Marketing reporting is an important part of working with clients, aimed at developing trusting and effective relationships. Moreover, reports are also needed when you are developing your business on your own. Any effort that does not have a result and visualization is doomed to be underestimated. By understanding how effective and efficient each marketing tool is, you can easily allocate time, resources, and money to make informed decisions. Reporting for the client is simply a must-have for a successful relationship between the client and the agency. Effective customer reports provide process transparency, demonstrate value, and set the vector for strategic decisions. Treat them not just formally, but with a creative approach to stand out among competitors and colleagues in the market.
In the field of marketing, it does not matter whether you are a freelancer or the head of a digital agency; everyone needs to prepare reports. How well and effectively you communicate the results of your marketing efforts and tools affects the strength of your customer relationships and plans for further work with you. These reports are not just regular quantitative updates; they are necessary documents that convey the value of your services to customers.
Effective customer reporting goes beyond simply providing a Google spreadsheet; it's about creating a whole story that shows accomplishments, provides actionable information, and becomes the foundation for informed decision-making.
Reports serve as a bridge between your business and customers, promoting transparency of actions and trust between counterparties. They provide an opportunity in a structured way to report on performance, demonstrate responsibility, and show the impact of your work on the client's entire business. Regular reports show clients that their marketing and advertising investments are in safe hands and that all marketing tasks are being completed on time.
Whether you are new to creating reports or looking for information to improve your experience, this article will help you learn more about the creative world of numbers, graphs, relationships, and correlations.
Why are reports so important to the client?
Let's face it, clients don't like creating reports any more than marketers do. After all, you need to emerge from the creative process and reorient yourself to a very simple and concise language of numbers and data.
But why is the report a necessary element of customer interaction?
-
This is a communication tool
Each document is an important communication tool that helps all stakeholders communicate performance, progress, and statistics. It is a form of presenting complex numbers and analyzing the results obtained in a simple and understandable format.
-
This is work on the transparency of processes and the formation of trust in mutual relations
Regular presentations of the results will help strengthen trust between the performing company and its clients. By providing clear updates, marketers demonstrate the stages of work and the objective results that have been achieved.
-
Control and measurement of efficiency
Reports allow companies and clients to track and measure performance against goals and KPIs. This is, in fact, a history of progress, which helps to understand the vector of work and conduct a retrospective.
-
Making informed decisions
Of course, decisions about continuing work, the need to test hypotheses, or change the digital strategy are also made based on reports. Any statistical data will be the basis for decision-making, resource management, and general business planning.
-
Relationship management
Thorough reporting strengthens customer relationships. This is a way to show clients that their business is important to you and that you, as a freelancer or team of specialists, have an active interest in their success.
What goals and objectives do marketers set before reporting?
In addition to being a separate item in the work plan, the report has several tasks:
First, convey the value of your team's work.
For this:
- highlight achievements, clearly demonstrate success over the reporting period, and show any positive results;
- illustrate the impact of the work performed on the client's business: revenue growth, cost savings, market expansion, or other key performance indicators that relate to the client's business.
Secondly, provide relevant information.
This includes:
- analysis of data, trends, patterns and important conclusions for the client's business;
- recommendations that can guide the client to achieve key KPIs.
Thirdly, to give an opportunity to make decisions.
Based on:
- relevant information (preferably in the form of graphics and visual materials);
- hypotheses and strategies (as consequences of reported data, recommendations for changes in tactical actions, highlighting opportunities or potential risks).
Every report demonstrates your responsibility.
Consistent reporting at agreed intervals shows that the business is committed to maintaining accountability. This assures clients that their interests are actively monitored and managed. And honesty about both successes and problems builds trust.
How to create an effective report?
The importance of constantly monitoring the team's work and providing reports is unquestionable. Next, let's talk about how to create a report that meets all the needs of customers as much as possible.
Understanding the client's tasks and business
Let's start with the preparation. Understanding what your client wants to see in a report is the first step to creating a document that meets their expectations and adds value to your relationship.
We recommend a consultation and a detailed discussion with your client about their goals and previous experience: what are their concerns, what specific indicators or KPIs are of interest, should we do a detailed data analysis every reporting period? All this information will help shape the tasks and structure of the future document template.
Once you understand what the client wants, the next step is to set clear expectations and goals for the report:
- define the scope and clearly outline what will be covered in the report (time period, metrics to be included, and level of detail);
- choose the format and frequency (PDF, Excel, or other services) and the frequency (weekly, monthly, or quarterly) of the reports;
- set a schedule (establish when reports will be made available for review and stick to the agreed-upon arrangements).
- clarify the client's goals, determine what the client wants to gain from the report (adjustment of strategy, identification of new opportunities, or recommendations for improving processes).
To create a report that truly meets your client's needs, gathering comprehensive and accurate requirements is critical
- schedule regular meetings and calls with the client (regularly communicate with the client to resolve current issues);
- choose a platform for collaboration convenient for the client and the team;
- think about feedback mechanisms (ensure you have a way to collect feedback to avoid extra work or insufficient data for decision-making).
Another important point: communicate regularly with the client and their team working on the project. With constant meetings, it is easier to manage the process, maintain focus on tasks, and ensure their relevance. Regular communication allows you to adapt the report to new tasks and business circumstances, ensuring it remains a valuable tool for the client.
Choose a strategy to proactively solve even the smallest problems before they become serious. By thoroughly understanding customer needs and maintaining regular communication, you lay the foundation for reporting that is not only informative but also successful.
Structure of the report
Among the key sections of the report, we highlight the following:
-
Summary
Its task is to immediately provide a concise overview of the entire report. The client does not always have the opportunity and time to analyze graphs or indicators here and now. Make a short abstract that will contain key data. Immediately add conclusions, ideas, and recommendations here. This section is usually one to two pages long and should be written last, after all other sections have been completed. However, it is submitted first.
-
Key indicators
Provide for analysis the most important indicators that are of interest to the client. Of course, these should be KPIs that are relevant at each stage of the work. We recommend presenting the indicators in a clear form, using tables, bullets, and adding screenshots or visual elements.
-
Analysis and interpretation of data
The purpose of this section is to explain what the data means and why it is important. Use subheadings and detailed analysis to structure your report. Write in simple phrases, because the client does not always understand technical or marketing terminology.
-
Visualization of data through charts and graphs
Visual tools make complex data more understandable and readable. This makes it easier to compare or track trends. Place the graphic next to the relevant text to maintain context, give it a clear title, and explain the legend and any necessary markings.
Rendering tips from the BannerBoo team:
- simplicity is the key to success (do not overload charts with a lot of data, even if you really want to);
- choose relevant tools (graph to show growth, pie chart to visualize percentage values, etc.);
- clarity of design (it is easier to read and analyze information);
- adhere to the consistency of the visual style of the entire report.
-
Detailed analysis and conclusions
This section provides a comprehensive analysis of the data, exploring deeper insights and implications. It links data to the client's strategic goals. Use a logic diagram to guide the reader's logic in the correct vector. Start with the obvious, and then move logically to deeper meanings. Don't hide bad results - instead, point them out in advance, explain what happened, and what you're going to do about it. Customers will appreciate honesty.
-
Recommendations and next steps
The main purpose of the report is not only to show what has been done. The most important thing is to show how these processes will affect the further work plan and subsequent KPIs. Provide specific suggestions for strategy adjustments, process improvements, or new initiatives. Each recommendation must be supported by data from the report.
Recommendation: List the comments in order of priority, clearly indicating which ones are the most critical.
By carefully structuring the report and filling each section with relevant content, you create a document that not only informs but also guides your client to make the right business decisions. Always keep the customer's needs, data clarity, and actionable recommendations in focus.
This work focuses on readability, emphasis, and, accordingly, the effectiveness of the document. It should be convenient for the client to read, understand, and follow the dynamics.
What should you know about formatting?
- Use headings, subheadings, and bullet lists.
- Maintain consistent font styles, sizes, and colors for headings, subheadings, and bullets to ensure a cohesive look.
- Break the text into paragraphs (short and focused on one idea).
- Choose a color scheme that matches your company's branding (these colors should apply throughout the report for headings, charts, and other elements).
- Strategically use color and contrasts to highlight key information.
- Create a template that includes corporate style, thoughtful headers and footers, and consistent formatting for all sections (this task is easily done in BannerBoo).
- Use interactive elements that can be clicked to explore the data in more detail.
- Add links to external resources, detailed reports, or individual sections of the report for ease of navigation.
- Allow annotations and comments on digital reports so customers can provide feedback directly within the document.
This attention to detail ensures that reports become an effective point of contact with customers.
Technical aspects of document preparation
We recommend preparing reports in a single format to optimize your own resources for constantly updating information.
The following tools are often used to build structured reports:
- traditional Excel (suitable for creating basic and not complex reports);
- Google Data Studio (a higher level, for visualization of Google Analytics data);
- Power BI (Business Intelligence) (creating dynamic reports and dashboards);
- data visualization services (among which we recommend the convenient and simple BannerBoo).
What is the Advantage of BannerBoo in Creating Reports for Clients?
BannerBoo is a special data visualization service that anyone can use, even without any design knowledge. With a simple and user-friendly drag-and-drop workspace, you can easily create a detailed and visually appealing report to present to clients.
You can create standardized report templates that contain special blocks to be filled out. Automation reduces manual errors, saves time, and allows you to focus on analyzing and interpreting data rather than generating reports.
Next, be sure to train the team so they can perform these tasks on their own. This approach not only increases productivity but also ensures that reports are accurate, timely, and meet customer expectations.
Preparation for discussion with the client of the results of the report
What should be done BEFORE meeting with the client or their team:
- read the report's key findings, recommendations and supporting data;
- consider potential questions the client may have and prepare concise explanations and evidence;
- adapt your presentation style according to the client's preferences and level of understanding;
- specify next steps (provide implementation recommendations if applicable).
The presentation of the results is also very important, so we recommend reading the texts, checking the graphics, and providing only relevant data for customers. Effective communication and thorough preparation contribute to the overall success of the report writing process.
Examples of marketing reports that will inspire you to create your own documents
So, knowing the secrets of structure and goals, it's time to get inspired by typical marketer reports that show their effectiveness. Choose the most suitable option and immerse yourself in the world of data, statistics, and correlation.
Typical marketing report (monthly format)
This format is the most popular among customers. A month is a great range to analyze data and see trends or changes in the business landscape.
The report includes the following data:
- efficiency (progress, achieved goals, media costs, conversions and their price);
- engagement (best channel conversions: direct, organic, paid, referral);
- site analytics (new and returning users, bounce rates, average session duration and page engagement);
- audience analysis (number of users, devices, demographics and interests);
- Google Ads (time spent, impressions, clicks, conversions and cost);
- organic traffic (users, new users, average rating, goals achieved and conversion rate);
- Meta advertising (impressions, link clicks, pixels, conversions, cost per conversion and total costs).
With this format, you can quickly present your customers with the most important KPIs and provide an accurate report on your progress.
An example of a marketing report
* the material is taken from the site https://whatagraph.com
SEO report
A report on search engine optimization (SEO) is mandatory if your tasks are in SEO.
This list of indicators is most often used for analysis:
- changes in quantitative indicators of website traffic;
- difference between organic traffic and other sources;
- ratio of branded and non-branded traffic;
- keywords that provide the majority of visits to the resource;
- status of organic search terms;
- general backlink profile;
- any technical SEO issues.
An example of an SEO report
* the material is taken from the site https://whatagraph.com
Report on the effectiveness of social networks
Conducting SMM on brand pages should explain to the client:
- What is happening to the subscriber base?
- How active is the brand in social networks during a certain period?
- Which posts generated the most engagement (and why)?
- What are the positions of the pages compared to the main competitors?
- What is the conversion rate from each social media channel?
If there are several social networks in your scope of responsibilities, then such a report should be for each of them.
The SMM report includes:
- consolidated summary of all sites;
- this month's best content by impressions and reach;
- brief overview of channel performance: organic and paid traffic;
- progress with key kpis for the month, top-performing posts, and follower distribution by article;
- top-performing content by organic impressions, engaged users, reactions, retention, and comments;
- ad performance: monthly impressions, leads, and conversions; total spend; cost-per-click and click-through rate;
- action recommendations for the next month.
Example of SMM report
* the material is taken from the site https://whatagraph.com
PPC report
It contains all information about paid advertising. For analysis, the report should include the following KPIs:
- number of clicks;
- cost per click and total advertising budget;
- number of ad impressions per CTR clickability indicator;
- conversion rate;
- Cost per conversion (or useful action if micro-conversion metrics are set up).
Thanks to these data, the marketer can influence the following periods by:
- removal of ineffective keywords;
- exclusion from rotation of keywords that do not generate traffic;
- expansion of semantics and replacement of keywords that did not receive impressions;
- stopping the use of seasonal and low-quality keywords.
PPC is one marketing strategy where it is very easy to track ROI and manage your reach.
An example of a PRS report
* the material is taken from the site https://whatagraph.com
Report on e-commerce activity
If your client is in the e-commerce industry, the report should include KPIs and all financial information:
- general sales from advertising;
- conversion rate;
- total number of transactions;
- bounce rate and number of pages viewed per session;
- LTV of the client;
- progress indicators with monthly KPIs and a table with sales data by specific products;
- overview of online store traffic: number of new customers and sessions, demographic activity, sequence of transitions on the site and traffic sources;
- total number of orders and average number of units per transaction.
Of course, also include next steps, your thoughts, and recommendations for the next reporting period.
An example of an e-commerce report
* the material is taken from the site https://whatagraph.com
The data must be organized by campaign and contain a basic set of KPIs for each campaign:
- ad clicks;
- price per click and cost of media campaign;
- CTR and conversion rate;
- engagement rates and number of ad impressions.
Report on e-mail campaigns
KPIs that must be in your report:
- number of emails sent;
- percentage of unique discoveries;
- percentage of openings to the total size of the base;
- click rating;
- overall effectiveness of the campaign.
TOP 5 tips to know before starting to create reports for clients
Marketing reports are essential for client communication. Here are some practical tips to help you optimize your work on the analytics and reports that come in every month.
-
Schedule a specific time to generate reports.
This time must be previously added to the Google calendar (or task manager) of the responsible persons. Do not expect that the report can be easily prepared in an hour or two before a meeting with clients. It is better to plan a couple of days to prepare analytical documents and send them to the client before a meeting is scheduled to discuss them.
Plan daily, weekly, or monthly reports in advance; this will help prepare a strategy for communication with customers.
-
Collect feedback from customers.
If you only have written communication with your clients, you'll never know if the report fully addressed the client's questions until they say so. Always aim for the ideal and also submit a small Google form with typical questions about openness and availability of information. Collecting feedback from those who use your reports can help improve them in the future.
-
Create marketing report templates.
A simple action, but it is accurate and will save you time and energy in creating each document. The templates are easy to edit, maintain visual branding consistency, and can be easily adapted to the client's business.
-
Start with the most valuable data
Long marketing reports are only read if all the data provided is valuable and useful for a decision you or your team needs to make. In all other cases, the focus should be on a summary (brief overview) that shows the real situation in general, without going into specific details.
No one is going to look to the last page to get the information they need. Save the customer time and start with the main points.
-
Visualization is the basis of building an effective report
Graphics for data interpretation are the best option. This will not only help the reports gain more value but also reduce the time and effort required to process the information received.
Conclusion
Effective reporting for clients is not just dry statistics. It is an opportunity to provide the team with the information that drives informed decisions and strengthens relationships with clients.
What is important to remember when building marketing reports?
Effective reporting builds trust, demonstrates the involvement of the creative team in all processes, and provides relevant information that helps clients make informed decisions.
Why is reporting important?
- builds trust by demonstrating competence and consideration for all needs;
- encourages the construction of effective work plans (strategic decisions that contribute to business development);
- improves communication (ensuring both parties are aligned on goals, progress and expectations);
- demonstrating the professionalism and attention to detail that sets your business apart from the competition.
- impact on long-term relationships (based on mutual understanding and common goals).
So what's really important about marketing reports? Honesty, consistency, and regularity! It's really more than just statistical data from advertising cabinets; it's a clear and effective presentation of information and the promotion of meaningful dialogue. After all, an investment in effective reports for clients is an investment in business success, customer loyalty, and long-term partnerships.
Frequently asked questions
Why are reports important for business?
Reports for clients serve as a tool for communicating information about the efficiency, progress, and achievements of each stage of work. They create transparency, trust, and demonstrate control over every creative process, helping to strengthen client relationships and drive business success.
What should be included in the report?
A comprehensive client report typically includes:
- Summary: Summarizes the main findings and recommendations.
- Key indicators: Highlights important performance indicators for each industry.
- Analysis and interpretation of data: Explanation of the meaning of tendencies, trends, and data correlation.
- Data visualization: Uses charts and graphs to illustrate findings.
- Detailed analysis and recommendations: Provides in-depth information and practical recommendations.
How to determine what customers want to see in a report?
Ask! To do this, you need to allocate some time and:
- conduct initial consultations to determine goals and expectations;
- try to conduct a questionnaire or survey to collect specific indicators;
- review past reports to tailor them to an individual client.
What are the best tips for creating effective marketing reports?
Be honest and open, and never tailor data to suit your needs. Additionally:
- present information logically, structuring it with headings and subheadings;
- use visual elements for comfortable data interpretation;
- edit, proofread and verify data;
- promptly submit reports and communicate with clients on their results.
How can reports help improve a company's business strategies?
Making a decision about changing the vector or completely reorienting the marketing strategy is simply necessary on the basis of reports. Otherwise, it will not be a marketing decision, it will be the subjective opinion of the business owner or team. Reports help you think big!
How do I prepare to discuss the report with clients?
The main recommendation: do not prepare an hour before the meeting. Think through your communication strategy and potential customer questions before the meeting. Besides this:
- Know the key findings, data, and recommendations (especially if you did not prepare the report).
- Think through potential questions or problematic situations that may arise during communication.
- Prepare the presentation according to the client's understanding and preferences.
- Provide only useful information and guidance on next steps based on report findings.
What role do design and formatting play in creating effective client reports?
Visually designed reports can impress the client and systematize the data your team will receive. Additionally, they:
- increase readability and understanding of the report;
- reflect professionalism and attention to detail;
- ensure consistency with corporate branding and typography and style rules.
How can I make sure my client reports are valuable and impactful?
After you have shown the report to the client, check if everything is clear to the client, or better yet:
- constantly seek customer feedback to improve content and format.
- focus on providing useful information and practical advice;
- adapt reports to real customer needs and business dynamics.
