Reports tend to grow until nobody reads them. A client is not looking for every chart the tool can draw. They want to know that the work is happening, whether it is paying off, and what you recommend. Four sections answer all of that.
The four sections
- 1What we did. The number of posts, the networks, the main campaigns — one short paragraph and a list of the best three posts.
- 2What happened. Four numbers at most, the same four each month: reach, engagement, followers gained, and one that matters to their business, such as clicks or enquiries.
- 3What we learned. Two or three sentences: what worked, what did not, and your best guess at why.
- 4What is next. One thing you will do more of, one you will stop, and anything you need from them.
Keep the numbers honest
- Show the previous month beside this one, so the direction is visible.
- Say when a number fell, and why, if you know. A report with no bad month does not look trustworthy.
- Do not hide behind averages. A client who sees one post carrying the whole month learns something true.
Make it easy to produce
A report you dread is a report that is late. Decide the format once, keep it the same every month, and let the tool gather the numbers. Postgust can produce this as a monthly PDF — a cover, four headline numbers, the rhythm of posting, a table by account and the top posts — which leaves you the part only you can do: the two sentences that say what it means.
Send it before they ask
A report that arrives on the same day each month, with a line of its own, builds more trust than a brilliant one that turns up when someone is worried. If it is late, send it anyway, with the reason.
If your client has to ask what a number means, put the answer in the report next time.