Sometimes, you need a little help launching your marketing campaign or bringing an initiative to life. That’s where vendors and external digital marketing agencies come in. These experts can save you time and effort by handling certain aspects of your marketing campaigns that your team doesn’t have the capacity for.
The best way to reach out to these experts is to create a marketing request for proposal (RFP). This document is a simple request form, making it easy to communicate your needs and get the exact services required for the project.
Here, we’ll explain what marketing RFPs are, including key components yours should include. We’ll also offer an easy-to-follow guide to creating a marketing RFP, tips for writing an effective one, and advice for finding the best opportunities. ✨
What Is a Marketing RFP ?
A marketing request for proposal, or RFP, is a document asking for services that your team can’t handle internally. You may send an RFP because your team is at capacity and can’t take on additional tasks or you may need help from an expert who has knowledge that your team doesn’t.
It’s a key component of most marketing planning processes , especially for teams that need outside resources to get the job done. 📄
You can send your marketing RFP to a specific marketing agency you’re interested in or publish it online as an open application form for broader reach. Typically, vendors respond to the RFP with a general quote, specific services they can offer, and an expected timeframe for deliverables.
An RFP differs from a request for information (RFI) or a request for quotes (RFQ). An RFI is a simpler questionnaire that’s used before an RFP to decide whether vendors should be included on the outreach list. It essentially pre-qualifies companies based on services or budget needs.
An RFQ is a document that requests detailed cost and quote information related to the service being requested in an RFP document. While an RFP asks for an estimated proposal amount, an RFQ is more detailed, with breakdowns of the costs of specific services based on the estimated timeline and scope of work.
Understanding Marketing RFPs
Marketing RFPs are an excellent resource for businesses needing extra help with marketing strategy, execution, or outreach. The function of a marketing RFP is to get outside assistance. Not only does this save your team time, but it also builds valuable connections with marketing experts. 🤝
A marketing project can move faster with marketing RFPs. With outside help, you can increase the number of campaigns you run or shift your internal team’s focus to more important marketing projects.
Some benefits of using a marketing RFP include:
- Expands your reach: Sending out RFPs brings experts straight to you. That means you can make connections, build valuable relationships, and expand your knowledge base while also making progress on initiatives
- Increases efficiency: A marketing RFP creates a standardized procurement process for getting external help on projects. This reduces the risk of miscommunications and streamlines decision-making, so you can move faster and more efficiently
- Builds a database of proven partners and solutions: Each time you reach out with an RFP, you’ll get replies from various professionals in the marketing space. The RFP sets evaluation criteria so you can build a database of potential vendors with experience you can turn to when you launch new campaigns
By sending an RFP, you can connect with other marketing experts and move projects through the pipeline more efficiently.
Here are some scenarios where marketing agencies may send RFPs:
- A marketing team that wants to expand their blog may send a digital marketing RFP to a digital agency or a content agency with SEO specialists
- A marketing team lead that wants to launch a creative project with professional visual content may send a creative brief strategies to get the job done.
Start with a template
Make your life easier by using a template—like the Web Development RFP Template from ClickUp —to create the framework of your request. While this template is specifically for marketing teams looking for external web development assistance, you can find templates for all kinds of RFPs.
Plan out the web dev process, purpose, objective, budget, timeline, and more in this detailed template
When choosing an RFP template , make sure it includes the essential components of a good RFP. It should include the sections we mentioned above, like the project overview and basic company information.
Add detailed information to each section
Once you have the general structure of the RFP document, you need to fill in all of the relevant details. Work through the document section by section, adding in your specific requests.
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Make this step easier using tools like ClickUp AI to automatically fill out key information like your company’s contact details and experience information. Create your RFP in ClickUp Docs , which allows you to collaborate with other team members to draft a more effective request. Use the embed feature to include tables or charts that make your RFP more engaging.
Identify potential vendors and send the RFP
Now that you have your RFP, you’ll want to make it available to potential vendors. You can cast a wide net by publishing the RFP on your site and inviting anyone to apply. Alternatively, you can contact specific agencies you’re interested in working with.
If you choose the latter approach, creating a list of vendors is helpful. With ClickUp’s Marketing features, including customer relationship management (CRM), you can build a database of vendors. Use custom fields in ClickUp’s marketing project management software to qualify potential vendors or indicate their willingness to participate if you’ve already reached out before.
Enhance your task organization by adding custom tags and use the filter options in List and Board View to precisely identify your highest priority tasks
As you send RFPs, document the responses you receive, and create profiles for new vendors with category tags for services they offer—like video production, case studies, or digital marketing services. That way, when it’s time to send a new RFP or request other services, you already have a pool of candidates to contact.
Use tools to manage the process
The best way to manage the process is with tools like proposal management software and blueprints like ClickUp’s RFP Process Template . This template keeps your team organized by tracking important due dates—like the submission deadline—and collects responses in one convenient space. 🛠️
Use this RFP process Template to help everyone stay on the same page when evaluating vendor proposals and managing the bidding process.
Create custom fields to track each proposal, and add priority flags to highlight specific proposals that meet your needs. Various views—including Kanban boards, Calendar views, and Gantt charts—make evaluating all applicants equally and keeping track of progress easy.
Quickly view and manage active and inactive Automations across Spaces with user updates and descriptions ClickUp’s project management features also streamline workflows, thanks to automations that move RFPs through your work pipeline. Add triggers to instantly assign someone on the team to review an application once it’s submitted. Set custom permissions to simplify decision-making and include dependencies to create workflows that show which tasks are blocking the next steps in the review process.
Follow up
After you’ve selected a vendor, it’s essential to follow up and incorporate a clear messaging plan. You’ll want to reach out to the vendor that won the bid and applicants that didn’t make the cut. Like your other marketing plans and strategies, tailor your response to different categories of applicants.
If you’ve reached out to a handful of providers, you can send a personal email to each one. If you’ve cast a wider net, you can categorize providers as “not qualified,” “qualified but out of budget,” or “qualified but not the right fit.” Based on these categories, you can send tailored email replies to multiple candidates indicating why they weren’t picked.
Manage your emails and work in one place—Send and receive emails anywhere in ClickUp, create tasks from emails, set up automations, attach emails to any task, and more.
In your messages, clearly state that all stakeholders appreciated the application and indicate why they weren’t selected. Keep things professional and brief, and include wording if you plan to reach out again for future projects.
Finding Marketing RFP Opportunities
If you have services you can offer to other agencies, you can use several channels to find and apply to other company’s RFPs so you can grow your own business. 🙌
Here are some of the best channels and platforms for finding marketing RFPs:
- Social media : Some organizations post RFPs on their social media channels—with LinkedIn being the most common, though Twitter is a close second
- RFP databases and public notices: Government agencies are required to publish their RFPs publicly, and many do so in online portals–like the RFP database to start building better marketing RFPs. With built-in AI tools and templates, you can create drafts and outlines for your RFPs in seconds. Paired with project management features and multiple views, it’s easy to manage the RFP process from start to finish. 💪