A compelling marketing proposal goes beyond a simple action plan; it’s a powerful marketing tool that can sway a client’s decision in your favor. This comprehensive guide will provide you with all the necessary tools, including templates, to craft a winning marketing proposal. You’ll learn how to impress potential clients, build trust, differentiate yourself from competitors, and ultimately, secure the deal.

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Table of contents

• What is a marketing proposal?
• Why marketing proposals are important
• What to include in a marketing proposal
• Tips for a winning marketing proposal
• Marketing proposal templates

What is a marketing proposal?

A marketing proposal is a formal document presented by an agency or marketer to a potential client, outlining the specifics of a proposed project or service. It encompasses all the essential information needed for the client and stakeholders to make an informed decision about moving forward. Similar to any well-structured business proposal, a marketing proposal follows an initial discovery session where the agency or marketer gathers the necessary data to develop a comprehensive strategy, timeline, and pricing structure. Curious about how your agency measures up against the competition? Download our complimentary report: State of the Digital Marketing Agency

Why you need a marketing proposal

Building upon the fundamental definition and purpose, a marketing proposal is much more than just a presentation of information; it’s a blend of art and science. The scientific aspect lies in the logistics, quantifiable objectives, metrics, timelines, and deliverables. The artistic element lies in the way you present this information, using it to evoke intangible responses from your clients, such as excitement for potential success, trust in your capabilities, and reassurance that their challenges will be addressed. A well-crafted marketing proposal:

• Furnishes prospective clients with all the necessary details to confidently engage your services.
• Demonstrates your ability to organize and communicate information persuasively.
• Provides an opportunity to stand out from competitors while showcasing your attentiveness to their needs and meticulous planning.
• Emphasizes your expertise and past achievements.
• Facilitates project outlining and accountability.
• Safeguards against scope creep and payment issues.

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What to include in a marketing proposal

The specific elements of your marketing proposal will vary depending on your services, client, and industry. However, here’s a comprehensive checklist to consider:

• Cover page: Your initial impression matters! Make it visually appealing, attention-grabbing, and aligned with your client’s brand identity.
• Executive summary: A concise overview of the primary problem, objective, and proposed solution, providing stakeholders with a clear understanding of the overarching concept.
• Table of contents: A seemingly minor but crucial element that enables easy navigation through the document.
• Goals: Clearly define the client’s aspirations. These should encompass both project-specific goals and how they align with broader organizational and marketing goals. Ideally, these goals should be quantifiable.
• Challenges: Identify the obstacles hindering the achievement of those goals. While your client will likely be aware of most challenges, your discovery session might uncover additional ones.
• Solutions: Outline the marketing strategies you’ll employ to overcome challenges and achieve objectives.
• Scope of work: Detail the tactical components of each strategy, including timeframes and operational specifics.
• Outcome: Define the deliverables for each phase or strategy, demonstrating their connection to the core goals and highlighting any supplementary benefits.
• Pricing: Present a transparent breakdown of costs for the client, potentially offering various options. Clearly illustrate the return on investment.
• Working with us: Provide insights into your team composition, company culture, and core values, emphasizing the value proposition for the client.
• Why us? Showcase testimonials, accolades, performance metrics, unique skills, or social proof that reinforce your suitability for the project.
• Contract: Outline the terms and conditions and any necessary legal stipulations in a clear and easily understandable manner.

Tips for creating a winning marketing proposal

The effectiveness of your marketing proposal hinges not only on the information presented but also on how you gather, structure, and convey it. Here are some valuable tips to elevate your proposals:

Do your prep work

Treat the proposal as a culmination of a thorough discovery session where you’ve gathered all essential information. Meticulous note-taking ensures that your proposal not only fulfills client needs but also reflects your attentiveness, care, and commitment to their specific preferences. Key information to gather during the discovery session:

• Short-term and long-term goals and challenges
• The root cause of the problem
• Previous/existing strategies, successes, and failures, including experiences with other agencies
• Current metrics and definition of success
• Priorities
• Emotional drivers (frustrations, aspirations, pain points)
• Personalities and work styles of the client’s team members
• Timeline, budget, and stakeholders
• Target audience, brand messaging, and customer journey

Do additional research

While the client is the expert on their business, conducting independent research both before and after the discovery session is crucial. Gathering comprehensive information about the client beforehand demonstrates your diligence, minimizes the need for them to educate you, and allows for a more focused discussion on intricate details. Post-session research on the market, competition, and relevant topics enables you to incorporate statistics and examples that bolster your case and further demonstrate your value.

Make it easy to read and visual

This principle applies to service businesses in their service contracts as well. Avoid complex or overly formal language in an attempt to impress. Maintain a conversational and accessible tone. Use terminology familiar to the client and consistently connect back to their primary concerns and objectives. Visual aids, such as timelines, are invaluable:

Keep it client-focused

While the marketing proposal is an opportunity to highlight your strengths and differentiate yourself, it should always prioritize the client’s perspective. When showcasing your company’s capabilities, consistently tie them back to the value they deliver to the client.

Walk through it with them

Don’t just send the proposal electronically and consider it done. Schedule a meeting to personally guide the client through it. This ensures effective communication of your intended message and allows them to fully appreciate the finer points of your work. After the meeting, provide them with the proposal to review at their leisure, giving them time to absorb the information and raise any questions before proceeding with signing. Free guide » The 6 Absolute Best Strategies to Grow Your Digital Marketing Agency

Marketing proposal templates

Explore these marketing proposal templates from various sources, including marketing agencies, online proposal generators, and marketing blogs.

1. Indeed’s text-only marketing proposal

Indeed’s marketing proposal template offers a straightforward and streamlined approach. This text-based template utilizes brackets to guide you on what information to include. While it lacks design elements, Indeed provides valuable tips, best practices, and examples, making it a valuable resource for crafting effective proposal copy.

This marketing proposal template includes:

• Cover page
• Table of contents
• Executive summary
• Project overview
  • Problem statement
  • Solution statement
  • Scope of work
• Investment
  • Cost estimate
  • Contract and payment terms
• Timeline
• Project team and introductions
• Case study
• Agreement and signatures

2. Fool.com’s marketing proposal example

While not directly downloadable, Fool.com’s marketing proposal template presents a marketing proposal structure within the article itself, providing definitions and illustrations for each section. This template proves particularly useful for agencies or marketers who are new to proposals and seeking guidance on structuring their content.

This marketing proposal template includes:

• Executive summary
• Challenges/objectives
• Strategy/solution
• Scope of work
• Financials
• Terms and conditions

3. HubSpot’s downloadable marketing proposal template

HubSpot’s marketing proposal template offers a downloadable template that you can tailor to your needs. While it doesn’t provide sample text, it delivers a clear structure and helpful tips for each section. It also emphasizes opportunities to highlight your company’s strengths while maintaining a client-centric approach, making it suitable for experienced proposal writers aiming for improved organization and a touch of marketing flair.

This marketing proposal template includes:

• About us (services you provide, team, relevant skills)
• Project scope (summary, proposed solution, phases/deliverables)
• Projected outcome
• Project schedule
• Contact us
• Contract and signatures
• Appendix (past work, portfolio, samples)
• Additional Materials

4. Pitch’s marketing proposal slide deck templates

Pitch is a versatile online presentation tool catering to various industries. While it doesn’t offer in-depth marketing guidance, it excels in providing visually appealing, pre-designed slides, interactive features, animations, and more. It’s an excellent choice for marketers confident in their proposal writing seeking inspiration for engaging presentations.

This marketing proposal template contains example slides for:

• Introduction
• Agenda
• Customer personas
• Competitor analysts
• Market share
• Charts (line and bar)
• Opportunities
• Total budget
• Timeline
• Questions
• Thank you

5. Jotform’s esignature marketing proposal builder

Jotform, an esignature platform with a user-friendly design editor, provides a pre-built marketing proposal template through Jotfrom’s marketing proposal template. You simply need to populate the template with your specific information. Customization options are available for the master template and design elements to match your branding. Additionally, Jotform facilitates proposal sharing via email and enables e-signatures from any device. While basic and lacking examples, it’s a suitable option for marketers familiar with effective proposal elements who need a tool for streamlined design and e-signing capabilities.

This marketing proposal template contains:

• Cover page
• Cover letter
• Background
• Analysis of current state and objectives
• Length of contract
• Estimated costs and expenses
• Terms and conditions
• Signature

6. Proposify’s marketing proposal

As a specialized online proposal builder, Proposify’s marketing proposal template excels in aesthetics but offers limited guidance on writing compelling proposals. Similar to the previous two templates, it’s most suitable for experienced proposal writers who need a tool for visually enhancing their content.

This marketing proposal template contains:

• Overview and goals
• Scope of services
• Timeframe
• Your investment
• Why us
• Our team
• Case study
• Contract
• Signature

7. Canva’s marketing proposal template gallery

Canva’s marketing proposal template gallery boasts an extensive library of attractive design templates. While the default orientation is portrait style, you can easily adjust the dimensions for a landscape slide deck layout. Some templates even include sample text for added convenience.

Start winning more clients with these marketing proposal templates

Remember, a marketing proposal is a powerful marketing tool in its own right, blending art and science. Achieving the right balance of informative metrics, compelling design, and effective delivery can significantly influence client decisions, setting the stage for successful collaborations.