Info online

Writing a digital marketing proposal isn’t as difficult as you might think, but the right proposal can set you apart from your competition. A good digital marketing proposal can even make you stand out in the mind of the client, allowing you to score that next big project. This article breaks down how to write an effective digital marketing proposal and why it’s so important to get your client on board with your concept.

What does the Client Need?

When you’re developing an effective proposal, consider three main areas: 

what does your client need? 

What do they want? 

And how do you deliver? 

It may be tempting to present features and benefits for everything; however, understand that what is most important are those things directly related to meeting your client’s business objectives. Your job is not simply to sell; it’s to help solve problems.

What is their budget?

It is crucial for you to know what type of budget they have. Not every website or mobile app project is created equal. Understanding how much you can spend on each part of a project such as design, development, testing, and maintenance are critical components in making sure you come in on budget and offer an ROI that aligns with what your client wants.

What about potential timeline and deliverables?

To build good working relationships, it’s essential to understand your clients’ expectations from you. Set a clear timeline and deliverables early on in order for both of you to know what can be expected. Often clients will want you to propose how long it would take you to complete a project, based on their description of goals and desired outcomes.

Will you leverage current assets, or create new ones?

If you’re making an offer to help grow their existing social media presence or develop new e-commerce sites, highlight your experience in these areas. But if you’re proposing something beyond their current capabilities, such as developing an app or mobile site, make sure you emphasize how much easier it will be for them if they can outsource that portion of their strategy—and how much it will save them in terms of time and money.

Do they have an overall marketing strategy?

There’s nothing worse than having a well-written digital marketing proposal end up being completely irrelevant because your clients don’t have an overall strategy. Before you begin any project, first make sure you understand their overarching goals, strengths, and weaknesses—not just for each individual campaign or initiative but for their business as a whole.

Who is your competition, and what are they doing right/wrong?

Understanding who you’re going up against is critical if you want to win in business. By assessing your competitors, you can adapt their strategies and market share-grabbing ideas for yourself. In order to succeed, it’s not enough to just be aware of what they’re doing; you need to analyze and dissect what they do well and where they fall short, so you can plug any holes in your strategy or exploit any openings.

Is there anything special about this project?

Although you’re often working as part of a team on other types of projects, you’ll be presenting yourself as an expert on SEO. Make sure you know every detail about how SEO works and what makes it different from other forms of marketing. It may be worth reading up on best practices for web design, web development, graphic design, and copywriting too.