Social Media Proposal Template: What to Include

Before you write: the discovery call

A strong proposal is built from the client's own words. On the first call, ask what they want social media to do for the business, who their customers are, which platforms they already use, who will approve posts, what has worked or failed before and what budget range they have in mind. Take notes in their language; you will reuse those phrases in the proposal so they recognise their own problem.

The social media proposal template, section by section

1. Summary. Two or three sentences: '[Client] wants [goal] from social media. We will [approach] on [platforms] over [period], and report on [measures] each month.' Write this last, but put it first.

2. What we heard. A short list of the client's goals and problems, in their words from the call. 3. Where you are now. A brief audit of their current accounts: how often they post, what gets a response, gaps in profiles or branding. Keep it factual and kind. 4. Goals and measures. Two to four goals tied to things you can measure, such as enquiries from Instagram, website visits from LinkedIn or the number of posts published on time.

5. Strategy. Which platforms, why each one, the kinds of posts for each and the tone. 6. Deliverables. Exactly what is included each month: number of posts per platform, videos, captions, community replies, reports and meetings. Also list what is not included, such as paid ads or photography. 7. Timeline. The first 30, 60 and 90 days, from onboarding and access to the first full month of posting.

8. Pricing. The fee, what it covers, how often it is billed and when payment is due. 9. Terms and next steps. Contract length, notice period, how many rounds of edits, who owns the content, and a single line on how to say yes, such as signing and returning the agreement by a date.

Writing a social media marketing proposal that reads well

Keep a social media marketing proposal short enough to read in ten minutes. Use the client's name, not 'the client'. Show one or two examples of similar work if you have them, with permission from those clients, and never use made-up results or borrowed logos. Plain sentences beat marketing language; the reader is a busy owner deciding whether to trust you.

Design matters less than clarity. A clean document or PDF with headings, short paragraphs and one table for deliverables is enough.

An example summary for a neighborhood café

Here is how the summary section might read for a small café, so you can see the template filled in. '[Café name] wants more weekday lunch customers from people who work nearby. Over the next three months we will post four times a week on Instagram and twice a week on Facebook, focused on the daily lunch special, the people behind the counter and quick ordering for office groups. Each month we will report on posts published, messages received and lunch orders that mention social media.'

Notice what it does: it names one goal the owner cares about, two platforms instead of six, and measures the owner can check. The rest of the proposal only has to show how you will deliver that paragraph.

A shorter version for small clients

A local business with a modest budget may not want nine sections. For them, a one-page version works: the summary, a short list of what is included each month, the price and the start date, with the full terms in an attached agreement. Keep the same order and the same plain language, and offer the longer version to anyone who asks for more detail.

How to price the work

Price from your costs and the value of the outcome, not from a number you saw online. Work out the hours each deliverable takes, add time for meetings, reporting and revisions, and multiply by the rate you need to run your business. Then offer two or three packages, so the client chooses between your options instead of between you and another agency.

Say clearly that ad spend is separate from your fee if you run ads, and list any software costs the client will carry. Our guide to social media management pricing explains hourly, package and retainer models in more detail.

Mistakes that lose the deal

Sending a generic deck with only the logo swapped. Promising follower numbers or viral reach nobody can guarantee. Hiding the price on the last page or leaving it vague. Listing every platform when the client's customers are on two. Forgetting to say how approvals work, which is often the first thing that goes wrong once the work starts. And waiting too long: send the proposal within a few days of the call, while the conversation is still fresh.

After they sign

Turn the proposal's deliverables into a content calendar for the first month, collect logins and brand files, and agree on how posts will be approved. If you schedule in Dripost, you can send the client a review link to approve each post before it goes out on the platforms you agreed. Send the first report on the date the proposal promised; keeping that first promise sets the tone for the rest.