How To Report On Ad Campaign Results (and Prove ROI)
Numbers don't lie, but they can be confusing. When it comes to proving the value of your ad campaigns, the difference between a confused stakeholder and a convinced one often comes down to how you present your results. Good campaign reporting is more than collecting data and focuses on how you translate performance into actionable insights that justify your ad spend and guide future decisions.
Whether you're sharing results with execs keen on seeing the bottom-line impact or digging into the details with your marketing team, how you frame and present your campaign performance can seriously affect your credibility as a marketer.
Knowing what matters most
Not all metrics deserve equal attention in your reports, but the Click-Through Rate or CTR is a big one. It measures the effectiveness of an ad in increasing user engagement. It can be defined as the ratio of users who click on the ad to the number of its total users who view the ads, which is impressions.
Clicks alone don't pay the bills however, top marketers focus on metrics that directly tie to business outcomes. The simplest way to calculate the ROI of a marketing campaign is by measuring the increase in sales, as a percentage of the total campaign cost. The formula for this is:
ROI = (Sales growth - Marketing Cost) / Marketing Cost.x
The key is to set up a clear hierarchy of metrics based on how directly they connect to revenue. Impressions and reach are useful for understanding visibility, but conversion rates and cost per acquisition tell you the true story of your campaign's effectiveness. Most digital marketers aim for an average ROI of around 5:1, meaning they earn $5 for every $1 spent, which is considered slightly above average across the industry.
Make sure your reports highlight the metrics most relevant to your goals. If your campaign is all about brand awareness, impressions and reach should take centre stage. For direct response campaigns, zero in on conversion rates, cost per acquisition, and return on ad spend.
Building reports that tell a story
Great campaign reports follow a narrative structure that guides readers from high-level performance to specific insights and recommendations.
The summary
Start with an executive summary that answers the most important questions upfront: Did we meet our goals? What was our ROI? What should we do next?
Keep it flowing
Your main report should follow a logical flow. Begin with overall campaign performance against stated objectives, then dive into channel-specific results, audience insights, and finally, optimisation recommendations. Use visuals to highlight key findings and make complex data accessible to non-technical stakeholders.
Paint a picture
Visuals makes complex data easier to understand. Choose the right charts, use consistent colours and add clear labels to highlight relationships in your data. Don't overwhelm readers with every available metric. Instead, select the data points that support your narrative and help stakeholders understand what's working and what isn't.
Context is everything in campaign reporting. Compare current performance to previous periods, industry benchmarks and stated goals. The average cost per lead in Google Ads in 2025 is $70.11 (£51). Knowing where you stand relative to industry standards helps frame your results appropriately.
Learn how much it costs to advertise on Google in 2025
Proving ROI beyond simple calculations
Basic ROI calculations are a great starting point, but marketers know it's worth digging deeper to uncover the real story behind their campaign results. Interestingly, studies indicate that media investments typically generate as much return in the first four months as they do in the following 20 months combined. So, if you want a complete picture of your campaign's impact, you need to consider both immediate wins and long-term outcomes.
Consider attribution models
Many conversions involve several touchpoints and not only the final click. If you're only tracking that last step, you're missing a big chunk of the story. Attribution models help you see the entire customer journey so each touchpoint gets credit for its role in driving conversions.
For instance, imagine a customer first clicks on your Facebook ad, later searches your brand on Google, and finally buys after clicking an email offer. An attribution model makes sure each of these steps is recognised for their contribution, giving you a complete picture of your campaign's real effectiveness.
Factor in customer lifetime value (CLV)
Don't stop at short-term returns because customer lifetime value matters. A campaign might initially look less cost-effective because it's acquiring higher-value customers who spend consistently over time.
For example, say you're running a campaign that attracts subscribers at a higher upfront cost than usual. If, however, those subscribers consistently renew their subscriptions or regularly make repeat purchases, the long-term profit can far outweigh the initial investment.
Reporting on brand campaigns
Brand-focused campaigns can be tricky since their impact doesn't always translate immediately into measurable sales. But they're essential for long-term growth. To show their value, track metrics like brand awareness, share of voice or assisted conversions.
For instance, after running a brand awareness campaign, you might notice more customers searching specifically for your brand name, or see an increase in overall engagement. These indicators help demonstrate that your campaign is creating real, long-term value beyond immediate sales.
Essential metrics for different campaign types
Different campaign objectives require different reporting approaches. For performance marketing campaigns focused on direct response, prioritise metrics like
Cost per conversion
Return on ad spend
Conversion rates.
Cost per lead (also referred to as cost per conversion, cost per action, or cost per acquisition) can indicate how effective your campaigns are at delivering marketing ROI, since it calculates how much you're spending for a conversion on average.
Brand awareness campaigns demand a different metrics mix. Focus on reach, frequency, brand lift studies and assisted conversions. While these metrics don't show immediate revenue impact, they demonstrate progress toward longer-term brand building goals.
For re-marketing campaigns, pay attention to audience size, frequency capping and incremental lift. These campaigns typically show strong performance metrics but may benefit from diminishing returns if overused.
Social media campaigns often blend brand and performance objectives. Track engagement rates, social sharing, earned media value, and traffic quality alongside traditional conversion metrics.
Using automation and AI in reporting
Modern reporting tools make life easier by automating a lot of the repetitive work involved in campaign analysis. Typically, teams lose almost half their time dealing with ad-hoc requests, but automation frees them up to focus on more strategic thinking. These tools can pull together data from different sources and present it clearly, giving you quicker insights to act on.
Predictive analytics and machine learning are changing the way marketers spot future trends. By examining historical data, these technologies can give you an early heads-up about opportunities you might otherwise miss. This means your reports can now include forward-looking insights, not just reflections on what's already happened.
But remember, automation works best when paired with human insight. These tools are excellent at flagging unusual patterns, but understanding why they matter and deciding how to respond still depends on your expertise as a marketer.
Making reports actionable
The most useful campaign reports set the stage for what you should do next. Instead of only reporting numbers, clearly highlight your top recommendations based on what you've learned. For example, if some audiences aren't responding well, suggest moving your budget elsewhere. Or if certain creative approaches are getting great results, recommend scaling them up.
Organise your recommendations clearly, noting when they can be implemented and what's needed to make them happen. Some actions might be quick wins you can tackle immediately, while others might require extra resources or planning. This helps stakeholders quickly grasp what's needed and how it might pay off.
Finally, make sure there's clear ownership for each recommendation. Use your future reports to check in on progress, creating accountability and supporting an ongoing cycle of improvement.
Tools and platforms for better reporting
Ruler Analytics is an all-in-one marketing analytics solution that helps streamline your campaign reporting from start to finish. It gathers and customises data, handles customer segmentation and provides detailed insights into your marketing spend and ROI. The best tools will integrate with your existing advertising platforms, giving you the detailed insights you actually need.
Google Analytics is still a must-have for understanding website behaviour and tracking conversions. But it’s even better when paired with analytics from individual advertising platforms like Facebook Ads Manager or Google Ads. Each of these platforms can offer valuable details that broader analytics tools often overlook.
It's also worth looking into marketing attribution platforms, which track the entire customer journey across different touchpoints. These solutions provide clearer, more accurate ROI numbers by giving credit to each step along the customer's path to conversion.
Setting up for success
Establish clear reporting cadences and stakeholder expectations upfront. Some metrics need daily monitoring, while full campaign reports might be monthly or quarterly. Align your reporting frequency with decision-making cycles and campaign durations.
Create templates and standards for consistent reporting across campaigns and time periods. Consistency makes it easier to spot trends and compare performance across different initiatives.
Document your methodology and assumptions. When stakeholders understand how you calculate ROI and attribute conversions, they're more likely to trust and act on your recommendations.
Clear reports create confident decisions
Campaign reporting means turning raw data into actionable steps. Stakeholders need clear insights that directly link your marketing spend to results. When your numbers clearly map to next steps, your campaigns become smarter, your credibility grows, and your investment proves worthwhile.
Want your results to speak for themselves? Let’s make that happen
