Learn how to make a marketing proposal that differentiates your plan, strategy, and services. Write marketing consultant and agency proposals that win (+Templates).
Amotz Harari, Head of MarketingShort answer
Read on to learn how to write your proposal slide-by-slide ⤵
A marketing proposal traditionally looks like a simple PDF with dense text and minimal design. But it is hard to stand out and differentiate your offer using this format.
For this reason, leading marketing agencies and service providers have been transitioning to interactive web-based proposals which are more engaging, convert better, and come with invaluable analytics built-in.
Check out the example below to see what I mean.
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The definition of a marketing proposal really depends on the type of services you offer. There are various types of solutions provided in various forms, such as a project, retainer, or consultation.
The most common marketing proposal format is a static PDF, but that’s also the least effective. A PDF format makes it practically impossible to stand out from the crowd or convey information in an engaging way.
A promising PDF alternative is the new interactive web-based proposals. This new format lets you include live data and multimedia, embed e-signature widgets, and lead forms, be easily read on mobile, and easily shared via a regular web link.
Based on our analysis of marketing proposal performance, with over 100K reading sessions on Storydoc, we’ve come up with an optimal content structure for a marketing plan proposal.
This marketing proposal format works well for marketing agencies or consultancies looking to persuade prospective clients but also for internal teams seeking to promote their marketing projects internally.
Stick around to learn how it’s done.
But if you’re not looking for information, but more along the lines of inspiration, go check out our marketing proposal examples.
The cover is your best chance to stand out from other proposals on your prospect’s desk and grab their attention long enough to persuade them you’re their top choice.
It’s critical to make the cover highly relevant at a glance. To do this use your title and tagline to communicate your value proposition. Make it short and sharp.
Additionally, add in personalization by including the prospective client’s logo, brand colors, and relevant industry imagery, and address your point of contact by name.0
TIP: It’s good practice to provide the projected reading time to help the reader assess the time and effort involved in reading your proposal.
Your browser does not support the video tag.This should be a brief description of your company in the context of the marketing services offered.
The point is to position your company as an authority and leading provider of those services.
Focus the description on what you do, how you do it different, and who you do it for, NOT on details like the year you were founded, number of employees, and office locations.
Your browser does not support the video tag.An analysis of the current market environment, including key challenges and competitors in the arena. This is where you leverage your market research to showcase your diligence and professionalism.
Detailed profiling of the target audience, including IT managers, software developers, tech startups, and IT consultants. Effective target market segmentation is crucial for tailoring marketing efforts.
Your browser does not support the video tag.The objectives should be the North Star guiding your strategy and marketing efforts.
Align your objectives with your prospect’s business goals. Ask yourself and your contact person what they’re aiming for and what metrics are most appropriate for measuring it.
Objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound (SMART).
You can set your objectives as single KPIs or write them as mission statements each involving multiple KPIs as a measure of success.
Example marketing objectives:
Your marketing strategy is your chance to distinguish your offering. Outline your strategic approach for product differentiation, content marketing, community building, influencer marketing, and partnerships.
Your game plan should detail the tactics for each strategy, in marketing channels such as PPC, SEO, social media, YouTube, traditional advertising, and brand collaborations.
In your game plan, detail how you will the specific actions you’ll take to fulfill your strategy and reach your objectives.
Critically, tailor your strategy to the client’s target audience, or a smaller subset that is most likely to convert and get you closer to your objectives (based on your market research).