If you work in digital or search marketing, you may often need to create compelling proposals for prospective clients to outline how you'll manage their paid search campaign. This can be a time-consuming activity if you have to start from scratch each and every time you need to create one. While PPC campaigns are all unique, your proposal can start from a core proposal template that you customize.
This can take some of the overwhelm out of creating and sending a proposal and save you time, too. This extra time can be spent really understanding your customer's needs and goals and, of course, optimizing your campaigns.
What is a PPC proposal?
A PPC proposal is a sales proposal that digital agencies or consultants use to outline how they'll create and manage paid search campaigns. These are ad campaigns that show up in popular search engines like Google and Bing. An effectively written advertising proposal means outlining the key aspects of their PPC services, such as goals, strategy, budget, payment terms, timeline, and expected results.
The main goal of a PPC proposal is to fast-track the sales process and help sales reps close deals more efficiently. It also serves as a blueprint for the PPC campaign, providing a clear roadmap for both the client and the agency to follow.
PPC proposals are usually created after an initial consultation with the client or even an audit of any active campaigns, where the marketing agency gathers information about the client's business, goals, and budget. This information is then used to create a customized proposal addressing specific needs and objectives.
If you want a visual representation of a PPC proposal template, you can see ours below:
Steps to write a great PPC proposal: Key elements to include
Writing a PPC proposal is much easier when you're using the right process to guide you. Here are the essential steps to follow in your PPC proposal and some key elements you want to make sure you include.
Outline the main challenge
The main challenge in a PPC proposal refers to the significant problem or hurdle the client's business currently faces, which the proposed PPC campaign aims to address. Identifying this challenge accurately is crucial as it helps to tailor the PPC strategy to the client's needs and convince them of the value and potential impact of the proposed campaign. The main challenge could be increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to a website or landing page, or increasing conversions or donations (in the case of a nonprofit).
Establish the priorities
Outside of the main challenge, your prospect may have other goals they want to achieve. Once you've locked in on the main goal, consider other priorities your proposal might need to address. These could include newsletter signups, driving traffic to a specific initiative or again, building brand awareness as a secondary priority.
Set clear goals
Setting clear goals in a PPC proposal involves defining measurable, specific objectives the campaign aims to achieve. These goals, which could range from improving click-through rates to boosting sales conversions, provide a direction for the campaign and a benchmark against which to measure its success.
Run a situational analysis
A situational analysis in a PPC proposal involves studying the current market conditions, the client's position in the market, and the competitors' activities. It provides critical insights that help shape a successful PPC strategy, ensuring that the campaign aligns with the client's needs and stands out in the competitive landscape.
Draw a campaign strategy
At this stage of the PPC sales proposal, you should outline your strategy suggestion. This is where you showcase your skills, strategic thinking, and vision for your client's success. Here are some of the elements to include in the campaign strategy section:
Keywords
What is your proposed keyword list for the campaign? How will you choose them, and why do they make sense for your client's industry?
Targeting
How will you target ads to reach a specific audience? What targeting parameters will you use, and why are they relevant to the client's business?
Ad placement
What is your strategy regarding ad placement, and how will you maximize the chances of reaching your target audience?
Ad group structure
How will you group ads and keywords together to ensure the most relevant and effective ad delivery? How will you showcase smart PPC management skills?
Ad copy & creative
What is your approach to creating engaging ad copies and creatives that will capture the attention of the target audience? How will they align with the client's brand identity and campaign goals? And, how will you make sure your landing pages match customer intent?
Analytics & reporting
How will you track PPC performance? What metrics will you focus on to measure success? How often will you provide reports and updates on the campaign's progress?
Your promise
Once you have explained your strategy, it's time to help your prospective client understand what you promise. In a nutshell, explain what working with you will be like, the kind of things you promise, and why they should trust you.
About you
This is where you introduce your company and team. Make this a very brief but informative section, giving a snapshot of your strengths, experience, and track record. You want to reassure the client that they are in good hands with your agency.
Social proof
Social proof "vets" you in the eye of your potential customer. When they see other customers have trusted you and benefitted from your collaboration, they're more likely to trust you, too. Always have 3-4 logos or brief quotes of past clients with their names, positions, and company names to use as social proof.
Pricing
So far, your proposal should have underlined the value your PPC agency offers. If this is clear, the client will understand why your services are worth what you charge. So use this section to make a thorough, clear breakdown of your services, prices, and any special policies you may have (e.g., minimum ad spend, rounds of revisions on copy and creative, etc.)
What makes for a successful PPC sales proposal?
As with any well-written sales proposal, whichever sales methodology you are using, a good PPC proposal starts with a clear structure and ensures you include all the relevant information in a compelling, persuasive way. Additionally, there are three golden characteristics all successful PPC sales proposals share:
Relevant
Every line in your proposal should be relevant to your customer, their audience, and your final goal: to strike a deal. Avoid digressing, focus on your customer and their needs, and leave out any general, irrelevant information.
Specific
Vague promises and generic information won't get you anywhere. Instead, use specific data and examples to showcase your expertise, skills, and results. This will help build trust with the client and demonstrate the value of your proposal.
Realistic
Equally, being too optimistic with your promises and predictions will sound unrealistic and may raise doubts about your credibility. Stay grounded and honest in your proposal, outlining achievable goals and providing evidence to back up your claims.
Top three mistakes to avoid when writing a PPC sales proposal
When you write your proposal, be sure it isn't:
1. Insufficiently researched
Do your homework. Really take your time to dive into your prospect's business, who they are, what they believe in, their main challenge, and, of course, who their audience is. A discovery call should help you reveal the most important bits of information about your potential customer.
If you aren't sure where to start with your research, the following questions will help you understand them, their business environment, and their pain points:
- What is your primary goal with this PPC campaign?
- Who is your target audience, and what do you know about them?
- What are your main competitors doing in terms of PPC advertising?
- How do you measure success for your business?
- Have you run any PPC campaigns in the past, and if yes, what platforms did you use and what were your results?
- Why are you looking for a new PPC agency?
2. Insufficiently personalized
Using sales proposal templates is great -- but using the same info and ideas for every prospective client you interact with is a pitfall. It shows the client you haven't taken the time to understand their unique needs and are just trying to make a quick sale. Always customize your proposal with specific details and ideas that speak to each client's business.
3. Only focused on your agency
You don't want your sales proposal to read just like your website. There are plenty of ways your customer can learn about you (and they likely already have done their due diligence). You want your sales proposal to focus on how your services fit into your prospect's life and how you can help them fix a major issue (e.g., running inefficient PPC campaigns with a very high CPC, for example.)
Example of a PPC advertising proposal template
Working with customizable PPC advertising proposal templates can save you hours of work and help you create a professional-looking proposal in no time. Choosing the right template to work with can make all the difference. It's one thing to send along a Google Doc; it's completely different to show up with a polished, interactive proposal.
Qwilr's free PPC proposal template and Google ads proposal template is pre-equipped with all the elements you need to have solid sales conversations and negotiations with your prospect:
- A clean structure that helps you organize your ideas in a compelling and persuasive way
- A variety of interactive modules (e.g., videos, images, pricing tables) to enrich your proposal and make it stand out
- Customizable sections that allow you to tailor your proposal to each specific client
- Easy editing and updating features so you can quickly make changes or add new information if needed
- Analytics, so you know if your customer has seen your proposal or interacted with it
- An eSignature feature, so you and your client can sign the proposal digitally without having to print and scan it
The best proposal templates have all of the above features.
Alternatively, you can try our AI proposal generator for free and create your own professional looking proposal in minutes.
FAQs
What’s the best format for a PPC proposal?
The best format for a PPC proposal is clean and to the point. It starts with an outline of the main challenges, how you plan to address them, who your agency is made of, your pricing structure and terms, and social proof or testimonials.
Creating a PPC proposal that stands out in the crowd
Pitching PPC services can be a daunting task. Creating a solid sales proposal may feel like one more thing on your list in between sourcing leads, inbound and outbound marketing, and networking.
Creating the perfect PPC proposal doesn't have to feel like a chore, though. The key ingredients are the right sales proposal software, a good structure, and a clear idea of what your customer needs and wants. Everything else is just a matter of adjusting your prospect's expectations to your agency's offer (in a way that focuses on them, not you.)
If you're looking for a way to make your PPC proposals stand out in what can be a crowded field, consider using Qwilr's PPC proposal template as your starting point. Need help getting up and running? Book a demo to see how it all comes together.
About the author
Brendan Connaughton|Head of Growth Marketing
Brendan heads up growth marketing and demand generation at Qwilr, overseeing performance marketing, SEO, and lifecycle initiatives. Brendan has been instrumental in developing go-to-market functions for a number of high-growth startups and challenger brands.
