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A prospect liked the pitch call and asked you to "send something over". The proposal is where you write down the scope, the price and who does what. A proposal that says "social media management across platforms" leaves the client guessing how the work happens, and leaves you arguing about scope three months in.
Below are the sections to put in, in order, with wording you can adapt. Square brackets mark the parts to fill in.
Summary of the client's situation
Open with the client's problem, not your agency's history. Two short paragraphs are enough: what you heard on the call, then what you will do about it over the first 90 days.
"Your Instagram posting has been irregular since [month], and enquiries from social have dropped. Over the first 90 days we will publish [16] posts a month across Instagram and LinkedIn, and report each month on reach, engagement and enquiries."
Scope of work, with exclusions
Write the scope tightly enough that both sides can check it at the end of a month.
- Platforms: [Instagram, LinkedIn]
- Formats: [feed posts, carousels, Reels]
- Volume per month: [12 Instagram posts (8 feed posts or carousels, 4 Reels) and 4 LinkedIn posts, 16 in total]
- Content creation: [captions, static graphics, Reels edits up to 60 seconds from footage you supply]
- Cross-posting: [the same post adapted for a second platform counts as one post / as two posts]
- Not included: [paid ads, replying to comments and DMs, influencer work]
The "not included" line matters as much as the rest. It is the line you point to when a client asks for ad management in month three.
The approval process
Leave this out and the client fills the gap with their own assumptions. Describe how a post gets from draft to approved, how long the client has to reply, and what happens if they don't.
"We share each post for review on a link at least [3 working days] before it is due to go out. You can approve it or leave feedback, with no login needed. Each post includes [2] rounds of feedback. You have [48 hours] from our notification to reply; if we have not heard back by then, the post goes ahead at its scheduled time. To hold a post, tell us at least [24 hours] before that time. We publish; you never need to log in to a scheduling tool."
Set the sharing lead time longer than the reply window, so a post never goes out before the client's time to reply is over. Only promise what your process does. If posts go out at their scheduled time whether or not the client has replied, say so, and say how they can stop a post (by telling you before the time). Our social media post approval process covers how to set this up step by step.
Revision policy
State the number of rounds and the price of extra ones.
"Each post includes up to [2] rounds of feedback. A round is one set of feedback from you, however many comments it has. Fixes to our own mistakes do not use a round. A change to the brief, such as a new offer or a different product, is new work rather than a revision, and we will quote it separately. Extra rounds are billed at [₹ amount] per additional round, per post, and we confirm the charge with you before starting the work."
Defining a round stops the argument about whether five comments sent on one day count as one round or five. For setting the number per client, see revision limits and agency margins.
Deliverables and timeline
Give the first month dates, then the monthly rhythm.
First month:
- Week 1: account audit and baseline numbers
- Week 2: content plan and tone notes; first two weeks of posts shared for review
- Week 3: publishing starts
Every month after:
- Content calendar shared by the [date] of the month before
- Report delivered within [5] working days of month end
If you audit the account before the first post, name it. Our post on baselining a new client account covers what to measure.
Reporting
Name the metrics and say how you will explain them.
"Each month you get a one-page summary: reach, engagement rate, follower change and link clicks, what performed best, what didn't, and what we will change next month."
Pricing and payment terms
Put the price in the proposal, broken into lines the client can match to the scope.
| Service | Monthly fee |
|---|---|
| Social media management, [2] platforms | ₹[amount] |
| Content creation, [16] posts | ₹[amount] |
| Monthly report | Included |
| GST at 18% | ₹[amount] |
| Total | ₹[amount] |
Then the terms: invoice date, payment due date, late payment, and any advance or setup fee. If you are not GST-registered, leave the GST line out; your accountant can confirm the rate and wording for your invoices. To work out the numbers themselves, see social media management cost.
Inputs you need from the client
List it, so a slow start is not blamed on you.
- Brand guidelines and logo files
- Access to each social account
- One named contact who gives feedback
- A reply to each review within [48 hours]
- Launches, events and dates to avoid over the next 90 days
Contract terms, in short
Flag the terms your contract will cover: minimum period ([3] months), notice period, who owns the content, confidentiality, and what happens if a platform changes or removes a feature you rely on. Have whoever drafts your contracts review how the proposal and the contract fit together, and the wording for accepting either.
Credentials, at the end
One page: relevant experience, two or three results with numbers, and a link to your work. It goes last because the client reads to see whether you understood their problem first.
Running the process you wrote down
The approval and revision sections only hold if your day-to-day process matches them. In Poststack, each client is a workspace with its own feedback rounds (off, or 1 to 10) and a 48-hour review window you can turn on or off. Clients review on a link with no login, or on a client portal. Reminders go by daily email, and on WhatsApp when you turn it on for that client (direct messages only) and they have agreed to receive messages.
Run the approval process your proposal describes, with rounds counted per client. Start a 7-day free trial, no card needed.
Frequently asked questions
What should a social media proposal include? A summary of the client's situation, the scope with exclusions, the approval process, the revision policy, deliverables and dates, reporting, pricing and payment terms, what you need from the client, the key contract terms, and short credentials.
How long should a social media proposal be? Long enough to cover the sections above and short enough to read in one sitting. If a section explains how you will onboard the client in detail, move it to an onboarding document.
Should I put the price in the proposal? Yes. Break it into lines that match the scope, so the client can see what each part costs and what changes if they add or drop something.
How do I write revision rounds into a proposal? State the number of rounds per post, define a round as one set of client feedback, say what does not use a round, and give the price of extra rounds.
Do I still need a contract? Most agencies use both. Have whoever drafts your contracts confirm how the proposal fits into the agreement and when work can start.
