As a traffic manager, your ability to run campaigns is crucial — but your ability to communicate results is what builds trust and long-term client relationships.
Even if your ads are performing well, clients won’t know that unless you deliver a clear, well-structured ads performance report.
In this article, you’ll learn how to create simple, effective reports that show the value of your work, even to clients who don’t understand marketing metrics.
Why Reporting Matters So Much
Your report serves multiple purposes:
- Demonstrates ROI from your campaigns
- Builds transparency and credibility
- Helps clients make business decisions
- Keeps both sides aligned on goals
- Justifies your fee — or even a raise
The best reports are easy to understand, visual, and focused on what matters most.
How Often Should You Send Reports?
- Weekly: If running high-budget or launch campaigns
- Biweekly: Common for ongoing management
- Monthly: Best for retainer clients or long-term strategies
💡 Tip: Always agree on reporting frequency during client onboarding.
Tools You Can Use to Create Reports
- Google Looker Studio (Data Studio) – Best for automated, live dashboards
- Google Sheets / Excel – Great for custom manual reports
- Canva – To create beautiful visual PDFs
- Notion – For shared, live updating reports with notes and files
- Loom – Record a video walkthrough of the report for extra clarity
What to Include in a Great Ads Report
Let’s break down what every effective report should include:
1. Summary (1–2 Sentences)
Start with a simple sentence or two that explains:
- The overall campaign goal
- A quick snapshot of the week/month
- Key wins or challenges
📝 Example:
“This month, the campaign generated 368 leads at an average cost of $2.90 per lead — a 20% decrease from last month due to better audience targeting.”
2. Top-Level Metrics
These are the most important numbers your client wants to see:
| Metric | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Total Spend | Budget used during the period |
| Clicks / CTR | Engagement level |
| CPC (Cost per Click) | Cost-efficiency |
| CPA (Cost per Action) | Cost per lead, signup, or purchase |
| Conversions | Total results (leads, sales, etc.) |
| ROAS (if e-commerce) | Revenue return on ad spend |
Make it visual — use graphs, charts, or comparisons to past results.
3. Performance by Campaign or Ad Set
Break results down by:
- Platform (Meta, Google, TikTok, etc.)
- Campaign names or objectives
- Audiences or ad sets
- Devices or placements (if relevant)
💡 Highlight best- and worst-performing campaigns so the client sees your optimization in action.
4. Audience & Targeting Insights
Show what types of users engaged or converted the most:
- Location
- Gender or age group
- Device used
- Lookalike vs. interest-based vs. retargeting
Use this to explain what’s working and where you’ll focus next.
5. Creatives That Performed Best
Clients love to see what visuals or copy worked.
Include:
- Screenshots or previews of top ads
- Engagement stats (CTR, conversions, CPC)
- Lessons learned: “The video with testimonials outperformed static images by 35%.”
This also helps for future creative direction.
6. Next Steps & Recommendations
Don’t just report — guide.
Explain what you’ll do based on the results:
- Pause underperforming ads
- Increase budget on high-performing ones
- Launch new creative variations
- Test a new audience segment
- Optimize landing pages
Show that you’re not just tracking — you’re improving.
7. Optional: Comments or Questions
Invite the client to reply with:
- Questions about the data
- Ideas they have for the next cycle
- Feedback on offer performance
You can also schedule a quick video call if needed.
Pro Tips for Better Client Reports
- Keep it short and visual (2–4 pages or sections is enough)
- Avoid jargon — explain terms if your client isn’t technical
- Use colors to highlight trends (green for improvement, red for drops)
- Use comparisons (week-over-week, month-over-month)
- Show you’re being proactive, not just reactive
What Clients Care About Most
Even if you love metrics like CTR and CPM, clients often care more about:
- Leads
- Sales
- Cost per result
- ROI / ROAS
- How they can make better business decisions
Frame your results in terms of their goals and business growth — not just advertising metrics.
Example Client Report Outline (Meta Ads)
- Campaign Summary
- “Lead Generation for Coaching Program”
- Performance Snapshot
- Total Spend: $500
- Leads: 182
- Cost per Lead: $2.75
- CTR: 2.6%
- Top Campaigns
- Ad Set A: 97 leads
- Ad Set B: 85 leads
- Top Creatives
- Video Ad with client testimonial – Best performance
- Next Steps
- Pause Ad Set C (high CPL)
- Launch new creative test this week
- Questions or Notes
- “Would you like to test a new landing page offer next month?”
Final Thoughts: Clear Reporting = Stronger Relationships
A great ads report shows clients that you’re:
- In control of the numbers
- Making smart decisions
- Improving their investment
Whether you’re a freelancer or agency professional, strong reporting skills will set you apart from other traffic managers and keep clients coming back.
Be transparent. Be strategic. Be client-focused.
That’s the key to long-term success in paid media.