8 Big Ideas to Making Fun and Effective Marketing Reports

So, you've been tasked with writing a marketing report. You probably already know that they can be stressful if not done right. But if you plan it out the right way and make a little extra effort, your marketing report will be fun to read and effectively communicate your team's accomplishments from the past month or quarter.

In this article, you will find 12 tips that will help you write more effective reports!

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1) Get clear on what they need to know beforehand

This may seem like common sense but there is nothing worse than seeing a long rambling report full of extraneous fluff about unrelated issues just because someone didn't take the time to actually meet with their manager before writing the report. When thinking about what needs to go into the report, make sure to understand what they will need to know in order to make the best decisions. If you are not sure ask them for their input on what they would like to see!

2) Find your voice – The power of storytelling

The way that people remember things is through stories, so if you want someone to read and pay attention to your marketing report, try using a story. Stories are effective because it creates an image in the mind of the person reading them that makes it easier for them to recall all the information later.

For example, if I were giving this presentation (assuming no one reads this article), I could say ” last month we had 10 sales” versus saying “Last month was pretty good; we had ten sales.” Which one is easier to remember? Also, which one makes you want to continue reading about the company's progress?

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3) Use bullet points on your survey report

Although most people are not fans of long paragraphs full of information that they have to read through just to find out what happened last month, they do like bullet points.

The reason people like bullet points is because it's easy for them to skim down a list, see if their question has been answered, and then move on. If there are any questions or other feedback that come up from the report it will be much easier for them to ask you in person afterward instead of waiting until next month when they get another unruly marketing report full of “fluff”.

4) Pictures speak a thousand words

Do not underestimate the power of a graph or a picture in a marketing report. People remember pictures and graphs much better than they do words because it is easier for them to recall what the image looked like over trying to remember key points that were made in paragraph form.

Not sure what data would be compelling? Ask your team members! They deal with all the numbers and information every day so they should have some good ideas on what works best.

Here’s a good tip, easily create eye-popping reports now with Venngage, the hottest report and certificate maker app!

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5) Watch the tone of your progress report

Be careful about the tone you use in your marketing reports. If they are written like a high school book report, no one will want to read them. There is nothing more boring than reading through page after page of facts without any color commentary or opinion.

On the other hand, if your marketing report is too informal it may come off as unprofessional and people might not take what you write seriously. Try to find a good balance between formal/informal by choosing some catchy names for each section instead of just numbering them sequentially every month!

6) Start with an introduction that catches their attention

People have short attention spans so why not grab their attention right away? You could try introducing important information at the top of the marketing report to help your readers better understand your data.

The introduction is also a good place to start telling stories with pictures or graphs so people don't have to read too much before they can get to what you are trying to say!

7) Make your survey report easy for them to digest – Keep your language simple

Use short sentences and limit the amount of industry jargon that you use if possible. Try using real-world examples rather than just throwing out big words that most people don't understand. Here is an example of how you could do this: instead of saying “Decreased attrition by 15%”, say “We kept 15% more employees than expected.”

8) Have someone proofread your daily report beforehand

Even if you know your report really well, ask someone else to proofread it before you send a copy out. They will be able to see what information is missing or if any of the wording could have been worded better to make it flow easier from section to section.

Conclusion

There is nothing more unappealing than an unprofessional and poorly written report that holds no water. People need to know they can trust you and if your reports are full of fluff, then they are going to lose faith in what your company does. I hope these 12 tips help you the next time you have to write a marketing report!