Reporting That Drives Decisions
Marketing reports should do more than show numbers — they should tell a story about performance, explain why things happened, and recommend what to do next. Whether you’re reporting to a boss, client, or board, effective reporting builds trust and drives better decisions.
What to Include
Executive Summary
Start with a one-paragraph overview of performance. Did you hit goals? What were the highlights? What needs attention? Busy stakeholders may only read this section.
KPIs and Goals
Show progress against pre-defined goals. Use clear visualizations: green for on-track, yellow for attention needed, red for off-track. Make it immediately obvious whether things are going well.
Channel Performance
Break down results by channel: organic, paid search, social, email, referral. For each channel, show key metrics, trends versus previous period, and notable wins or issues.
Insights and Analysis
Numbers without context are meaningless. Explain why metrics moved up or down. What campaign drove the traffic spike? Why did conversion rates drop? Analysis demonstrates expertise and builds confidence.
Recommendations
Every report should end with clear next steps. What should you do more of? What should change? What experiments should you run? Recommendations turn reporting from backward-looking to forward-driving.
Reporting Best Practices
- Use consistent reporting templates
- Include year-over-year and month-over-month comparisons
- Lead with business metrics (revenue, leads) not vanity metrics
- Keep reports concise — one page per channel maximum
- Deliver reports on a consistent schedule
Get Transparent Marketing Reporting
Brandastic provides clear, actionable marketing reports that connect activities to business outcomes. Get a free marketing consultation.
