The shape of a good report

Why most marketing reports lose readers in the first 8 seconds — and what to do about it.

Most marketing reports lose readers in the first eight seconds for the same three reasons. The numbers crowd the page before the story has been told. The accents fight instead of guiding the eye. And the writer never decided what the report is for — performance review, decision support, or compliance.

The shape of a good report is decided at the top. A single hypothesis. One leading chart that proves or disproves it. Three insights ranked by impact. And a footer that answers, in plain language, “what should change next week?”

That structure works for Meta or TikTok, for a Series A board update or a $500 ad test. The platform changes the visual identity; the spine stays.