Many Australian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) struggle with marketing reporting. It doesn’t have to be complex! The goal isn’t to create a document for the sake of it, but to understand what’s working, what isn’t, and where to invest your marketing budget for the best return. We see too many businesses tracking ‘vanity metrics’ – things that *look* good but don’t impact profit.

Let’s focus on building reports that genuinely improve your return on investment (ROI). Forget lengthy spreadsheets; we recommend starting with a simple framework centred around these key areas. Think of it as a regular health check for your marketing efforts.

• Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): This is arguably the most important metric. How much does it cost you, in actual dollars, to gain a new customer through each marketing channel? Calculate this for Google Ads, Facebook, email marketing – everything.
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV): Knowing how much revenue a customer generates over their entire relationship with your business is crucial. A higher CLTV justifies a higher CPA. If your CPA is close to or higher than your CLTV, something’s wrong.
• Conversion Rates: Track the percentage of people who move through your sales funnel. From website visitors to leads, leads to qualified prospects, and prospects to customers. Identifying drop-off points reveals where you need to optimise.
• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Specifically for paid advertising, ROAS shows how much revenue you generate for every dollar spent on ads. A ROAS of 4:1 means you’re making $4 for every $1 spent.

We suggest creating these reports monthly. Don’t get bogged down in daily tracking. Monthly provides enough data to identify trends without overwhelming you. Tools like Google Analytics, your CRM (if you have one), and the advertising platforms themselves provide much of this data. The key is to consolidate it into a single, easy-to-understand report.

Remember, the purpose of these reports isn’t just to show what *happened*, but to inform future decisions. If a channel consistently delivers a low ROAS or high CPA, consider reallocating your budget. By consistently analysing these core metrics, you’ll be well-positioned to maximise your marketing ROI and drive sustainable growth into 2026 and beyond. Your next step? Identify your current CPA and CLTV – that’s where you’ll find the biggest opportunities.