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A Guide on How to Write a Marketing Request for Proposal

If you are a marketing professional it is inevitable that you will need to write a marketing request for proposal or RFP. A marketing RFP has become a standard feature of the marketing world and learning to master the marketing RFP is an essential feature of successful marketing professionals. 

While many businesses handle their marketing in-house, as your business grows you will find that you need to hire a professional digital marketing agency to handle some of the work. Writing a marketing RFP can be seen as a sign that your business is growing and succeeding. Once you have reached a certain level of growth, you find you need to write a marketing RFP. 

There is some art and science to a successful marketing RFP. To do this correctly, it is best to learn the intricacies of all that should go into a marketing RFP. There are also other forms of marketing proposals you need to understand in order to be certain your marketing RFP is successful. 

What is a marketing RFP? What are the main features of a marketing RFP? And how do you go about writing a marketing RFP? This guide will take you through the main aspects of a marketing RFP.  

What is a marketing RFP?

A marketing RFP, Request for Proposals, is a method by which a growing company can find and determine the best marketing agency for a specific type of marketing strategy. A marketing RFP is a way of getting multiple proposals so you can compare strategies and costs to find the agency that is best for your needs. 

The goal of a marketing RFP is to get multiple proposals so you can weigh the pros and cons of each. With each proposal, you will learn the capabilities and costs of each agency. This is important information for your current marketing needs and for long-term strategies. In the end, you will be able to narrow down the marketing agencies that work best for your marketing needs. A good marketing RFP is ultimately an important tool in your overall marketing strategies and needs. 

What is a marketing proposal?

A marketing proposal is a written document that marketers use to convey the ideas for a project or strategy for a client. These proposals likely include things like strategies, delivery times, and cost estimates. The marketing proposal should offer a client a complete picture of what a marketing professional can do to help the client achieve their business goals

The marketing proposal comes at the request of an RFP. The purpose of the marketing proposal is to answer the questions and needs to be detailed in an RFP. These things provide details on features of an RFP such as project plans and timelines for implementation.  

Once you have sent your marketing RFP, you will begin to see a response from marketing agencies that detail how they can meet your needs for your marketing campaign. This is the marketing proposal, and these proposals will need to be evaluated against your initial draft of your RFP. How do these agencies stack up when it comes to your initial planning and goals? Do they fall within your budget? 

How to write a marketing request for a proposal

A good marketing RFB has some technical aspects that can make writing them a specific skill. On the other hand, some of the features of a marketing RFP just involve some thought and planning. The way to write a marketing RfP involves:

Have specific goals. Before you begin writing a marketing RFP, make a list of your business goals. What do you want to achieve? Make this list as specific as possible. Without some clear objectives, it will be difficult for anyone to properly respond and offer a bid. Think about the kind of company you are running and the kinds of products or services you are offering. Then make a list of the kinds of things you want to see in your marketing strategy. 

Make a list of what you would like to see in a marketing agency. You obviously want a marketing agency that is compatible with your business. The best way to begin is to take stock of your company values. What kind of image do you project to your customers, and how would you like a marketing agency to represent that image and your values? Consider the kinds of niche markets your business fills and make a list of ways a marketing agency can fill this niche with a marketing strategy. A good way to begin this part of the process is to do a simple Google search of marketing agencies in your area. This can make it possible to meet representatives from these agencies. 

Do some research. Before you begin writing a marketing RFP, you need to have a solid understanding of what digital marketing agencies do. Find out exactly what kinds of services they offer. Familiarize yourself with key terms in the field of digital marketing. This can help you determine crucial pieces of information like how to set your marketing budget.

Make a shortlist of marketing agencies of interest. Before you begin writing your marketing RFP, you should have a good idea of who you want to be involved in your marketing plans. This means getting a detailed picture of marketing agencies that appear suitable for your needs. Make a list of marketing agencies that appear compatible with your business and tailor your marketing RFP to these agencies. This means your marketing RFP needs to be general enough to reach most, if not all of these agencies, and specific enough that they can get a sense of your marketing needs and plans. 

A marketing request for proposal is equal parts planning and a detailed breakdown of all you hope to achieve. A good RFP involves getting a solid handle on the kinds of marketing agencies that will suit your needs and a detailed list of specific goals. You also need to fully understand your budget to get this across to potential marketing agencies. The real art of writing and marketing RFP involves the ways you craft all this information into a single piece that will best convey everything you need to get across to potential marketing agencies.  

What to include in a Marketing RFP?

Once you have done the planning and research, you should be ready to write your marketing RFP. The process of writing an RFP involves the following:

Statement of work

This is basically a summary of the work you need from a marketing agency. This section is sometimes called the scope of work. This details what you need to achieve. Make sure you include detailed explanations of the kind of work you want to be done and the kinds of strategies you require. For example, if your work largely depends on things like SEO, make sure you include this in your statement of work because some agencies specialize in SEO. Your statement of work should include: 

  • Why have you made this request for a proposal? This will include things like website design, SEO, PR campaign, product launch, etc. 
  • A detailed description of the marketing services you need. 
  • Summary of the current state of your marketing campaign. For example, missing websites, lacking in social media presence, in need of events, etc. 
  • The time frame for when you need the work completed. This should break down by week, month, quarter, etc. 
  • Date when you will make a decision on a marketing agency. 
  • Give agencies a deadline for response. Do not leave this open-ended. 

 

Set SMART goals

This stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. 

Goals like these might include something like an SEO strategy that needs work. You need to boost your rankings. You want to increase followers on social media. These are the kinds of goals that can be measured and give results that can also be measured. 

Company overview. Offer details of who you are and what you do. Provide some background on your company. Include things like:

  • When your business started. 
  • How you introduce your business to customers and other businesses. 
  • A summary of your company values. 
  • List of products and services you offer. 
  • Your target audience and customer base. 
  • Long and short-term goals. 

 

Determine your budget

Professionals differ on how much detail you should provide in this section. Most agree that being upfront about your budget makes the most sense. Include things like: 

  • Breakdown of your full marketing budget. 
  • Payment terms. 
  • Contract renewals. 
  • Potential extensions of campaigns. 

 

What are you looking for in an agency? 

  • What characteristics are you looking for in a marketing agency? 
  • Are you looking for a marketing agency that specializes in SEO or PR? 
  • Do you need the agency to be local, or can they be a national agency? 
  • Do you need multilingual capabilities? 
  • Define your target audience. 


Make sure your RFP includes a detailed breakdown of who your customer base is and who you are trying to reach. You need to understand the demographics of your customer base, and this information needs to be made clear in your marketing RFP. 

What’s the difference between RFP vs RFQ vs RFI?

An RFP is a document that solicits proposals from marketing agencies so that they can have the necessary information to offer reasonable bids to help you achieve your marketing goals. 

RFQ stands for request for quote. This is a specific request for pricing for specific services. It does not include a breakdown of all the services a marketing agency can offer. 

RFI stands for request for information, and it’s a useful way for companies seeking marketing and advertising services to gather information and intelligence about a particular advertising agency before formally engaging its staff in talks about a marketing proposal or agreement.

Marketing RFP FAQS

What is a marketing RFP?

A marketing RFP, Request for Proposals, is a method by which a growing company can find and determine the best marketing agency for a specific type of marketing strategy. A marketing RFP is a way of getting multiple proposals so you can compare strategies and costs to find the agency that is best for your needs. 

What is a marketing proposal?

A marketing proposal is a written document that marketers use to convey the ideas for a project or strategy for a client. These proposals likely include things like strategies, delivery times, and cost estimates. The marketing proposal should offer a client a complete picture of what a marketing professional can do to help the client achieve their business goals

How do you write a marketing request for a proposal?

To write a marketing request for a proposal you need to include a statement of work, specific marketing goals, your marketing budget, details about your business, the kinds of measurable results you need, and payment details. 

If you need a marketing agency, or if you need professionals who know how to write excellent marketing RFPs, HeyDay Marketing can provide Marketing Agency Service Integration to help you assemble the correct things you need to formulate a successful marketing RFP. 

As you can see from this guide, there is a lot that goes into a marketing request for a proposal. To get the results you need to launch a successful marketing campaign, you can leave things to professionals who are knowledgeable and will invest themselves in the success of your company. HeyDay Marketing Services provides public relations services that will help your business grow with professional and knowledgeable Marketing Agency Service Integration.  

HeyDay Marketing Services can build a Marketing Agency Service Integration that will allow you to find the kind of marketing agency and marketing strategy that will build your company. Whether you need help with SEO, social media exposure, or to increase your visibility on web searches, HeyDay Marketing Services and Marketing Agency Service Integration can help you position your business for increased growth and profit. 

HeyDay Marketing Services offers Marketing Agency Service Integration that works for your company. We understand that one size does not fit all. For sound public relations strategies that work, allow HeyDay Marketing Services to take over the public relations for your business.

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