Guides
Sep 20, 2025
How to Write a Marketing Report In 2025 That Actually Shows Results
Jens Bjerregaard
Marketing consultant
14
Min. read
Why Marketing Reports Are Actually Useful
Marketing reports. Just hearing the phrase can make some people groan. Too many numbers, too many charts, too many acronyms. But here’s the thing: done right, a marketing report isn’t a boring spreadsheet, it’s your playbook for understanding what actually works, what’s wasting money, and where you can score the biggest wins.
I’m going to break it down for you in plain language. No corporate fluff, no jargon, just the real deal on why marketing reporting matters, what a good report looks like, and which tools can make your life way easier.
Here’s the reality: marketing generates tons of data. Every click, ad view, email open, and sale is tracked. But without a good system to make sense of it all, it’s just noise.
A marketing report is your lens. It takes all that scattered data and turns it into a story you can actually use. It tells you:
What’s working
What’s wasting money
Where you can double down for bigger returns
And it’s not just about your team. Good reports are also how you justify your spend to leadership or clients. They answer the question everyone eventually asks: “Is this marketing actually making money?”
What Makes a Marketing Report Good
A lot of people think reports are just collections of numbers. Wrong. A report needs three things:
1. The Right Metrics Not every number matters. Pick KPIs that actually reflect business goals. For example:
Revenue: How much each channel actually brings in
Orders / Conversions: How many people actually completed the action you wanted
Average Order Value (AOV): Important if you’re selling stuff online
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): How much you’re paying to get each customer
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Are your ads making more than they cost?
Keep it focused. Too many numbers and your report just becomes a confusing mess.
2. Analysis & Insights Numbers alone don’t help. You need context. Look for trends, anomalies, and root causes. For instance:
CTR drops → maybe the ad copy is stale
Bounce rate spikes → could be a landing page issue
Rising CPC → maybe competitors are bidding harder
3. Actionable Recommendations The report isn’t finished until you’ve said what to do next. “Spend more on this channel” is too vague. Be specific, measurable, and prioritize the actions that will have the biggest impact.
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Types of Marketing Reports
Not all reports are created equal. Here’s a quick rundown of the types most agencies and marketers use:
1. Channel Performance Reports Shows how each marketing channel is performing. Useful for figuring out which channels are driving the most revenue. Tools like Improvado make it easy to pull this data.
2. Campaign Performance Reports Drills down into individual campaigns. Helps you see which campaigns are underperforming and why.
3. Executive Reports High-level summaries for leadership. Focus on ROI, CAC, and overall growth metrics.
4. Operational Reports Detailed, granular data for your team to optimize campaigns. Includes clicks, impressions, conversions, and audience behavior.
5. Custom Dashboards Sometimes you just need a live view. Tools like DashThis allow you to set up dashboards that update automatically with the metrics you care about.
How to Make Your Marketing Report Actually Work
Here’s the step-by-step approach that makes a report useful instead of just a spreadsheet:
Step 1: Decide the Audience Who’s reading this? Executives want the high-level story, analysts want the data. Tailor your report to them.
Step 2: Pick the KPIs That Matter Don’t overload with metrics. Choose 5-10 KPIs that align with business goals.
Step 3: Gather the Data Collect data from every relevant source. Tools like AgencyAnalytics can automate this for you so you’re not manually exporting Excel sheets.
Step 4: Analyze Trends and Anomalies Numbers are meaningless without context. Look for patterns, spikes, or drops and figure out why they happened.
Step 5: Make Recommendations Close the loop. Suggest actionable next steps that are measurable and prioritized.
Step 6: Automate if You Can Reports are only valuable if they’re consistent. Automate reporting with tools like Hubstaff to save time and reduce errors.
Reporting Tools That Make Life Easier
If you’ve ever spent hours manually pulling data from Google Ads, Facebook, and your website analytics, you know why tools are life-savers. Here are some to check out:
AgencyAnalytics – Great for client reporting, automates data pulls, and creates professional dashboards.
DashThis – Perfect for live dashboards, combines multiple sources in one view.
Improvado – Advanced analytics and reporting automation, especially good for agencies handling multiple clients.
Hubstaff – Helps with workforce and productivity reporting in addition to marketing performance.
Examples of Marketing Reports
Seeing a report example can make everything click. Here’s what a simple marketing report might look like:
Marketing Channel Performance Report Example
Channel | Revenue | Orders | CAC | ROAS | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Google Ads | $12,000 | 100 | $50 | 4x | Ads performing well, CTR trending up |
Facebook Ads | $8,000 | 75 | $60 | 2x | Need to refresh ad creatives |
$3,500 | 50 | $10 | 7x | High ROI, keep scaling | |
Organic SEO | $5,000 | 60 | $0 | ∞ | Solid traffic, optimize landing pages |
Notice how it’s not just numbers. Each line includes notes for context and next steps. That’s the part that actually makes the report useful.
Avoid These Common Reporting Mistakes
Even experienced marketers can fall into traps that make reports useless:
Too many KPIs – More numbers don’t equal better insight. Focus on the meaningful ones.
No context – Raw data without interpretation is noise. Always explain the why.
No action items – A report without recommendations is just a history lesson.
Inconsistent reporting – If your reports aren’t regular, you can’t see trends or make comparisons.
A lot of marketers also make the mistake of using the wrong tools or manual tracking methods that create errors or delays. If the data isn’t accurate or timely, decisions based on it can be completely off. Another common problem is overcomplicating reports with unnecessary charts or confusing metrics, which can overwhelm the reader and reduce clarity. Keep your reports simple, clear, and focused on what truly matters for the business.
The ROI of Good Reporting
Why bother? Because good marketing reporting drives revenue. Here’s how:
Helps justify budgets by showing clear ROI
Identifies high-performing channels to scale quickly
Flags underperforming campaigns before they drain resources
Aligns marketing with business goals so everyone’s moving in the same direction
Investing time in proper reporting pays off by allowing teams to optimize campaigns faster and more effectively. Good reporting also builds trust with clients or leadership by clearly showing the impact of marketing efforts. Beyond metrics, it provides insights that guide strategy, improve allocation of resources, and ultimately contribute to long-term business growth.
Final Thoughts
Stop thinking of marketing reports as boring Excel sheets. Think of them as your map to growth. A good report doesn’t just show what happened. It explains why, what it means, and what to do next.
With the right metrics, analysis, recommendations, and tools, marketing reporting can save you time, boost ROI, and help you make decisions that actually matter.
So next time someone groans at “marketing report,” remind them: a good report isn’t boring, it’s your secret weapon.
Helpful Links to Get Started
AgencyAnalytics – Automate client reports and dashboards
DashThis – Live reporting dashboards
Improvado – Marketing analytics automation
Hubstaff – Agency reporting and productivity tracking
