Reporting Is Broken. Why Publishers Need To Rethink It
Introduction
In the competitive landscape of media publishing, clinging to manual reporting methods isn’t just inefficient—it’s holding resources that can be better spent towards growth. The shift to automated reporting represents a fundamental reimagining of how publishing teams operate and compete. But why is this transition so challenging, and what makes it worth the effort?
The “Pièce De Résistance”
We often develop conscious, or subconscious attachments to established workflows. There’s comfort in the familiar, even when that familiar process involves hours of spreadsheet wrangling and data hunting. This phenomenon, what psychologists call “status quo bias,” keeps many publishing teams trapped in inefficient cycles.
Implementing new technology is one part of the challenge, but arguably, the real challenge is unlearning ingrained habits and processes that have defined your reporting process for years.
Why Consistency Creates Competitive Advantage
It’s a known fact amongst advertisers that different publishers use different reporting methods and metrics, which creates an invisible barrier to cross-platform advertising buys. By standardising reporting across your entire channel mix through automation:
- Advertisers can easily understand performance across all your properties
- Your sales team can present a unified, compelling channel story
- Branded content becomes significantly easier to buy and manage
This interoperability doesn’t just improve efficiency—it fundamentally changes how advertisers view your offering. Instead of seeing disconnected channels, they see a cohesive network where campaigns can be reported upon seamlessly across channels.
First Steps to Transform Your Reporting Habits
1. Find the Right Tools to Help You
Advertisers crave consistency and comparability. Automating your reporting not only saves time, it also makes your media portfolio more attractive and accessible to potential buyers. This is why we’ve developed Automated Reporting, an all-in-one tool that gathers all your campaign results — from social media, website, and other channels — into one easy-to-read dashboard. Instead of checking each platform separately, it combines everything so you can quickly see how your campaigns are performing in one place. If you’re already on board the Avid PubSuite train, congratulations, you’re one step closer to reaping the benefits.
2. Acknowledge the Journey of Change
Learning new systems while unlearning established habits isn’t an easy process—it’s a genuine journey with both victories and frustrations. Some parts will feel immediately intuitive and liberating, while others may challenge your team’s patience as they navigate unfamiliar territory.
3. Keep the “North Star” in mind and Set Realistic Expectations
Set realistic expectations that mastery may take time, perhaps several reporting cycles, and that occasional frustration doesn’t signal failure. The transition happens unevenly, with breakthrough moments followed by temporary setbacks. Remember the north star.
The ROI on automation isn’t always linear, it compounds. The first month might save your team 20 hours, but as proficiency grows and more processes become automated, those savings multiply exponentially, freeing increasing capacity for high-value work.
Conclusion
The Hidden Cost of Not Changing
While the benefits of automation are clear (with Automated Reporting, you can expect to cut time spent on reporting by up to 81%, reduce error, and in turn, build stronger client relationships), the true cost of maintaining the status quo runs deeper. Every hour your team spends manually compiling reports is an hour not spent on strategic initiatives that could differentiate your media offerings and grow the channel.
Ready to learn the practical steps for implementing this transformation across your publishing team? Learn more here.