We’ve all been there. Despite intentional research, careful implementation of best practices, constant optimizations, and attainable goals, sometimes paid media campaigns do not meet expectations. 

When you have a campaign with less than stellar results, building a report for your clients or supervisors can be extremely difficult. How can you honestly report campaign metrics and insights without focusing on failure and wasted budget? 

Here are five key strategies to address under-performing campaigns with stakeholders to help frame reporting positively.

Be Transparent

Hiding or avoiding subpar results is always a bad strategy. This erodes trust and damages relationships that are very difficult to repair. Further, even if hiding works temporarily, clients will likely discover results eventually.

Always report on your campaign metrics that matter most to the client, regardless of the results. Don’t try to hide behind irrelevant stats to attempt to frame reporting positively. For example, if a client is concerned primarily with lead generation or return on ad spend, do not focus reporting on impressions and clicks.

Reporting under-performing results can be difficult, but avoiding them and hoping clients don’t notice will only worsen the situation

Be Proactive

As paid marketers, we often dread reporting meetings. However, putting off these calls will not solve anything. If you notice concerning trends in campaign performance, you should let your stakeholders know as soon as possible.

Addressing results early can prevent further wasted spend and build client trust. They’ll appreciate your efforts to solve problems before they grow. So, when campaigns do not perform after 2 months, let your client know instead of waiting for the end of quarter reporting meeting.

Be Insightful

Regardless of campaign results, simply relaying metrics to clients is not enough. Your stakeholders likely do not have the same level of paid media understanding, so they are counting on you to put results in context for their business.

When you have an under-performing campaign, dig into the data to understand why it is not performing. Is the average cost-per-click for your target keywords too high to drive enough traffic? Is the website or landing page difficult to navigate? Is your ad copy not engaging?

If you can frame your results with a deeper understanding of why your campaign underperformed, reporting will be an easier conversation. This shows that you are invested in results and your expertise is valuable. You can use your understanding to address these root causes to improve results in the future.

For more on applying insights to reporting, read: Why Data Storytelling Matters for Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Be Adaptable

When a plan isn’t working, be prepared to change the plan. If you have an under-performing campaign, being prepared to pivot to an alternative paid media strategy is crucial.

For example, if you have a Performance Max campaign that is not driving qualified leads, recommending a Search campaign with stricter keyword and channel targeting could be an improvement that shows your client that you are making an adjustment to meet business goals.

All paid media campaigns need time to optimize and gather data, so don’t abandon your strategy after one subpar week, but also don’t stick with campaigns that consistently underperform.

Be Confident

When a campaign doesn’t perform as expected, it can feel like failure. You might lose confidence in yourself, and it might feel like your client has as well. However, when you report results transparently, address concerns proactively, bring key insights to provide deeper understanding, and are prepared to adapt your strategy, you can build up your confidence and show that you are ready to solve business problems.

Just like every business has ups and downs, campaigns and marketing strategies will have highs and lows. But if you learn from your under-performing campaigns, you can continue to grow as a digital marketer and continue to build strong client relationships.