Digital Marketing proposal Template is far from a pitch. The former is part of a wider pitch process that comes in handy when sorting out prospective clients.
Proposals are competitive, clients request proposals when there are numerous digital marketing agencies they wish to engage and choose one that aligns with their goals. Hence why digital marketers/consultants strive to create proposals that help them land the client.
The proposal is supposed to elicit engagement from the client by proving how well your expertise and effectiveness will help their brand. The proposal contains the marketers brand profile and reputation.
The digital marketing proposal template is the perfect checklist to a great proposal. The template covers aspects that auger well with clients. Furthermore, proposal template can be adjusted to suit specific client needs.
A proposal allows the receiver (client) to learn about the services and workings offered by digital marketing agency or a freelance marketer. The proposal contains information and pricing based on customized marketing solutions.
The digital marketing proposal template is created to help in pitching for digital marketing work.
A great proposal should concentrate of five areas. These parts will convince the client why they need to engage your services. Below, we break down the parts:
Before committing to a contractual agreement, the digital marketer should request for a scorecard from the client. Once received, the marketer should take ample time to assess the criteria in the scorecard and deliver relevant information as required.
The scorecard should elaborate what digital sector deems desirable, essential or mandatory. If there’s a conflict or barrier, the marketer should have a candid conversation with the client for clarification.
To clear the air, the marketer can either decline the project or tailor their response to cover any gaps that may have led to the conflict.
The proposal should focus on attaining insights into the client’s outstanding issues. Did an earlier scheduled meeting reveal what the client’s business problems are? Is the knowledge meted out enough to help the marketer deliver tailored solutions?
If not, the marketer should request to be aided with more information. Once ample information is passed, the digital marketer should focus on gaining insights on the clients that will be receiving the proposal.
While creating the proposal, it’s important that the marketer has an idea of how the client visualizes the scope of the services to be rendered. In some firms, the individual that gave the client brief isn’t necessary the one who will be calling the shots to hire the marketer.
Getting the right person is paramount, it becomes easier to create a proposal that speaks to them personally. The proposal should focus on certain aspects of solutions that will speak to the client’s needs.
The digital marketer is tasked with finding out whether there’s more than one decision marker in different parts of the business. Clarity on which role each decision maker takes and what solutions they would like to be met will be a huge advantage to getting a proposal sail through.
Digital marketers should breakdown proposals as shown below, unless in instances where clients request to be provided with specific content order only then you should tailor it to their specification.
Introduction: This bit introduces the digital marketing agency. It can feature a single page summary containing an infographic on services to be rendered, resources, testimonials and awards if any.
The scope of work should encompass proposed services, said services should be based on initial client/business discovery. This section details how the services offered will make a difference in the client’s business for the better. The scope of work should cover the following aspects:
Caveats and terms and Conditions: To sell the project, the digital marketer could prompt the potential client (through the proposal) by suggesting a workshop to test any assumptions that the marketer has made after holding brief with the client.
Appendix: Should carry an “About Us” part that details mandatory information that the client requested. If applicable, the digital marker should detail initial discover work. It pays to include necessary case study summaries that illustrate part of the proposal and will build the client confidence in you.
This is the part that you introduce the client to a pricing formula covering the services you provide. The services provided should be specific to the client’s needs and demands based on prior meetings.
Include statements such as “for any questions, queries or comments, feel free to add them into the proposal.” A notification will be sent and responded to expeditiously.
If the prices captured in this proposal are ideal and meet the company’s expectations, append a signature at the end of the proposal and once received services will be meted out with immediate effect.
Before crafting proposals, digital marketers are requested to hold either a one-on-one meeting or virtual meeting with clients to ask important questions and queries. Critical questions that need to be asked are highlighted below:
There are moments that you may be receiving an overwhelming amount of proposals. To make the proposal outstanding, the digital marketer should include; defined sections, contents page, branded headers and footers and logical headings. The submissions should be simple, digestible and should show a clear structure.
Many marketers start off with fantastic digital marketing proposal templates which morph when different departmental heads within a client’s firm view the proposal and proceed to add/remove sections and change layouts.
Not to be bamboozled by the various staff, the marketer should stomp their foot and present a single well-structured template that will work best for the firm.
The digital marketer should relegate the long hand mandatory information about themselves at the back page of the proposal. The first few pages should concentrate on how the client’s business will benefit from services rendered.
Follow the letter provided by the client’s representative and provide all the trading, the team, legal and operational information that the client requested for. Failure to do this will see the marketer lose points or be disqualified!
The marketer should create a checklist after getting a letter of approval to tender the proposal. To make things easier, the marketer should be in a position to provide specific information necessary for landing the client in the final proposal.
Executive Summary: After the marketer creates the document, the next step is write a compelling an executive summary with several proposals. The idea is to create a proposal that’s not only compelling but one that captivates the client due to its simplicity.
Describing the process: The whole point for rendering digital marketing services is about the results the client achieves and not necessarily the unique way the marketer delivers services.
Plenty of proposals and services remain the same since they work and clients have gone through a plethora of proposals before settling. A summarized proposal with a few pages and with a flow chart and if necessary infographics will be a better proposal.
Discovery and Due Diligence: This part proves to the client that the marketer understands the brief and the scope of challenges detailed. The marketer should note down insights gained to date and how they will be arrived at.
Including this information demonstrates how the marketer is committed to the proposed project and will likely consider hiring the marketing agency.
As obvious as it sounds, it’s important that a marketer doesn’t create the entire strategy before being offered the work. It makes zero sense for either party to come up with a final strategy without having had successful client sessions.
Value Proposition: The digital marketer should use this section to clarify how working as a partner to the client will be beneficial. The section describes the agency’s value proposition and why the marketer’s services are unique from the competition.
The marketer at this juncture should go through the proposal to find out whether the proposition is defined clearly in a simple and compelling language. Each sector should clearly spell out the benefits the client will achieve.
For marketers that have built the agency around a co-creation model it’s important that they explain the cost to market benefits that will be achieved when the client adopts the model.
The marketer should take time off to allow the proposition to breathe within the document and detail each short case studies/testimonials and quotes on separate pages.
Presentation: As the adage goes “first impression is the only impression”, a thoroughly researched solution loses credibility if the marketer does a horrible job explaining it, the language should be simple and error free.
In the case of an agency, experts in the copywriting, designers and marketing agencies should come together to craft specific key sections and check everything off for quality purposes. The designer’s department can spruce up the proposal template to make the key points pop!
Small -Scale Proposal Projects
Using an already experimented and proven structure that is tweaked to work for a small scale project is advised. Below are elements guaranteed to keep the client interested if incorporated in the proposal;
Service Challenge: This segment identifies the client’s business needs and details them.
Probable Solutions: This segment paints a picture of how the business will appear after problem solving. Services such as marketing, PPC, Content creation and web design should be explained.
Investment: Articulates the amount it will take for every solution to take effect.
Next steps: Encourage the client to respond by giving them a simplified but tailored proposal.
When the project at hand requires comprehensive solutions, the proposal should cover more elaborate procedures. The solutions are long-term based and have more services covered thus needing a well detailed proposal covering specific deliverables and timeframes.
Written digital marketing proposal template aside, the marketer should try to present the proposal in person if logistics allow.
Proposal Tech Platforms: There are numerous technological platforms that are ideal for producing the perfect proposal. Some of these platforms have mixed functionality, there are some that weigh more towards estimate quote creation and others which integrate billing platforms and CRM.
As tedious as it is, writing proposals is necessary for a freelancer that want to land paying clients.
When done properly, proposals are quite the persuasive tools. A proposal not only stands out, but convinces the client why the Digital Marketing freelancer is the best to handle the project. Digital Marketing Proposal Template splits into two parts namely:
Logistical Information: Captures the services provided such as: SEO, web Design, Social Media Management, Marketing, pricing, targeted milestones and the appropriate timelines.
Persuasive Elements: Ways in which the freelancer will provide tangible marketing benefits to the client. These elements encompass: Markerter’s experience, best audience targeting strategies, the channels to be used and the times content and campaigns will be used.
Logistics is a key piece of the digital marketing puzzle and one that should be emphasized
upon. However, persuasive elements shouldn’t be overlooked as they play a role in impressing the client.
What makes a digital marketing proposal template stand out is the marketer’s ability to layout how and offer resounding solutions to their marketing problems. A well-structured proposal design captures and holds the client’s attention which leads to an interview and later hiring after they’re satisfied they’ll deliver what they need.
Each project is unique and offers the freelancer the chance to offer tailor-made services. For broader services requiring more comprehension, the proposal can be extended to cover their worth and the best way to handle them.
