
3. What do I need to do to buy it?

These three questions are crucial because Donald said that even a caveman should be able to understand your message. If someone looked at your social media page and could only “grunt” a reply, what would they say?

• “You sell shoes.”
• “Shoes make my feet comfy.”
• “Click to buy.”

If they could say that, then it’s a pass. But if they grunt, “Uhh…what this?” you’ve failed in your grunt test.

What Does This Mean for You as a Business Owner?

If you ever felt confused while scrolling through a business page, just know that your potential customers are probably feeling the same way when they see yours.

Think about it this way: you sell something valuable, you put in the work but something just seems off. If your page doesn’t CLEARLY show it in a few seconds, then you’re invisible to your audience which makes your business like the light of the world that is put under a lamp.

And the painful truth is that confused people don’t buy, they scroll. So, it is not a question of whether your product is good or not. At least, not at this point. It is about how well you’re constantly communicating your value and that’s where the Grunt Test comes in.

Conclusion

Here’s the Truth: If your page is vague, It can’t sell. For a good number of reasons, your audience should not have to read between the lines or play detective before they understand what your brand does. In fact, what you need is a system that helps you cut the fluff and put clarity in there.

In our next blog article, we’ll break down how to apply the Grunt Test directly to your social media page, irrespective of what you sell.
In the meantime, ask yourself this: “If someone lands on my page right now, can they grunt what I do?