How to Write a Report That People Actually Want to Read

Data nerds, this is the blog for you.

Today, we're going to reveal how we make sense of this data. Let’s go over about reports and, more specifically, what makes a good one. Buckle up.

Write Reports for Everyone

This may be difficult to believer, but not everybody loves reading reports. We know. Wild, right? With that in mind, it's always a good idea to simplify what you can, where you can. Whether you've got a CEO with 40 years of accounting analysis, or a fresh-out-of-high-school intern reading your report, ensure they know what you're talking about. Avoid inside baseball terminology or acronyms that can exclude potential readers. Or, take the time to explain said terms, so newbies can catch up.

Write Reports That Tell a Story

One of the best ways to build a report is to think about how it can tell the story of your business, or what story you want it to tell about your business. You aren’t out to manipulate data because the data is what it is, for good or bad. But your report can shape the narrative. You can craft a report that shows failure this quarter, or one that points out some great opportunities for improvement next quarter. It’s all in how you present the data. 

Reports can be as long as a New York City phone book (remember phone books?) or as short as Daisy Dukes (remember Daisy Dukes?). More important than length is coherence. Uncover the clarity in your campaign narrative with the following questions:

• What were your top-line wins?
• What got you those aforementioned wins? 
• Anything interesting among the data stand out?
• What didn’t go so well?

Regardless of the story you’re trying to tell, it’s bad to hide data. Adjustments can’t be made and problems can’t be addressed if they aren’t acknowledged. Your report helps to identify pain points so you can speak about what you're doing to fix them. Don't be sneaky—you're better than that.

Turn off an ad that isn’t working. Shift your budget to a place where you are performing well. Maybe creating a whole new audience is the best move. A good report can tell a great story that doesn’t have to a happy ending, all while offering a helpful guide to improve things moving forward.

Write Good-Looking Reports

If you write the most thorough story in the history of reports, full of language that anyone can understand, but nobody can read it because it looks sloppy—or worse yet, nobody wants to read it because it looks ugly—you've failed.

Your report's form should be equal to its function. Just need a quick peep under the hood? Then a simple PDF presentation with the same data sets updated once a month should get the job done. Looking for something ongoing that’s more dynamic? Go with a dashboard where real-time information is accessible at any time.

It’s easy to get pulled into the allure of fancy data representations. Who doesn't love staring at a good graph? Charts, tables, and beautiful graphs are there to give context to your data and help you or your client understand what they’re looking at. Repeat after us, "No gratuitous graphing."

Reporting Dos and Don'ts

Reporting Dos

• Ensure it looks professional
• Keep it simple, keep it clean
• Tailor language to your audience
• Exclude as few as possible
• Tell a clear, data-driven story

Reporting Don'ts

• Don't play designer—your readers can tell you aren't one
• Don't use every chart, table, or graph you can find—usually, less is more
• Don't hide or manipulate data to fit a narrative

Bad reporting is easy. Building a good one doesn’t have to hard. Understanding data is key to making a successful campaign. Being able to read that data in a clean, consistent, and coherent report can impress your readers as much as the work behind it.

Mad Genius knows a thing or two about reports. We design them, build them, and implement them for a whole host of things. Looking to learn more? Fill out the form below to contact a genius, get start today.