MARKETING RETAINER PROPOSAL =========================== Disclaimer — not legal advice. This template is provided free of charge, as is and with no warranty of any kind, and using it creates no attorney-client relationship. It is jurisdiction-neutral: you are responsible for adapting it, for your own legal and tax compliance, and for having a qualified professional in your jurisdiction review it before you rely on it. Full terms: https://trycolo.co/terms-of-use Prepared for: [CLIENT CONTACT NAME], [CLIENT COMPANY NAME] Prepared by: [YOUR NAME / AGENCY NAME], [YOUR EMAIL] Date: [DATE] | Proposal ref: [PROPOSAL NUMBER] | Valid until: [EXPIRY DATE] 1. Business goals ----------------- [ONE PARAGRAPH. Example: "[CLIENT COMPANY] has grown through referrals and now wants a predictable flow of new customers. Marketing has been handled by the founder in spare hours, with no regular email program and an ad account that has not been reviewed in a year. This retainer provides senior marketing strategy and hands-on execution every month, starting [START DATE]."] Goal | Baseline | Target | Timeframe --------------------------------------------- | --------------------------- | --------------------------- | ---------- [GOAL 1, E.G. QUALIFIED LEADS PER MONTH] | [NUMBER] | [NUMBER] | [6] months [GOAL 2, E.G. REVENUE FROM EMAIL] | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] / month | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] / month | [6] months [GOAL 3, E.G. COST PER LEAD FROM PAID SEARCH] | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] | [3] months Targets guide priorities and are reviewed quarterly. Results depend on factors including product, pricing, sales follow-up and market conditions. 2. Workstreams -------------- Workstream | Included | Examples of work ----------------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strategy and planning | Yes | Quarterly roadmap, monthly plan, campaign planning Email marketing | [YES / NO] | Newsletters, welcome and nurture sequences in the client's email platform, list hygiene Content | [YES / NO] | Blog posts, case studies, lead magnets SEO | [YES / NO] | On-page optimization, content briefs, technical checks Paid media | [YES / NO] | [PLATFORMS] campaign management and reporting Social media | [YES / NO] | [PLATFORMS], [NUMBER] posts per week Landing pages | [YES / NO] | Copy and build in [TOOL] Reporting and analytics | Yes | Monthly dashboard, quarterly review Not included: brand identity design, website redesign, video production, PR, sales outreach, [OTHER EXCLUSIONS]. These can be quoted as separate projects. 3. Monthly capacity ------------------- | [TIER 1] | [TIER 2] | [TIER 3] ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ Hours per month | [20] | [40] | [60] Baseline deliverables | [E.G. 2 NEWSLETTERS, 2 ARTICLES, ADS MANAGEMENT] | [E.G. 4 NEWSLETTERS, 4 ARTICLES, 1 LANDING PAGE, ADS MANAGEMENT] | [E.G. TIER 2 PLUS SOCIAL AND QUARTERLY CAMPAIGN] Planning meeting | Monthly, [30] min | Monthly, [60] min | Monthly, [60] min + fortnightly check-in Slack in plan for flexible requests | ~[10]% | ~[15]% | ~[20]% Monthly fee | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Recommended: [TIER], because [REASON]. 4. How a month works -------------------- 1. Planning (last week of the month): we agree next month's priorities in a planning meeting. I send a written monthly plan within [2] business days. 2. Approval: you approve the plan within [3] business days. The approved plan is the scope for the month. 3. Execution: I deliver the plan, with drafts for approval at agreed points. 4. Swap rule: new requests during the month either wait for the next plan, or replace planned work of a similar size. You choose which. 5. Add-ons: work you want in addition to the plan is quoted before it starts and billed separately. 6. Review: results are covered in the monthly report and the next planning meeting. 5. First 90 days ---------------- Month | Focus ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Month 1 | Audit of channels and analytics, tracking fixes, quick wins, first campaigns planned Month 2 | Launch [CAMPAIGN / EMAIL PROGRAM / CONTENT PLAN], first optimization cycle Month 3 | Scale what works, cut what does not, quarterly review and next-quarter roadmap 6. Third-party costs -------------------- Cost | Paid by | Notes ------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- Ad spend | Client, directly to platforms | Recommended starting budget: [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] / month Marketing tools ([EMAIL PLATFORM], [SEO TOOL], [OTHER]) | Client accounts | [OR INCLUDED UP TO [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT]] Stock images, fonts | [CLIENT / INCLUDED] | Freelance specialists (e.g. video, design) | Client, quoted in advance | Managed by me 7. Reporting ------------ Monthly report, by the [DAY] of each month: - Progress against the goals in section 1 - Work delivered against the monthly plan - Channel results: email, content, search, paid, social as relevant - What we learned and what changes next month - Hours used against capacity Quarterly review: a [60]-minute meeting to review results, adjust goals and agree the next roadmap. 8. Fee, hours and term ---------------------- Item | Detail ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- Monthly fee | As per chosen tier, invoiced on the [1st] of each month in advance Payment terms | Due within [NUMBER] days Unused hours | [DO NOT ROLL OVER / UP TO [PERCENT]% ROLL INTO THE NEXT MONTH ONLY] Additional hours | [CURRENCY] [HOURLY RATE], only with written approval Onboarding fee (one-time) | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT], covers audit and setup in month 1 Initial term | [3 / 6] months After initial term | Rolling monthly, [30] days' written notice by either side Tier changes | With [30] days' notice, effective from the next monthly invoice Account ownership | All ad accounts, tools, content and data belong to the client All amounts exclude [TAX] where applicable. Full terms are in the attached [RETAINER AGREEMENT]. 9. Acceptance ------------- Tier chosen: [ ] [TIER 1] [ ] [TIER 2] [ ] [TIER 3] Start date: [START DATE] Client | Marketer ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- Signature: ____________________ | Signature: ____________________ Name: [CLIENT SIGNATORY NAME] | Name: [YOUR NAME] Company: [CLIENT LEGAL NAME] | Business: [YOUR BUSINESS NAME] Date: [DATE] | Date: [DATE] ------------------------------------------------------------ How to use this template 1. Base the goals in section 1 on the client's own numbers, not industry averages. 2. Mark each workstream in section 2 as included or not. Do not leave rows ambiguous. 3. Explain the swap rule on the sales call, before the client reads it here. 4. Keep ad spend and tools on the client's accounts. 5. Put the first planning meeting in the calendar when the proposal is signed. Template provided by Colo (trycolo.co). Not legal advice — review with a qualified professional in your jurisdiction.