If you’re running marketing campaigns in the B2B world, you know the drill: everyone wants numbers, but not just any numbers—they want the right ones, fast, and with a story that actually makes sense. If you’re using Airship to manage your campaigns, this guide is for you. I’ll walk you through how to get real insights out of your data, make sense of Airship’s dashboards, and report results without drowning in fluff.
Let’s keep it practical. You want to know what’s working, what isn’t, and how to show value to your stakeholders—without spending hours making pretty charts no one reads.
Step 1: Know What You’re Tracking (and Why)
Before you even open Airship, be brutally clear on what your campaign was supposed to do. Don’t just chase every metric Airship throws at you.
Start with the basics: - What was the campaign goal? (Generate leads? Nudge existing accounts? Book demos?) - Who’s the audience? (Don’t treat B2B like B2C—longer sales cycles and more cooks in the kitchen.) - What’s the main action you want users to take?
Pro tip:
Write down your “one metric that matters” for the campaign and stick to it when you analyze. If you’re reporting on everything, you’re reporting on nothing.
What to ignore:
Vanity metrics. Opens, views, and clicks might feel good, but if they don’t tie to business results, they’re just noise. (Yes, you’ll need to mention them, but don’t build your story around them.)
Step 2: Find Your Campaign in Airship
Once you’re clear on what you want to measure, log in to Airship and track down your campaign.
- Go to the “Messages” or “Campaigns” section.
- Find the specific campaign you want to analyze.
- Double-check the date range—Airship sometimes defaults to odd timeframes.
Why this matters:
You’d be surprised how many reports go sideways because someone pulled results for the wrong week or mixed up campaigns.
Step 3: Dig Into the Right Metrics
Airship will show you a lot of data. Here’s how to cut through the noise:
The Must-Have Metrics (for B2B)
- Delivery rate: Did your message actually reach inboxes/devices? If it’s low, fix this before worrying about anything else.
- Open rate: Useful as a “did anyone notice?” check, but don’t obsess.
- Click-through rate (CTR): Better, but still just the start—B2B prospects often need more than one touch.
- Conversion rate: The gold standard. Did people do what you wanted? (Form fills, demo bookings, whitepaper downloads.)
- Unsubscribes/opt-outs: High numbers here = you’re annoying people, or targeting is off.
Dig Deeper
Depending on your setup, you may see: - Segment performance: Did certain account types (industry, company size) engage more? - Channel breakdown: Email vs. push vs. SMS. Are you reaching people where they actually respond? - Timing data: Did messages sent on Tuesday morning outperform Friday afternoon?
Pro tip:
If you’re running multi-touch or nurture campaigns, don’t just look at the first message. Track performance across the whole flow.
Step 4: Analyze What Actually Happened
Now, don’t just read the numbers—ask what they mean.
- Compare to your baseline: How does this campaign stack up to past ones? A 5% CTR is great if your last campaign got 2%. Not so much if it got 10%.
- Look for outliers: Did one message or segment perform way better (or worse) than the rest? Figure out why.
- Check the funnel: Did a lot of people open the message but not convert? Maybe the offer was off, or the landing page stinks.
Watch out for: - Attribution confusion: Airship can show you conversions, but B2B journeys are messy. Don’t claim all the credit for a closed deal from a single email. - Sample size: If your audience is tiny, don’t get too excited (or worried) about big percentage swings.
Step 5: Pull Data Out of Airship (If You Need To)
Airship’s dashboards are decent for a quick view, but if you want to slice and dice, you’ll probably need to export.
- Use Airship’s export tools to pull raw data (CSV or Excel).
- Import into Google Sheets or Excel for deeper analysis or pivot tables.
- Combine with CRM or sales data if you want to connect campaign activity to pipeline or revenue.
Pro tip:
Don’t waste hours making fancy dashboards unless someone will actually use them. Most B2B teams just want “What happened?” and “What should we do next?”
Step 6: Build a Report That People Will Actually Read
Here’s where most teams get lost in the weeds. Your report should be clear, honest, and short.
What to include: - Campaign name, dates, and what you were trying to achieve. - The one or two key metrics that show if you succeeded. - A quick comparison to previous campaigns or benchmarks. - 1-2 slides/tables with supporting data (opens, clicks, conversions, opt-outs). - A short explanation of what worked, what didn’t, and what you’ll try next.
What to skip: - Screenshots of every chart in Airship. - Paragraphs of “insights” that don’t lead to action. - Jargon. The goal is to help people make decisions, not to sound smart.
Example mini-report structure:
1. Goal: Book 40 product demos with accounts in the finance sector.
2. Result: 42 demos booked (4.5% conversion, up from 2.7% last quarter).
3. Key points:
- Open rate: 18% (same as last time)
- CTR: 3.2% (up slightly)
- Biggest bump from Tuesday AM send
- 2% unsubscribed (needs a look)
4. Next steps: Test new subject lines. Revisit segmentation for unsubs.
Step 7: Present Findings and Recommend Action
The best reports don’t just restate the numbers—they help your team decide what to do next.
- Lead with what matters: “We hit our demo goal, but lost some subscribers. Next time, let’s tighten targeting.”
- Suggest one or two concrete actions. Don’t overwhelm people with options.
- Be honest. If something flopped, say so. It builds trust and helps everyone learn.
Pro tip:
If you’re reporting up to sales or execs, drop the marketing lingo. Tie results to things they actually care about—pipeline, leads, meetings booked.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Overhyped
What Works
- Focusing on conversions, not just opens or clicks.
- Comparing performance to your own past campaigns, not random industry “benchmarks.”
- Showing your work—people trust results when they see how you got there.
What Doesn’t
- Chasing every metric Airship offers. You’ll just confuse yourself (and everyone else).
- Over-polishing reports. No one gives bonus points for pretty charts.
- Pretending every campaign is a home run. Be real.
What’s Overhyped
- “AI-powered insights.” Unless you know exactly how these are calculated, be skeptical. Trust your own analysis.
- Real-time dashboards. B2B deals move slow; you don’t need to check stats every hour.
Keep It Simple, Learn, Repeat
Don’t let Airship’s dashboards or marketing hype distract you from what matters: did your campaign help move real business results? Start with a clear goal, focus on a few key numbers, and tell a short, honest story about what happened. Then try something new and do it again.
You don’t need to be a data scientist—or spend all day in Airship—to prove your value. Just keep it simple, stay honest, and always look for ways to improve. If you’re doing that, you’re already ahead of most teams.