Introduction

Reporting has never been more critical or more complex. Today’s marketers are expected to connect campaign performance directly to revenue, justify every dollar of spend, and prove they’re delivering business impact. Yet most teams still fall into the same traps that make their reports confusing, unconvincing, or outright ignored.

In this blog, we’re uncovering five of the most common reporting mistakes we see – even from experienced marketers – and offering straightforward ways to fix each one.

1. Focusing on Vanity Metrics Instead of Revenue Metrics

It’s tempting to highlight large numbers like impressions, social likes, and open rates. But these vanity metrics often lack a clear tie to revenue.

The Fix: Shift your focus to business-aligned metrics such as:

• Marketing-sourced pipeline
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
• Revenue per lead or per channel
• Conversion rates by stage

Stat to consider: 73% of executives say they don’t trust marketing reports that focus too heavily on engagement instead of revenue.

2. Reporting in Silos Across Multiple Tools

Fragmented reporting happens when data lives in different platforms (MAP, CRM, web analytics) with no central source of truth. This leads to inconsistent numbers and credibility issues.

The Fix:

• Integrate key platforms like HubSpot or Marketo with your CRM
• Use a unified reporting dashboard or BI tool
• Normalize metrics across all campaign types

Pro Tip: Reporting is only valuable when it tells one clear story across every tool.

3. Overloading Dashboards With Too Much Data

When reports include dozens of charts and tables without prioritization, stakeholders tune out. More data doesn’t equal more clarity, it often creates more confusion.

The Fix:

• Use 5 to 7 core KPIs per report or dashboard
• Group metrics by funnel stage or campaign goal
• Add context: explain what changed and why

4. Ignoring Attribution or Using the Wrong Model

Many teams either skip attribution altogether or default to outdated models like last-touch. This leads to a skewed understanding of what’s driving conversions.

The Fix:

• Implement multi-touch attribution (first, last, and assistive touches)
• Tie attribution to revenue, not just lead volume
• Review attribution insights monthly and adjust strategies accordingly

Fact: Companies using advanced attribution models see 20% higher return on ad spend (ROAS).

5. Failing to Align Reporting With Sales and Executive Teams

Your CMO doesn’t care about CTR. Your sales team doesn’t need open rates. When reports aren’t tailored to your internal audience, they lose relevance and trust.

The Fix:

• Align KPIs to what your stakeholders care about
  • Executives: revenue impact, ROI, forecast accuracy
  • Sales: lead quality, SQLs, pipeline velocity
• Present a high-level summary and offer the ability to drill into campaign-level details

Use This Format:

• “Here’s what we did”
• “Here’s what it drove (impact)”
• “Here’s what we’re doing next (optimization)”

Final Thoughts

Even the best marketers make reporting mistakes. The key is knowing where to look and how to fix them. Great reporting isn’t about dumping data on a slide deck—it’s about showing the story, proving the value, and guiding decisions.

If you’re ready to simplify your reporting and prove your impact, Leadous can help. We work with marketing teams to streamline data, clean up reporting practices, and build frameworks that turn dashboards into decision-making tools.