How I write marketing reports for clients
No slide decks or Excel: one Telegram message with key numbers, conclusions and a plan. 10-20 reports a month in 2-3 hours.
Ad reports are the most nerve-racking part of my job. I send 10-20 of them a month and spend 2-3 hours on it at most. Here's how it works.
I skip slide decks, charts and even Excel. Instead I write one concise Telegram message: the key business numbers, short conclusions and the plan for next month.
A real report
Here's the report for 1 January to 1 February.
Meta
Ad budget: $598.94
Results:
- 49,908 impressions
- 529 clicks to the site
- 33 new bookings
- $0.69 average cost per click
- $18.1 average cost per booking
The average cost per booking fell from $37.3 to $18.1, even though this month included tests and some weak weeks, especially in early January. The best campaigns delivered bookings at $3.59 and $5.15, so the average could go even lower. The promotion worked really well; I suggest keeping it in February, at least for ads.
These posts performed best: (links). The others did well too, but these two had the cheapest follows.
Google Ads
Ad budget: $1,690
Results:
- 32,523 impressions
- 1,120 clicks to the site
- 155 new bookings
- $10.9 average cost per booking
Google is trending up too: the average cost per booking fell from $17.4 to $10.9. I keep adding negative keywords and will experiment with ads and A/B tests. The new campaign also performed fine, with leads at around $10.
Sometimes I add links to creatives, ideas for new campaigns or other important data, but it all fits in one message.
Why it works
- It saves time. I focus on what the report says, not how it looks.
- We discuss what matters. Only what affects the final result, not cost per click, impressions or CTR.
- It's easy for the client. The report is quick to read in a familiar messenger, and feedback comes fast.
I always gather the data myself, by hand, even though AI handles this perfectly well automatically. It gives me a better feel for every campaign.
