Stop Reporting Clicks. Start Reporting Revenue
Most “marketing revenue reporting” is just a prettier way to say: we counted clicks.
That falls apart the second Finance asks the real question:
“What changed because of Marketing and Comms?”
So here’s a better system. One you can defend in a budget meeting.
Only 41% of marketing leaders rate their companies as mature in marketing performance measurement, and Bain estimates advanced measurement can drive 25–30% higher revenue in the first year per dollar spent.
That gap is why this boring report matters. (Source: McKinsey & Company)
Step 1: Stop arguing about attribution. Define the revenue story.
MarComm impacts revenue in three different ways. If you mix them together, your report turns into noise.
1. Sourced
Revenue where Marketing created the opportunity (first known touch or self-serve signup).
2. Influenced
Revenue where Marketing helped move a deal forward (key touches during the buying cycle).
3. Retained and Expanded
Revenue where Marketing reduced churn, increased adoption, or helped expansion (enablement, comms, lifecycle).
Your report should show all three, separately.
That one move makes you sound like an operator, not a channel manager.
Step 2: Track what execs actually care about
You already have traffic, clicks, views, engagement.
Execs care about:
Pipeline Quality
Qualified pipeline created (not leads)
Win rate by source
Sales cycle length by source
Deal size by source
Pipeline-to-revenue conversion rate
Efficiency
Cost per qualified opportunity
Cost per dollar of pipeline
CAC payback proxy
Retention and Expansion
NRR by segment
Adoption signals tied to renewal
Expansion pipeline influenced by lifecycle campaigns
If your report ends at “engagement,” it’s a content report. Not a revenue report.
Step 3: Add a confidence score or your numbers become political
Every leadership team has lived through “Marketing claimed credit for everything.”
Fix it with a confidence score next to your headline numbers.
Confidence Score Components
Coverage: % of closed-won with complete source data
Match rate: % of deals tied to a known account + contact
Lag: time between touch and revenue recognition
Definition clarity: Sales + Finance agree on sourced vs influenced
Publish the score even when it’s ugly. That’s how you earn trust.
Step 4: Control for what also drives revenue
Revenue moves for reasons that have nothing to do with MarComm.
If you ignore these, you will overclaim credit and lose credibility:
Product launches and major releases
Pricing changes
Sales headcount changes
Seasonality
Promotions and discounting
Partner deals
Macro demand shifts
You do not need advanced modeling to be honest about this.
Include a short “Context” box: what changed this month outside marketing.
Step 5: The 1-page format your CEO will actually read
A. Outcomes
Sourced revenue
Influenced revenue
Retained and expanded revenue
B. Deal Health
Win rate trend
Cycle time trend
Deal size trend
C. Leading Indicators
High-intent actions (demo, pricing, product-qualified signals)
Branded demand / share of search
PR or events tied to pipeline movement
D. Confidence Score
Coverage
Match rate
Known gaps
E. Context
Non-marketing drivers this month
One page. Same format monthly. No fluff.
Master this, and you’ll walk into budget season with receipts.
Comment “REVENUE” for a free sample template.
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