How do I score paid vs organic on the same chart?

Use blended cost per lead at steady-state for both. Organic looks great at the start (free!) but the content team's time is real cost that needs to be loaded into the score.

Why are cost and effort inverted?

So that 'bigger area = better' holds across all axes. If cost and effort scored normally, a channel that's expensive and effortful would have a bigger area and look better. That's backwards.

How often should I re-score channels?

Quarterly. Channel economics shift fast — Meta ads in Q1 vs Q4 can be different planets due to seasonality and competition.

Specialized Professional

Marketing Channel Mix Radar Chart Template

Compare marketing channels (SEO, paid, email, social) across cost, reach, conversion, and effort to plan your mix.

Used 386 times

SEO
Paid Ads
Email
Social

About this template

A marketing-channel-mix radar helps growth teams compare channels honestly instead of arguing about which one is 'best'. Cost, reach, conversion rate, speed to results and effort together describe what each channel actually costs to run — including the time it takes for results to show up. Useful for quarterly channel reviews, budget planning, and pushing back on the executive who 'just heard about a new TikTok strategy'.

Attributes included

Cost (low)
Inverted — cheaper channels score higher. Cost per qualified lead at meaningful scale.
Reach
Size of the addressable audience the channel can deliver.
Conversion Rate
Share of touched audience that becomes a customer.
Speed to Results
How quickly investment in the channel produces measurable revenue.
Effort (low)
Inverted — lower operational effort scores higher. Includes both setup and ongoing maintenance.

Sample items

SEO
Paid Ads
Email
Social

How to use the Marketing Channel Mix template

1Click "Use this template" to load the preset attributes and sample data into the builder.
2Rename attributes or items to match your context — every value is editable inline.
3Adjust scores using sliders or by typing values directly. Toggle items on or off to compare subsets.
4Pick a color theme, then export your chart as PNG or SVG, or share a live link.

Frequently asked questions

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