A well-crafted marketing proposal can be the difference between winning a lucrative client and losing to the competition. Whether you're creating a digital marketing proposal, social media marketing proposal, email marketing proposal or content marketing proposal, understanding the elements of a successful pitch is crucial for agency growth.
So why send a marketing proposal at all? Proposals aren't just formalities—they're critical sales tools that demonstrate your agency's expertise, approach, and value. As Kyle Racki, CEO of Proposify, explains,
When marketing agencies are starting out, everything coming in is word of mouth referral. But as you start to grow, you need to send out a lot more proposals.
Think about why someone hires an agency at all. You have specialized skills that a business wants to acquire to execute quickly and get a result faster than it would take for them to hire for all those skills in-house and figure out how to do what they need to do.
When you approach potential clients with a well-crafted proposal that clearly articulates your specialized expertise, you significantly improve your chances of winning their business. This is all the more reason to send stellar proposals.
The stakes are high. According to Proposify's State of Proposals Report, proposals sent through dedicated proposal software have an average close rate of 36%, while the industry average is only 20%. That's nearly double the success rate when you optimize your proposal process.
But what exactly makes a winning marketing proposal? Let's break down the essential elements.
Before you even begin writing your marketing proposal, you need clarity on how your agency differs from competitors. Kyle emphasizes this fundamental point:
A lot of agency proposals start out talking about, ’Here's how many awards we won, here's our great work, here's our portfolio’. Yes, that stuff's important, but what you really want to do is say, ‘Here's how we're different than all the other agencies’.
There are several effective ways to position your marketing agency:
Focusing on specific industries like healthcare, e-commerce, or education can help you win deals against generalist competitors. This deep industry knowledge demonstrates your understanding of unique market challenges.
Expertise in particular platforms or technologies—like HubSpot, Salesforce, or specific marketing automation tools—can differentiate you, though Kyle cautions that
It goes out of date pretty quickly as technology changes.
Perhaps the most powerful positioning strategy is showcasing specific, measurable results. Kyle explains,
This is including the hard numbers of what you helped clients achieve. If you can get these numbers from your clients, that's a way to position and specialize against other agencies.
Kyle warns,
There's a danger in doing this because if you offer too many services or say you're all things to all people, it's sort of like anti-positioning. It makes people think, 'I don't know what you do really well.'
But, under certain circumstances, that could be a way to position yourself, sort of like "one-stop shopping."
Once you have your positioning in mind, it should flow through the entire document. Now let's look at exactly how to write a marketing proposal.
The structure of your marketing proposal matters significantly. According to Proposify's research, winning proposals average 11 pages (compared to 13 for losing proposals) and contain approximately 7 sections. Here's the optimal marketing proposal example:
Your cover page creates the crucial first impression. For marketing agencies specifically, this element is non-negotiable. Kyle says,
You'd be surprised at how many agencies don't do this. When I ran an agency, a buyer once told me they threw out a competitor's proposal because it was just a big word document and ours was really well laid out.
Pro tip: Include the prospect’s logo on the cover page alongside your own. This buyer-centric approach signals that the proposal is customized for them.
The executive summary isn't a generic overview—it's your opportunity to demonstrate understanding of the prospect's challenges. Kyle says,
It should be your chance to offer a really personalized message to your client to say everything we talked about during the discovery phase, we heard you. We understand what your pain is. We know what you're going for. This is the problem you're trying to solve, and why we're in the best position to help you.
Pro tip: Include a brief video in your executive summary. According to the State of Proposals report, only 23% of proposals include videos, making this a significant opportunity to stand out.
This section outlines your methodology for achieving the client's objectives. According to Kyle,
The approach is just like your special sauce. How do you achieve the result, the outcome that the buyer wants, in a repeatable way? You might have a standardized process that helps you get the result much faster.
For marketing proposals specifically, this might include your campaign development process, measurement framework, or content creation methodology.
Clarity about what the client will receive is essential before they consider pricing.
In marketing proposals, be specific about deliverables like number of social posts, campaign assets, or reporting frequency. Visual elements can enhance understanding here—85% of winning proposals include images, with an average of 13 images per proposal.
Proposify's research indicates that this section is most effective when placed mid-proposal, not at the beginning:
A lot of agencies will make this page number one because they want to talk about all the fancy awards they won. This is better around the middle of the proposal because you've already now spoken about them and their pain. And now you can talk about yourself.
Include team bios to show exactly who will work on the account. This builds trust and demonstrates resource commitment.
This is also a space to include client testimonials and case studies. This kind of social proof is far more compelling than industry awards.
What's way more powerful is if you can share specific stories about clients that have hired you and results that you've delivered for them and what that process was like working with you.
Winning proposals maintain a professional tone with neutral language, though industries where emotion plays a larger role in decision-making (like consumer services) benefit from a more positive tone.
Pricing is where nearly every buyer goes first, according to Proposify's data, so there's an art to pricing. Kyle warns against hourly pricing:
When someone sees that you're charging hourly, they always are going to assume that you're padding the hours and that you're not tracking them properly and you're just using it to milk them.
Instead, consider these more effective pricing models for marketing proposals:
Project-based pricing: A flat fee that's predictable for clients. The con is that scope creep can erode your profitability, so you must manage internal operations really efficiently.
Regardless of what pricing method you use, keep it simple and clear on value to the client.
Proposify's data shows that proposals with interactive pricing tables have 41% higher close rates, as they allow clients to customize options and potentially increase deal size.
End your marketing proposal with the project's terms and conditions, and with a specific call to action.
Just like in any marketing campaign, you're going to have a CTA, a call to action, put that in your proposal. It shouldn't just end with pricing. It should be, to move forward, here's what you need to do.
Including e-signatures directly in your proposal is particularly effective. According to the State of Proposals Report, proposals with e-signatures are 4X more likely to close and close 40% faster.
Try our marketing proposal template, designed to help you craft professional, persuasive proposals in minutes. Use it directly in Proposify to streamline your workflow, collaborate effortlessly, and track engagement in real-time. Start closing deals faster with a proposal that stands out!
Once you've constructed the ideal marketing proposal, the next steps can make or break the deal.
Two often-overlooked elements dramatically impact proposal success: speed of delivery and follow-up strategy.
Speed matters when it comes to proposals. And you can't get the speed if you don't have a really standardized process.
Kyle Racki
The average time to create a proposal is 17 minutes using dedicated software, and prospects typically open them within 75 minutes of receipt. This rapid response maintains momentum from your initial conversations.
To gain that speed, though, you need a standardized process. This is where a marketing proposal template can come in handy. But no matter what proposal creation method you use, creating a process first can lead to winning more deals, more quickly.
Data shows that winning proposals receive an average of 10 views versus 7 for losing proposals. If viewing stops at 7 or you haven't heard back after two days, it's time to follow up.
Proposals with automated reminders are 5% more likely to close. Also, don't be afraid of revisions. Proposals with one revision have a 37% higher close rate than those with none.
Before you send that proposal, though, you want to make sure it's not only tailored to your prospect, but also to the specific marketing services you provide.
Let's take a look at specialized marketing proposal types and how to use them.
For digital marketing proposals, emphasize measurable KPIs and tracking methodologies. Include case studies demonstrating specific digital campaign results and ROI. Highlight your expertise across search, social, email, and other digital channels.
Access our free digital marketing proposal template.
When creating a social media marketing proposal, showcase platform-specific expertise and content strategies. Include sample content calendars and reporting frameworks that demonstrate how you'll measure engagement, reach, and conversion.
Try our easy-to-use social media marketing proposal template.
Content marketing proposals should emphasize your editorial expertise, distribution strategies, and measurement approach. Showcase writing samples relevant to the client's industry and detail your content production process.
Write exceptional proposals with our content marketing proposal template.
With the right approach and tools, your marketing proposals can become powerful conversion engines that demonstrate your expertise, build client confidence, and accelerate your agency's growth.
Book a demo with our proposal experts to see how Proposify helps marketing agencies create winning proposals that close at nearly double the industry average. Want to try it yourself? Check out our many free marketing proposal templates, or start your free trial and experience firsthand how the right proposal software can boost your close rates and streamline your process.