Content marketing proposals are a normal part of freelance writing work. These documents work as a combined pitch and plan of action. They tell clients what goals you will meet, along with your expected results. Further, these proposals list the services needed, along with the pricing for the work.
Proposals come with the added benefit of showing you understand client goals. With this understanding, you position yourself as more desirable. Clients regard you as easy-to-work with, also, since you already know which direction you - and they - are going in.
A well-written content marketing proposal helps land new clients. It’s not a guarantee that having a good proposal will get you new clients. But, having a poorly-written one is a strong guarantee that you won’t.
But, what goes into a good content marketing proposal?
I didn’t know this for a long time. Longer than I’d care to admit, actually. In fact, I didn’t even know what a content marketing proposal was. Or why it was important for freelance writing.
Since I worked through a freelance website, I didn’t learn a lot of what freelance writers need. Once I began working away from that site, I may as well have been a beginner. Despite the fact that I had almost a decade’s-worth of experience.
The goal of this article is not as a deterrent from freelance websites. They are fantastic for some. There is nothing wrong with using them. Even in the long-term.
But, they come with an income cap. And, if you have an experience like mine, you compete for jobs with freelance writers with a lower cost of living. Suddenly, your rate of $0.05 per word is too high because the competition charges $0.01 per word. I live in the United States, in California, and in San Diego. So, $0.01 per word is not sustainable for me. Even before the massive cost-of-living spike here.
Anyway, the point is only for education. You may never plan on moving away from a freelance writer site. Regardless, learning about content marketing proposals is beneficial. So, let’s go over what they contain.
Title Page
A dedicated title page makes your content marketing proposal appear professional. Notice that I said “title page,” not “title.” The entire first page is your title page.
It doesn’t include much in the way of information. Just the title of the proposal, your name (or company name), the name of the client, and the date you submitted the proposal on.
However, despite the minimal information, it makes your proposal appear more formal. And that looks better to prospective clients.
Executive Summary
Within the executive summary, introduce your content marketing proposal. Identify the client’s problem, and state how your involvement fixes that issue. Provide clients with information about the main goals, along with proposed outcomes.
Keep your executive summary concise. Explain the basics of the proposal enough that they create impact. But do not add fluff.
Goals and Objectives
This section details the goals of your content strategy and how you can meet them in greater detail. The goals and objectives you mention here are not unfamiliar to the client. Rather, the section demonstrates your understanding of them.
Ensure the goals are measurable, such as increasing brand engagement. That means also including a time-period for said goal. Let’s say six months. So, in six months, your strategy will increase brand engagement by 20 percent.
Before or after this section, introduce yourself. Detail your experience and note your qualifications for achieving the goals you mention.
This introduction is not always necessary, depending on the client. That’s why I don’t have it as a separate section.
Proposed Scope of Work
This is the crux of your content marketing proposal.
Your proposed scope of work details what you and your team (if you have one) will accomplish. By this point, you’ve laid out your goals and proposed accomplishments. Along with discussing the client’s problem that you are solving.
Proposed scope of work varies with each client. Though, I don’t think that needs saying. However, your proposal will include a content strategy.
Content strategy includes the types of content, along with your proposed timeline. It discusses competitor analysis and includes the target audience/market for your client. Further, it details the planned distribution channels. This includes social media, professional websites, and more. They are how you get your content to the target audience.
In situations where clients request additional work, this section protects you. What you will do is already detailed. Bill any work that goes beyond your content marketing proposal separately.
Do not tack on extra work for yourself because the client requests it. I’m all for doing favors here and there, but there is a limit. Take yourself - and your work - seriously.
Timeline and Milestones
Provide clients with a broad timeline for your strategy. You don’t need exact dates. But mention what you can provide every week or month.
Detail the steps of your project. This demonstrates the proposed workflow throughout the campaign. Along with key milestones for the project. With this information, clients have an idea what and when they can expect from you.
Within this area, mention any extra tools and resources you’ll need. For instance, you need access to the client’s Facebook account for publishing. State that clearly in your marketing proposal.
Deliverables
You likely covered this earlier in your proposal. But including it again eliminates the possibility for miscommunication.
State the amount of content, and the types, that you provide throughout the proposed campaign. This might include six blog posts, one for each week. Or social media updates for a period of one month. Maybe a combination.
Whatever it is, state it clearly. Make sure clients do not misinterpret what they receive from you.
Pricing/Budget
Within your content marketing proposal, include your pricing for your proposed services. Present the costs clearly to clients.
Don’t break down your services too much. But do include several pricing options for clients. This allows for some customization. If you break down your services by line item, you run the risk of clients requesting custom plans.
Let’s say you state that each blog post is $200. And each social media post is $50. Your original strategy calls for four blog posts and six social media posts. Instead, the client only wants three blog posts and three social media posts.
Requesting this al la carte blend of services isn’t inherently bad. But, it does impact the results that you proposed. Those results are only guaranteed with your strategy. When you stray away from that, your results will differ. Thus, your content marketing proposal is no longer useful.
Portfolio and Relevant Case Studies
Finally, include case studies that pertain to your work. These show the client that the results you claim will be reality. Why? Because you’ve done it before.
Some people include relevant case studies earlier in their content marketing proposal. Often before the pricing section. Some include it at the end. I would say it depends on the proposal itself. Include this section where it does not interrupt the flow. The point of me mentioning it, though, is because it’s important you include it.
Having relevant case studies or a portfolio sets you apart from the competition. Include related KPIs and metrics that demonstrate you accomplished measurable results. If you are starting out, you don’t have many case studies. Frame your minimal experience in a way that benefits the client, though.
At the end of it all, include a call to action. This is a brief mention of the next steps, like scheduling a call with you. Ensure your contact information is easily found. And then you wait.
There are some variations in what you include in your content marketing proposals, but these are the basic categories. As long as you include them, you already are a step ahead of the competition. And you have a better chance of landing the client you are reaching out to.