Stop Drowning in Data: How to Build Better Marketing Reports That Actually Matter

Are your dashboards packed with numbers but lacking direction? If you're a marketer pulling monthly reports no one reads, or worse, no one understands, you’re not alone.

I sat down with Dana DiTomaso, analytics expert and founder of Kick Point, to talk all things reporting: what’s broken, how to fix it, and what really matters in 2025 and beyond.

Dana brings years of experience working with in-house marketers, agencies, and consultants to help them ditch the cluttered dashboards and focus on actionable insights. Her advice? Start with the why behind your reports and never assume your audience knows what to look for.

Learn how to build better marketing reports. Reports your clients, bosses, or stakeholders will actually want to read.

Why Most Marketing Reports Miss the Mark

“Tables are boring,” Dana said right off the bat. “They don’t do a great job of visually communicating information.” And she's right, most reports are built for marketers, not decision-makers.

Dana shared that a common misconception is that more data equals better reports. But in reality, most clients don’t care about sessions by channel. They care about which efforts bring in leads. That’s a completely different report, and mindset.

Here’s what most marketers get wrong:

• They focus on vanity metrics (like sessions) instead of business goals (like conversions)

• They try to impress with volume instead of clarity

• They hand over everything, including the kitchen sink, without context

“If you could give one metric to the CEO that says, ‘Yes, we are moving in the right direction,’ what would that metric be?” Dana challenged us. That’s the level of simplicity and insight we need.

How to Build Better Marketing Reports by Starting With Questions

When Dana kicks off a new analytics engagement, she asks one thing first:“What questions do your stakeholders usually ask?”

That question helps her team shape the report before a single chart is built. She says the goal is to answer actual business questions, not just dump data.

For example, if a client asks “Where do our best leads come from?” she breaks it down:

• “Best” implies quality tracking, so she looks at qualified leads, not just raw numbers

• “Leads” means they need to integrate CRM data

• “Where” focuses on attribution by channel

From there, the report is structured around useful insights, not data overload.

“Don’t start in your dashboard tool,” Dana advised. “Sketch it out in a notebook. If you can’t fit your idea on half a page, it’s probably too much.”

Client Relationships Improve When Reporting Gets Smarter

One of the smartest takeaways from our conversation was about the dynamic between marketers and clients. Dana pointed out that when we over-report, we act like vendors, justifying our work instead of guiding strategy.

She explained, “You’re not presenting a school project. You’re supposed to be the expert. Let the data speak, but own the narrative.”

Instead of sending a monthly report with zero context, Dana recommends:

• Giving clients access to live dashboards (like in Looker Studio)

• Adding helpful “post-it notes” for context, like “Don’t trust the data before October 2023”

• Holding occasional meetings when the data suggests a strategy shift, not just because it’s the first Tuesday of the month

And if something’s not working? Say so.

“Not everything we do works,” Dana said. “And that’s okay. As long as your client trusts you, they’ll appreciate the honesty.”

Real-World Example: From Quote to Conversion

Dana shared a client story that perfectly illustrates the power of actionable reporting.

A moving company was seeing a big drop-off between people getting a quote and those actually booking. Rather than guessing, Dana’s team looked at the user behavior and realized people were timing out or calling instead of booking online. So they added a quote ID and gave users the option to email the quote to themselves. Simple change, big insight.

“I don’t care how someone gets in touch with my client,” Dana said. “I just want them to have money.”

That line stuck with me, and it sums up her whole approach. Forget being precious about digital tracking. Focus on outcomes.

Yes, Your Data Might Be Wrong—and That’s OK

When I asked Dana if tools like GA4 are ever wrong, she laughed. “Oh, all the time.”

Between ad blockers, privacy laws (like GDPR), and broken setups, we often see only a portion of the real picture. And that’s okay.

“You work with what you can. Let go of what you can’t,” Dana explained.

Sometimes you’re only seeing 30% of traffic, and that’s your new reality. What matters more is how you use what you do see.

That’s where tools like directional reporting come in. Instead of obsessing over raw numbers, Dana recommends tracking ratios:

• Sessions vs. conversions

• Impressions vs. sales

• Leads vs. qualified opportunities

If the proportion improves, you’re on the right track, even if the numbers aren’t perfect.

Don’t Track Hours—Track Impact

Dana made a great point about value-based billing for freelancers and consultants.

“Don’t reward bad clients with good work,” she said. And she’s right.

The value you bring as a marketer or strategist isn’t tied to time spent pulling reports, it’s in seeing the signal through the noise and making the right call. Sometimes that insight takes 15 minutes, sometimes 15 years of experience.

If a client asks, “How long did that take you?”—they’re focused on the wrong metric.

Next Steps: Building Better Marketing Reports Starts Here

If your reports are full of numbers no one understands, it’s time to simplify and reframe.

Here's where to begin:

• Ask your client or boss what they really want to know

• Focus on metrics that connect to business outcomes

• Sketch your reports on paper before building them

• Make the data easy to understand, and easy to access

• Be honest when things aren’t working

• Let go of perfection and use directional insights

As Dana said, “Data is your job, not theirs. Your job is to communicate it in a way that helps people make better decisions.”

And if your dashboard needs a total overhaul? You know who to call.

10 Smart Prompts You Can Ask AI to Build Better Marketing Reports

Want help from ChatGPT to make your reporting easier, faster, and smarter? Here are some prompts to get you started:

• “Help me create a one-page marketing report for a CEO that focuses on outcomes.”

• “Summarize GA4 data into a format a non-marketer can understand.”

• “What questions should I ask clients before building their marketing dashboard?”

• “How do I report on lead quality, not just lead volume?”

• “Give me an example of a directional report for PPC performance.”

• “Write a client email explaining why GA4 data is incomplete due to ad blockers.”

• “Create a sketch outline for a marketing report focused on conversions.”

• “Help me build a feedback loop between marketing campaigns and reporting.”

• “What metrics matter most for small businesses running Google Ads?”

• “How do I explain the value of Looker Studio dashboards to my client?”