Marketing proposals would probably be on the top of my “most read” list: I’ve sent dozens of proposals to freelance clients. I’ve also been at the receiving end when approving new initiatives.
So what makes a good marketing proposal? Although they vary depending on the use case, all the best ones have a couple in common: they put the goals and objectives first and directly reference business objectives. Costs, timeline, and deliverables are also clear.
I crawled through some 17 ready-to-edit marketing proposal templates– and explained what makes them so good. I also wrote a few tips specific to the channel or strategy, and how you can flesh it out further.
Let’s dive right in!
17 Free Marketing Proposal Examples That Actually Win Clients
Selling marketing services isn’t easy because the ROI isn’t always clear to clients.
Unlike software development projects where there’s a clear before and after, it can take a while for the ROI to show up for marketing projects: inbound leads usually start trickling in 3-6 months after an SEO article is published; paid ad campaigns can bring in new followers who may not immediately convert until interacting more with your brand.
If you’re looking for some a quick start guide before drafting your own proposal, the good news is that there are tons of references online.
Below are some examples I selected, and how I’d further customize it to increase my chances of converting.
Digital Marketing Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- There’s a dedicated section to talk about your services. Clients may not always be aware of every single service that you’re offering. Adding it here is a free way to get more eyeballs on your other offerings.
- There’s an editable layout for a roadmap. I’d use it for something like explaining a process flow or visualizing project milestones.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Include a projected return on investment (ROI) analysis. Use metrics like customer acquisition cost (CAC) and lifetime value (LTV) to show that your digital marketing initiatives actually help the brand grow.
- If you’re doing an omnichannel strategy, specify how each channel will work together in creating a seamless user journey.
Social Media Campaign Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- It has dedicated sections for Audience Analysis and Platform Assessment. I would add some stock photos to really bring the Demographics and Psychographics sections to life.
- There are separate sections for both Paid and Organic marketing. It’s great for marketers who are looking to explore influencer partnerships or a paid ads strategy, while building their social presence organically.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Personalize the proposal with the client’s brand kit or your proposed moodboard. Mock up social posts to help them imagine what their social channels are going to look like.
- Tie back engagement metrics with conversion metrics. Describe what clicks, likes, and comments actually do for their brand reputation and reach.
Website Design Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- The Challenge section puts the problem statements front and center. I’d personally include key problems I unearthed during the discovery phase. For instance, how is a redesign going to improve customer experience and accessibility?
- The Timeline section is essential for aligning stakeholders, especially if they’re not familiar with how web dev works. This also serves as a quick project breakdown.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Specificity is key. Your client might be expecting an animated hero when you’re only promising static illustrations. Clarify what is and what isn’t included in your package.
- Add some samples of your previous work. Bonus points if they’re exactly what the client is looking for in their website redesign.
Content Marketing Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- There’s a dedicated Audience Persona section for showing off how intimately you know your client’s ideal customer profile (ICP). I always add this to demonstrate that I care about knowing their customers just as much as they do – and that I understand exactly how to convert them into buyers or users.
- The Editorial Calendar and Promotional Workflow sections are key for aligning stakeholders with the content process, especially if you’re their first content hire.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Consider including stakeholder interviews in your process. This ensures that your content is actually differentiated from your competitors. Plus, it shows clients that your content is more than just a blog hidden in their website.
- Include some case studies – and be specific with the numbers. Did your content improve customer retention rates? Reduce onboarding redundancy? Increase user sign-ups for product launches?
Mobile Marketing Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- It gives you a working idea of how to bundle up and package your mobile marketing services. I’d rearrange the existing content based on my actual target customers.
- It’s simple, clean, and straight to the point. The format is basically plug-and-play; personalization can be as simple as filling out company names.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Give clients more to bite on by sharing specific strategies. Are you leveraging push notifications and in-app messaging? How else are you planning to increase user engagement within the app?
- Using Firebase or Adjust? Talk a little bit about your mobile analytics tools and how you’ll track user behavior, app performance, and key metrics like daily active users (DAU) and average session duration.
Product Marketing Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- It’s got a great narrative flow. This product marketing proposal follows the problem-opportunity-solution framework. It’s my go-to framework for making sure I’m aligned with stakeholders.
- The template already has itemized tables for detailing out metrics, services, cost, and timelines. You can always personalize it to include other content.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Talk a bit about go-to-market (GTM) strategy. How are you maximizing product adoption and growth? Which channels are you using, and why?
- Highlight metrics that are most important to them. Are they an early-stage startup looking to increase user sign-ups? Are they in the growth phase looking to upgrade existing customers to their Enterprise plan? Always circle back to the metrics that matter to their own dev and product team.
Public Relations Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- The Situation Analysis is incredibly detailed and straight to the point. There are clear sections outlining what your client’s competitors are doing, and what you can do to help them improve their own reputation.
- It goes deep into core messages, strategies, and media outreach. This public relations proposal is comprehensive enough that I’ll be happy to edit in specific info about my clients and send it over.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Double check if the media outreach actually applies to what you’re offering your client. This template has a mix of in-person and digital events. Make sure to tailor it to your own offerings before sending.
- Include a preliminary PR kit to help clients imagine how your partnership can elevate their brand. Name-dropping some of your key PR connections won’t hurt either.
Event Marketing Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- The existing Event Packages and Add-on Services sections make sure you’ve got all your bases covered. There’s also a Customization Options section if you want to highlight ad-hoc services like managing vendors or event decoration and conceptualization.
- This template has a very clear Terms and Conditions section that is already pre-populated with content on cancellation policies, liability, and force majeure.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Reassure them about logistics. Include some case studies about events you’ve thrown previously to build trust.
- If applicable, mention how you’ll be collecting attendee data during the event. Will you be hosting surveys or checking logs from RFID badges? Talk a bit about how this data can help inform future marketing strategies.
Email Marketing Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- It has a comprehensive Research & Planning section that really reflects the reality of email marketing: it’s more than just sending out emails. I would add screenshots of their Malichimp (or other email marketing/CRM tool they’re using) to frame the story around their current email engagement metrics, and what I can do to help.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Talk a bit about your CRO (conversion rate optimization) strategies. Will you be A/B testing for subject lines, content, CTAs, and send times? What variables will you be testing to improve their conversion rates?
- Will you be focusing more on developing a segmentation strategy, or are you offering something closer to automating messages for key customer touch points? Again, email marketing is so much more than just writing emails – make sure your clients are actually aware of that by sharing your strategy deep dives.
Influencer Marketing Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- It’s short and sweet, but it doesn’t neglect crucial information. This one-page template includes a Project Timeline, Marketing Goals, and a brief overview of the Proposal. It’s perfect for pitching short to mid-term influencer partnerships that don’t have tons of overhead.
- Readers will be visually drawn to the Marketing Goals section. It’s easy to lose the project objectives in a sea of text; this template ensures that won’t happen.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Define specific criteria for selecting influencers. Help clients understand that you’re only looking to work with influencers who are in alignment with their brand values.
- Get into the messaging. How are you tailoring key messages to each influencer’s niche and audience? Also share how you’ll be coordinating with partnered influencers in making sure the campaign actually drives your primary objectives.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- It’s basically the perfect SEO proposal. It has dedicated sections for Keyword Research, Onsite and On-page Optimization, as well as Link Building. I wouldn’t have to change much design-wise and just rewrite some of the existing content to make sure it’s tailored to my own clients.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Help manage your client’s expectations. Drop in screenshots of successful Ahrefs and Google Analytics dashboards. It shows them you’re the right person to trust and it helps clients visualize that SEO can take time before it truly takes off.
- Instead of sharing the entire site audit, highlight key areas of improvement to stay focused on the value you’re adding. Include some recommendations, and share how these improvements can support the metrics that they care about.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- It has pre-populated Introduction and How it Works sections that educate the client on why PPC might be beneficial for them. I’d use this PPC proposal specifically for clients who would most resonate with a more educational approach.
- There’s a visual costing table that you can edit to include different keywords you’ll be targeting in your ads. It’s great for demonstrating how different variables like ad platform, location, and demographics can all affect ad cost.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Discuss how you’ll be monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) such as click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate (CVR), cost-per-click (CPC), and return on ad spend (ROAS).
- Share some strategies on improving campaign performance. How do you approach bid adjustments? Are you going to be A/B testing the same creative ad set but for different locations?
Marketing Automation Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- It puts the Pain Points section immediately after the cover. I would immediately highlight key areas of improvement like onboarding drop-offs or low activation rates for users, and how automating these touchpoints might improve engagement rates.
- This template is a clean, minimalist layout with detailed Budget and Timeline tables. These tables are great for reassuring clients that there won’t be any downtime with their other marketing tools.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Talk about what this means for sales. How does this improve the team’s current lead scoring criteria? Does this mean lead handoff will be quicker and more efficient?
- Are you proposing a better omnichannel experience? You might want to share a bit about why it’s important to create easy, cohesive customer experiences, and what that means in the context of customer support.
Creative Marketing Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- This template shows exactly how to create a straightforward, actionable proposal. It has a short section to provide some context about the project. The bulk of the proposal is dedicated to actually talking about the proposed initiative – in this case a viral video campaign.
- The campaign goals are outlined clearly. I like that because it helps anchor stakeholders to the “what” and “why” of the proposal.
How you can sell it better to clients
- If you’re proposing a creative campaign that sounds just a little too out-of-the-box, reel it in by providing objective justifications for the initiative. Is the intention to go viral and drive brand awareness? Are you looking to differentiate from competitors?
- Drum up support by talking about customer activation. If applicable, include plans for leveraging user-generated content through contests, hashtags, or customer testimonials.
Experiential Marketing Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- The pre-populated content for the Goal Setting section is incredibly empathetic to the clients. It’s a great section to keep because it communicates your commitment to making this event a success.
- The sections on Promotion and Pricing are really fleshed out. It’s well-rounded in that the template actually talks about promotion strategies in driving attendance numbers.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Really expound on what makes this “experiential”. Share how you’ll be immersing participants in the brand’s story or values through interactive installations, sensory elements, or themed environments.
- If it makes sense, include a measurement framework for KPIs. Mention that you’ll be coordinating with the brand marketing team to track social media mentions so you can understand the brand sentiment.
Integrated Marketing Proposal Example
Why I’d use this template
- It’s a battle-tested template for Make A Wish, a huge non-profit organization.
- This integrated marketing proposal is incredibly detailed. It’s a multi-page document detailing everything from SWOT Analysis to Focus Group Reports. There are also dedicated sections focused on key messaging, including Brand Positioning and a Strategy Statement.
How you can sell it better to clients
- Mention how you’ll be integrating data from various marketing channels and touchpoints to create a unified view of the customer journey.
- Talk about how different marketing channels will work together in sync to amplify the impact of campaigns. It’s also a good idea to touch on how you’ll be ensuring consistent messaging to improve brand retention.
What is a marketing proposal?
A marketing proposal is a structured plan that outlines the goals, scope of work, and pricing for a specific marketing initiative.
Because marketing ROI isn’t always visible, a crucial part of your marketing proposal should be dedicated to:
- Explaining how your marketing objectives tie to business goals
- Illustrating the project timeline to help stakeholders track when the marketing ROI will start cropping up
- Using data and trends to contextualize the forecasts for the project. For example, use case studies and survey stats from credible orgs like Content Marketing Institute to demonstrate the lifecycle of a content marketing project
Quick tip: Look at the trends or statistics specific to the channel or strategy you’re pitching. Use those to strengthen your problem statement.
Let’s say you’re pitching video services. Consider citing case studies from previous clients, or even similar brands who have used vertical video formats.
Use a familiar or popular brand like everyone’s favorite owl, Duolingo, to frame your narrative. You can set the stage with a case study to show that investing in a video channel works. Then you can discuss what a video-first content strategy looks like for a brand of their size, capacity, and industry.
How do you write a marketing proposal?
Again, how you write a marketing proposal depends on the target audience and channel or strategy you’re pitching. In general, the flow looks something like this:
- Understanding objectives – Begin by thoroughly understanding the client’s marketing objectives, target audience, competitive landscape, and overall business goals.
- Data collection – Collect relevant data and insights through market research, audience analysis, competitor analysis, and any available analytics to inform your proposal.
- Set SMART goals – Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that align with the client’s objectives and can be quantitatively assessed.
- Develop strategy – Based on the gathered insights and defined goals, develop a comprehensive marketing strategy that outlines the proposed tactics, channels, messaging, and creative concepts.
- Organize your proposal – Compile all the information, insights, goals, strategies, budget, and timeline into an organized proposal. I like using Venngage’s templates for this.
- Prepare cover page – Create your cover page and table of contents.
- Write the Executive Summary – Write your executive summary, ideally written last so it’s easier for you to summarize the rest of the sections.
- Give instructions – Include an eSignature and agreement section to formalize the proposal.
How long should a marketing proposal be?
For shorter proposals, keep it to 5-6 pages. 10-15 pages is ideal for more comprehensive marketing proposals.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to length – longer isn’t always better when it comes to marketing proposals.
You’ll notice I included a bunch of one-page templates, because sometimes that’s all you need. At the end of the day, the length is best dictated by the sections you need to include to flesh out your proposal
Where to next?
If you’re looking for specific tips on how to write business proposals from scratch, we’ve got a couple that do exactly that. Here’s a shortlist of the next resources you can read to continue your learning:
- What Do Investors Look For In A Business Investment Proposal Plan?
- Business Proposal Format: An Ideal Proposal Structure
- How To Write Business Proposal | Examples + Templates
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