How To Write Inbound Marketing Proposal: A Guide

Using inbound marketing, companies and brands can gain new customers by offering engaging content and tailor-made experiences.

Examples of inbound marketing include social media campaigns, viral videos, podcasts, and webinars, just to name a few.

If you’re in the marketing field, it’s important to know how to write an inbound marketing proposal correctly. In this post, we deliver a step-by-step guide on how to do it. Plus, we’ll offer you a free template to get you started.

Table of Contents

How To Write an Inbound Marketing Proposal

Drafting an inbound marketing proposal becomes easier if you follow certain steps. Sure, there are various ways to complete one, but to ensure quality, make sure you don’t skip any of the following:

1. Be professional in tone

Like any business proposal, an inbound marketing proposal is prepared for people in business. In other words, it will be presented to CEOs, business owners, and managers.

These are folks who are likely to be experts in their respective fields. So, they would expect to read a proposal done professionally and with competence.

So, when writing an inbound marketing proposal, approach it with the utmost professionalism. Your bid should be free of spelling and grammar errors. It should be well-organized. Even the font choice can go a long way in creating favorable first impressions.

2. Exude confidence, but back it up with facts

Beyond professionalism, your proposal should appear confident and convincing. But you don’t need to be cocky. If you have experience, let your track record speak for itself.

Speaking of experience, be strategic in outlining your professional background. Highlight past projects that are directly related to inbound marketing. Showcase only the skills that will serve the objective of the inbound marketing proposal.

3. Make sure your proposal is detailed but all-encompassing

The trick is in the details when it comes to inbound marketing proposal creation. You can differentiate your proposal from the rest by focusing on the details, even the smallest ones.

Define each objective and how they will support the bigger goal of the inbound marketing project. Detail every step of the action plan. List all the targets you want to hit.

But never forget to lose sight of the bigger picture. Review the scope of the project and make sure it covers everything.

4. Choose terminology that can be easily understood

Use terms that are routinely used in inbound marketing and business in general.

Words and phrases like buyer’s journey, landing pages, and search engine optimization (SEO) are pretty much routine in any inbound marketing proposal.

But to be sure, take time to review the terminology and put yourself in the reader’s shoes. For instance, if you’re writing an inbound marketing proposal for a medical services company, you need to evaluate if physicians will be able to understand the terms you’re using.

You can always include a Definition of Terms section in your proposal if you want to be certain.

5. Embrace clarity

It’s always wise to get straight to the point. The last thing you want is to make the reader feel like their time has been wasted reading your proposal.

State your proposal’s intentions clearly and early. Outline each step and facet carefully.

Clarity not only applies to the services included in your inbound marketing plan. It also extends to your terms and conditions.

Prevent potential disagreements later on by indicating clear terms for payment, timelines, intellectual property protection, confidentiality, use of data, and even notices of cancellation. Talk to an attorney if you have to, but the point is to establish the terms of the business partnership if you get awarded the contract.

Download the Inbound Marketing Proposal

Grab a free inbound marketing proposal template from Fill today. You can use this template to draft a more structured and organized proposal. All you need to do to get it is sign up for a free account now.

Inbound Marketing Proposal

USE THIS FREE TEMPLATE

What to Include When Writing an Inbound Marketing Proposal

So how to create an inbound marketing proposal? You need to be familiar with its structure and individual parts. So, what should you include in your proposal?

1. Introduction

Start with a single paragraph to talk about inbound marketing and how it can benefit businesses of any size in this day and age.

It’s best if you keep it brief while also giving your reader an idea of what to expect from the inbound marketing proposal.

2. Overview

Formally introduce yourself or the company you represent. You can mention your location or country (if dealing with international clients).

State your specialty (what you do) as concisely as possible. You can highlight the number of years you’ve been offering inbound marketing (because there’s no substitute for experience). Better yet, focus on the results you will deliver for the client.

3. Services

List all the services you offer to execute your inbound marketing plan. Never forget to include a short description of each, with a focus on the benefits they can bring.

You can support the Services section with an ensuing Prices chart for each service offered. Note that this may or may not apply depending on your specific business model. But remember that some clients may prefer knowing the costs right away.

4. Terms and Conditions

If you want, you can draft this section with the help of a lawyer. Remember that future disagreements can be avoided with clearly defined terms and conditions at the outset.

Start with the scope of the inbound marketing project. From there, you can segue to the specific deliverables and deadlines expected of the business relationship.

Other aspects you should include are conditions for protecting intellectual property, payment of charges, contract termination, and cancellation.

5. Acceptance

End your inbound marketing proposal with an Acceptance section. It signifies the client’s willingness to accept the terms and conditions of the proposal by affixing their signature.