8 - What should you put on your first marketing dashboard?

You don’t need a sophisticated tech stack, you can start with a simple manual spreadsheet (like a bowler chart) then create automated dashboards as you scale:

Start small – pick 10–15 of the most important metricsTracking both leading and lagging indicators – the full ‘story’ is only told when they’re looked at togetherInput numbers on a weekly basisUse absolute numbers, try to avoid percentagesUse raw numbers – limit the number of formulas to calculate thingsDefine every metric – be accurate and precise in your language. Explain the source, the time of day that numbers are collected, etc. 

The exact metrics you track will depend on your organization’s goals. Generally, when you’re building your dashboard from scratch, you want to include a few leading and lagging indicator metrics that span the buyer’s journey from top to bottom. Here are some examples:

Top of funnel metrics: number of website visitors or sessions, content or landing page with the most organic entrances, etc.Middle of funnel metrics: i.e. number of MQLs & SQLs, number of demo requests, source data for new opportunitiesBottom of funnel metrics: i.e. influenced revenue by channel, customer acquisition cost (CAC) by channel, revenue by deal type (new business, up-sell), etc.