Intro: Reports Don’t Matter If You Don’t Act On Them
You’ve got the data. You’ve set up the dashboard. But if you’re not reviewing it regularly — and more importantly, making decisions based on it — you’re leaving value on the table.
Monthly marketing reviews help you zoom out, see what’s working, what’s wasting time, and what to double down on. It’s not about endless analysis — it’s about simple, structured reflection that fuels smarter strategy.
In this post, we’ll show you how to run a monthly marketing review that’s fast, focused, and results-driven — whether you’re solo, managing a team, or reporting to clients.
Section 1: Why Monthly Reviews Beat Weekly Panic Reporting
Most marketers react to data in real-time — “Why did reach dip yesterday?”
But the best results come from longer-term, zoomed-out views.
Benefits of monthly reviews:
- Spot patterns over time (not daily noise)
- Compare results to actual goals
- Catch drop-offs early
- Make clear, confident decisions for the next month
📆 Weekly reporting shows you what — monthly reviews help you decide why and what’s next.
Section 2: What to Include in a Monthly Marketing Review
Keep it simple — focus on 3 areas:
- Performance Highlights
- What worked well?
- Which campaigns, posts, or channels performed above average?
- Where did we exceed expectations?
- What worked well?
- Challenges or Red Flags
- What underperformed (and why)?
- Where did traffic or conversions dip?
- Any technical or messaging issues?
- What underperformed (and why)?
- Next Month’s Focus
- What should we keep doing?
- What should we stop or pause?
- What new idea are we testing?
- What should we keep doing?
🧠 Great reviews don’t just show results — they fuel smarter execution next month.
Section 3: Metrics to Bring Into Your Review
Pick from these based on your goals:
For Awareness:
- Traffic by source (GA4)
- Top landing pages
- Social reach and engagement trends
For Lead Gen:
- Total leads
- Conversion rate
- Lead quality (if possible)
For Content Performance:
- Most viewed pages
- Top-performing social posts
- Email click-through rate
For Paid Media:
- ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
- Cost per result (lead, sale, action)
- Ad CTR and creative comparison
Section 4: Format Options (Solo, Team, or Client)
🧍♂️ Solo? Use a Scorecard
- Google Doc or Notion page
- Write 3–5 bullet takeaways and 1–2 action steps
- Keep a running monthly log
👥 Small Team? Run a 30-Min Meeting
- Share dashboard in advance
- Ask: “What’s working?” → “What’s not?” → “What’s next?”
- Assign next actions in Asana, Trello, or similar
🤝 With Clients? Use a Simple Slide Deck
- Highlight wins, show data visually (Looker Studio), recommend next steps
- Keep it to 5–7 slides max
- Focus on impact, not jargon
📌 The format doesn’t matter — the consistency does.
✅ Key Takeaways
- Monthly reviews help turn data into insight, and insight into action
- Focus on patterns, not isolated numbers
- Keep your review to 3 areas: what worked, what didn’t, what’s next
- Use dashboards + a short written summary to guide discussion
Whether solo or in a team, a 30-minute review can prevent 30 days of wasted effort