Social media isn’t a side job anymore.

While it might have once seemed like social media was something that a business could do when and if they had the time, today it’s an integral part of any successful digital marketing strategy and contributes to all areas of your small business. Yet many companies are dropping the ball when it comes to their social initiatives. 

There are approximately 3.6 billion people worldwide using social media, and that number is expected to jump to 4.41 billion by 2025. With so much potential to tap into, businesses need to ace their social game — and that’s where specialized agencies come in. There’s a growing market for agencies providing social media management, and it’s a great field to get into if you’ve got your fingers on the pulse of what it takes to find social success.

Working with companies to improve their outreach and outcomes on social media starts with a proposal. If you or your company are offering social management services, make sure that your social media proposals include all of these essential features.

Introduction

Start your social media proposal by clearly defining the problem you’re here to solve, such as a low follower count, poor engagement levels, or a lack of new posts and unique social content. Be sure to put the focus on your client here. The goal is to outline the issues — not to cover what your agency does and why it can provide the right solutions.

Scope of Work

This is where you’ll get into specifics on deliverables. Lay out all of the details of what you can do for the client to solve the problem(s) at hand, and be as clear as possible so that there’s no confusion over what is and what isn’t part of the agreement.

Content and Process

Content is the lifeblood of any effective social media strategy. In your proposal, go over what types of content you plan to be creating and/or using, as well as what the process for approvals and publishing will look like. Include how you plan to source images, too, since visuals will be just as important as the copy itself.

Social Media Publishing Calendar

You don’t need to have a full calendar ready to go for your social media proposal, but you should be able to lay out a general idea of what the cadence for publishing content will look like. Your social media calendar gives your clients a notion of how active they’ll need to be on social to achieve their desired results, with the caveat that this is just a jumping-off point and may need to be tweaked based on reports and performance.

Promos and Special Offers

Nestled within effective campaigns are usually special offers and promotions that lead to brief surges in growth and engagement. Give your clients an overview of any special promos or posts you’re planning — including the anticipated budget and what you’re expecting to get out of them. Mention how you’ll be tracking the success of these posts as well. This is a great area to really wow your prospective clients, so get creative and make sure your suggestions fit their branding and overall company message.

Account Management Details

Get into the nitty-gritty of what the agency-client relationship will look like, particularly how and how often you’ll touch base. This will help keep everyone on the same page about the partnership and the status of deliverables and results. Whether that includes weekly check-ins over video chat or just here-and-there contact through email, you’re always better setting these expectations out upfront. Make sure you show them how you’ll continue to offer value beyond the bare minimum of what’s expected. 

Metrics and KPIs

Social media success is a numbers game. Cover how you’ll be tracking success so that your client knows what to look at and how to tell if your efforts are delivering. These metrics should be closely tied to the goals set out by the client’s unique problems and should ideally be benchmarked against a few major competitors too.

Make sure you consider tracking things like website traffic from social, social follower growth over specific periods of time, and any lead conversions from social. They’ll want to know if you’ll be keeping track of how many likes, comments, and other engagements they receive and how you’ll compare these numbers month-to-month. 

Case Studies

Included in your social media proposal should be evidence of success with other clients. This gives an idea of how well you deliver and what kind of experience you bring to the table. If you haven’t cemented the gig yet, it’s also a great chance to persuade them further that your services are worth investing in.

Look at the clients that have been with you the longest or have seen great results from your partnership. Consider checking out your reviews, too, for potential clients to reach out to for case studies. 

Costs

You can’t talk proposals without talking price, and ultimately, it’s usually the cost that determines whether you get the job or not. Don’t cut your prices too much just to compete, and do be clear on what you’re charging and what your clients are getting in return.

Make sure you outline the areas you cannot cut versus the ones you can, which can come in handy if your prospective client wants to enter into negotiations. 

Next Steps

Outline what needs to happen next to take this proposal off the page. Be descriptive fn how the client should proceed to eliminate any guesswork or hurdles. This makes sure you both know where you stand and can set the pace for appropriate follow-up. 

Terms and Conditions

Last but not least, include any special terms, conditions, and/or policies that your client needs to know in regards to working with you. The clearer the boundaries and expectations, the better situated you’ll be for a positive partnership.  

This outline should give you a great idea of how to put together the basics of your social media proposal. If you want some additional help, check out some others online to see how other brands assemble theirs and add to yours if you think it will make your proposal really shine.