Sharing, Publishing, and Promoting Your Report

Creating a strong report is only half the job. The other half ensures the right people see it, understand it, and know what to do. This article walks through how to publish your report in accessible, audience-friendly formats — and how to get it in front of the people who matter most.

1. Choose the Right Format

There's no single best format — it depends on your goals, audience, and capacity. Most organizations choose one or more of the following:

PDF

• Downloadable, easy to share, archivable
• Slide deck or 1-pager
• Investor briefings, internal rollouts
• Focus on highlights and visuals; good companion to the full report

Web-based report

• Mobile-first audiences, high engagement, easy to share
• Use tools like Wordpond for accessibility, search, and analytics
• Landing page or microsite
• Public communications, press, casual readers
• Keep it light, visual, and story-driven

Tip:

If using a PDF, design it to be screen-friendly (larger font, horizontal layout) and make sure it's tagged for screen readers. If using a web-based format, check mobile and keyboard navigation.

2. Tailor by Audience

Different audiences look for other things. You don't need to rewrite the report — surface what's relevant.

Investors/funders

What They Care About: Risk, performance, measurable progress

How to Reach Them: Send targeted summaries, publish key metrics

Customers / general public

What They Care About: Values, brand, real-world stories

How to Reach Them: Share highlights on the website and social media

Employees / internal teams

What They Care About: Purpose, strategy, alignment

How to Reach Them: Host town halls, share internal slides or videos

Partners/community organizations

What They Care About: Collaboration, outcomes, transparency

How to Reach Them: Include testimonials and offer co-promotional content.

Ask yourself: "If someone only sees one page of this report — which page should it be?"

Distribute Strategically

Once your report is finalized:

• Add it to your homepage (or sustainability section)
• Share on LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram, or wherever your audience is active
• Include a newsletter feature with a call-to-action
• Prepare press or stakeholder briefings (1-slide summary or blog post)
• Equip internal teams with talking points or FAQs
• Submit to relevant platforms (like CSRwire, sustainabilityratings.org, or investor portals)

Avoid:

Upload it to a page buried in your footer. If you worked hard on the content, give it an actual launch.

Build a Launch Timeline

Even a basic plan can boost visibility:

Before Launch

• Finalize publishing format(s)
• Prep comms: landing page, blog post, email, social media visuals
• Inform key internal stakeholders

Launch Week

• Send announcements to mailing lists
• Post highlights and quotes on social
• Publish blog or news update
• Update your website's sustainability section

After Launch

• Share sections or stories throughout the year
• Use content in presentations or pitches
• Collect feedback ("What would you like to see next year?")

Tip:

Turn the report into a resource — not a one-time event.

Track and Learn

If your report is hosted online or on a digital-first tool like Wordpond, track page visits, time on section, and clicks. This shows what content gets the most attention — and helps you improve future editions.

If you only distribute by PDF, consider tracking downloads or building a short feedback survey into the closing page.

Final Thought

A sustainability report isn't just a document — it's a tool. Used well, it can spark conversations, win trust, and open doors. But only if people actually see it.

"Don't just publish the report. Help people find and use it."

That's what sharing, publishing, and promoting is all about.