A report exists to decide what to do next
A monthly report has two jobs: to keep a record of last month's results, and to agree with the reader on what to do next month. However many numbers you line up, if the reader can't decide "so what do we do," the report stops being read. Aim for a format where reading only the first page tells you the results and next month's plan.
Equally important is making it in the same format every month. If items and order stay the same, readers can compare with the previous month as they read, and the writer only needs to duplicate last month's file and swap in new numbers.
What to include
Decide the items from the purpose of running the account. How to set your purpose and target numbers is in how to set goals and KPIs. For an official account of a small business or shop, these six are enough.
| Item | Content | Approximate length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Summary | This month's results in 3 lines: whether you hit your goal, what worked, what you'll do next month | 3 lines |
| 2. Key numbers | Your target numbers next to last month and the same month last year | One table |
| 3. Best posts | The 3 posts with the most reactions, and why they worked | 3 posts |
| 4. Weaker posts | 2 to 3 posts with few reactions, and likely reasons | 2 to 3 posts |
| 5. Events | Things that affected the numbers, like campaigns, complaints or media coverage | A few lines |
| 6. Next month's actions | 1 to 3 things you'll change | 1 to 3 items |
Of these, 1 and 6 matter most to the reader. Items 2 to 5 are there as the evidence for that conclusion.
How to lay out the key numbers
Narrow the numbers to 3 to 5 you've set as targets and place last month and the same month last year side by side. With the same month last year, you can separate changes due to the season from changes due to your own efforts. The meaning of the numbers and the order to read them are in the basics of social media analytics.
| Metric | This month | Last month | Change from last month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Followers | 1,240 | 1,180 | +60 |
| Impressions | 48,000 | 41,000 | +7,000 |
| Reactions | 1,150 | 1,020 | +130 |
| Link clicks | 210 | 160 | +50 |
The table above is an example of the layout, and the numbers are made up. If you include engagement rate, write the formula in one line under the report. The value changes depending on the formula, so this prevents misreading. How to calculate it is in calculating and reading engagement rate.
How to write findings
Write findings in the order fact, hypothesis on the cause, next action. "Reactions went up" alone is just a report of fact. Take it through to the next action: "Three close-up photo posts were in the top group. Showing work in progress seems to bring more replies. Next month we'll increase close-up photos to one a week."
The cause is only your read of the situation, so write "it seems" or "probably" rather than stating it as certain. You then try that change next month and check whether it really worked in the following month's report. One action for each fact keeps it from getting too long.
Write about weaker posts too, rather than hiding them. A record of what didn't work is material for avoiding the same mistake. In internal reports, it's also important not to use it to blame the manager.
Cut the effort of collecting numbers
The most time-consuming part of a report is collecting the numbers. Opening each network's analytics screen and copying figures by hand can take hours. If you can export a CSV from the analytics screen, paste it into the same spreadsheet file every month and set up the formulas once, and from the second month on you only need to paste.
For link clicks, rather than relying on the network's analytics screen, tagging links and counting on your website lets you follow people through to inquiries and purchases. The method is in measuring results with UTM and short URLs.
What changes for internal versus client reports
Internal reports should be short and centered on next actions. A report for a client (for example, if you run accounts on their behalf) uses the same format, plus a list of the posts published that month and whether the number of posts and tasks promised in the contract were met. Clients don't see the daily work, so a list that shows what was done reassures them. How to approach outsourcing is in outsourcing or doing it in-house.
Example of writing the first page
The three-line summary is the first thing the reader sees. Write the number, its meaning and the next action, one line each. For example, a summary for a florist's November might look like this.
The numbers in the example are made up. What matters is that the third line is "what we'll do next month." With only lines one and two, the reader ends at "good job." With line three, the reader can decide whether to agree with the plan or suggest another. Under the summary, put a table of your target numbers, and below that list the top and bottom posts. If each post has the opening text and a small thumbnail, the reader can recall which post it was. In the events section, noting things that probably explain big movements, such as campaigns, complaints or coverage, along with dates will also help when you write the same month's report next year.
What you can do with SNS TOWN
In SNS TOWN Analytics, for connected X, Instagram, Facebook Page and YouTube accounts, you can see follower and reaction line charts compared with the previous period for each time range. The table of views, plays, likes, reposts and replies for each post can be exported to CSV, so you can paste it into your reporting spreadsheet every month.
The list of posts you've published can be exported as CSV from the posts screen. If you add internal notes and tags, they go into the CSV too, so you can group posts with tags such as "campaign" or "new product" and line up results by theme. If you turn URLs in your text into short links, the post's page shows how many times that link was clicked.
If you manage several companies or brands, analytics and members are separate for each company or brand, so reports for each client can be made without mixing.
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Empieza gratisFrequently asked questions
How many pages should a report be?
Put the conclusion and next month's actions on the first page and keep the whole thing to 2 to 4 pages. If the reader can decide from the first page alone, the rest only needs to be read as evidence when needed.
Should I include charts?
Charts make it easier to see change over time, like follower or impression trends. For a simple comparison between last month and this month, a table reads more precisely. If you use charts, use the same format every month.
How do I write about a month when the numbers dropped?
Write the drop plainly, adding the likely reasons and what you'll try next month. If it's seasonal, show it by comparing with the same month last year, and if it's an operating issue, state specifically what you'll change. How you write about a down month greatly affects the reader's trust.
What day should I make it?
The numbers for posts you published keep growing for several days. Making the report around the 5th to 7th of the following month lets you compare with last month's numbers when they've mostly settled, including for posts published at the end of the month.
Monthly is too much. Can I do it quarterly?
If your operation is stable, you can combine a detailed quarterly report with a three-line monthly summary. But always include "next month's actions" in the monthly three lines, so you don't reduce how often you improve.
Should I include posts with few reactions in a client report?
We recommend it. When a report shows the posts that didn't work, your reading of why and what you'll change, clients see that the account is being reviewed seriously. A report that lists only good posts can make them doubt the substance.
Should I split the numbers by network?
Splitting is the rule. Each network counts different things, so adding them together blurs the meaning. Write the overall trend in one line and put a table for each network below it, so the reader can grasp both the whole and the breakdown.
