Building Compelling Marketing Reports That Will Impress Your Boss

Marketing reports are a crucial part of any successful marketing campaign. They can either be written or oral, and are generally presented to higher level management teams in order to brief them in a quick summary of the all-important business changes and information. But what makes a marketing campaign report particularly compelling?

BE CLEAR

Firstly, it is paramount that you are clear in what you are trying to get across. This can come through structuring your message in a logical way using language that can be easily understood. Starting with an introduction or summary, you should give an overview of the key points and what results you will go on to discuss.

The main body of the text should include quantifiable language, in which you include key data. Try to avoid overdoing it on this front though, as it can easily veer into being difficult to understand. At the end, you will need a conclusion in which you round off everything you have said and highlight the main points again. It should also include points for what you intend to do going forwards and any key objectives you have set.

Through structuring your text in this way, it will show you are prepared and organised. If you are submitting your report as a written presentation, make sure it is broken into clear sections with sub-headings. Putting key points into bold font can help make them stand out.

BE CONCISE

Make sure when writing your marketing report that you make your points succinctly. Using bullet points can help to do this, or putting your main agenda into a short list. Including the key facts in your introduction means people aren’t having to wait a long time to find out what your point is.

Cut out any waffle where possible, and try to say everything in as few sentences as possible. People are busy – they just want to know what you have done, the results, and what you intend to do next. They most likely have several reports to go through. Don’t go overboard trying to impress. Less can very much be more in the case of time-strapped people.

BE BOLD IN YOUR PREDICTIONS

Successful marketing reports often have suggestions for future action. This builds on the need-to-know facts that have been included, and shows measurable predictions that are achievable and realistic. It is important that what you’re saying seems credible, otherwise it may get missed.

In further reports, you can refer back to this point to show whether you have achieved it, and if so, how you have gone about doing so and whether it happened in the intended time-frame. You can also use it to measure your overall progression.

BE CONFIDENT

If you need to give your marketing report orally, make sure you have read through what you have written several times so you are comfortable with everything you’re saying and familiar with the key points. It also means you won’t feel completely on edge if people ask you any quick questions at the end.

Be confident in your presentation of the information, as this will help people to feel reassured in you and will add validity to everything you are saying. If you can tailor your message specifically to your audience, this can also make it more personal. You need to be inspiring trust in your work in key members of the management team.

BE OPEN TO HELP

There are lots of different marketing reporting software options and digital reporting tools available on the market that you can use to help format and structure your  report. These marketing reporting tools are often great guides, although you should try to add your own touch when putting together your digital marketing reporting so it feels personal and tailored to your business, rather than just generic and formulaic.

Adding things such as your company logo, any key strap-lines or mottos, and relating your report to other key data or customers can show how the report fits into the bigger picture. This can be impressive to your bosses.

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