📄Free Download & Guide

Digital Marketing RFP Template

Complete Request for Proposal template for evaluating and hiring digital marketing agencies. Includes 50+ essential questions, evaluation criteria, and best practices.

50+

Key Questions

Sections Included

100%

Free Template

15 min

Setup Time

Get Free Template View Sample

What's Included in the Template

Eight comprehensive sections covering everything you need to evaluate digital marketing agencies.

🏢

Company Overview

Background information about your business, industry, and current situation

Company background and history
Industry and target market
Current marketing efforts
Existing digital presence
Competitive landscape

🎯

Project Scope & Objectives

Clear definition of what you're looking for and what success looks like

Specific services needed (SEO, PPC, content, etc.)
Business goals and KPIs
Target audience definition
Geographic focus
Expected outcomes and timelines

📊

Current State Assessment

Details about your existing digital marketing situation and challenges

Current website analytics
Existing SEO rankings and traffic
Previous marketing vendors
Pain points and challenges
Available resources and assets

✅

Agency Qualifications

Criteria for agencies to demonstrate their expertise and fit

Years of experience requirements
Industry expertise needed
Team size and structure
Certifications and partnerships
Geographic location preferences

🔧

Methodology & Approach

Questions about how the agency will execute and manage the work

Strategy development process
Execution methodology
Tools and technology used
Communication and reporting
Quality assurance processes

💰

Budget & Pricing

Financial parameters and pricing structure expectations

Budget range or maximum
Pricing model preferences
Payment terms and schedule
What's included vs. additional costs
Contract length expectations

📅

Timeline & Deliverables

Project schedule, milestones, and expected deliverables

RFP submission deadline
Project start date
Key milestones and phases
Reporting frequency
Review and approval process

⚖️

Evaluation Criteria

How you'll assess and compare agency proposals

Weighting of different factors
Selection process and timeline
Decision-makers involved
Reference check requirements
Finalist presentation format

50+ Essential Questions to Ask

Organized by category to help you thoroughly evaluate potential agency partners.

🏢

Agency Background & Experience

?How long has your agency been in business?
?How many clients do you currently serve?
?What is your average client retention rate?
?Do you have experience in our industry? Please provide examples.
?What size companies do you typically work with?
?Are you a full-service agency or specialized?
?What certifications does your team hold (Google, HubSpot, etc.)?
?What's your geographic location and time zone?

👥

Team & Resources

?Who will be working on our account specifically?
?What is the experience level of team members assigned?
?Do you outsource any work? If so, what and to whom?
?What is your team's capacity and current workload?
?Who will be our main point of contact?
?How do you handle team member turnover?
?What is the ratio of clients to account managers?
?Do you have subject matter experts for specialized areas?

🎯

Strategy & Methodology

?What is your approach to developing a digital marketing strategy?
?How do you conduct initial audits and assessments?
?What is your typical process and timeline for strategy development?
?How do you prioritize recommendations and initiatives?
?How do you adapt strategy based on results?
?What methodologies do you follow (Agile, Waterfall, etc.)?
?How do you ensure alignment with our business goals?
?What makes your approach different from competitors?

⚙️

Execution & Deliverables

?What specific deliverables are included in your services?
?How frequently will work be performed and delivered?
?What tools and platforms do you use?
?How do you ensure quality control?
?What is your content creation process?
?How do you handle revisions and feedback?
?What is your typical turnaround time for requests?
?Do you follow ethical/white-hat practices only?

📊

Reporting & Communication

?What metrics do you track and report on?
?How frequently will we receive reports?
?What does a typical report include?
?How do you communicate outside of formal reports?
?What is your response time for questions and issues?
?Do you provide real-time dashboard access?
?How do you explain results and insights to non-technical stakeholders?
?What meeting cadence do you recommend?

📈

Results & Case Studies

?Can you provide 3-5 case studies similar to our situation?
?What results have you achieved for clients in our industry?
?Can we speak with 3 current or past client references?
?What is a realistic timeline for seeing results?
?How do you define and measure success?
?What happens if results don't meet expectations?
?What is your average ROI for clients?
?Can you share before/after examples of your work?

💰

Pricing & Contract Terms

?What is your pricing structure (retainer, project, hourly)?
?What is included in the base price vs. additional costs?
?Are there any setup or onboarding fees?
?What is the minimum contract length?
?What are your payment terms?
?What is your cancellation policy?
?Do you offer performance-based pricing?
?How do you handle scope changes and additional work?

🛠️

Technology & Tools

?What SEO/marketing tools do you use?
?Will we need to purchase any tools or licenses?
?What level of access will we have to tools and data?
?Do you have proprietary tools or technology?
?How do you stay current with platform updates?
?What is your approach to testing and experimentation?
?How do you integrate with our existing tech stack?
?What data security measures do you have in place?

How to Evaluate Proposals

Weighted scoring criteria to objectively compare agency proposals.

🏆

Experience & Expertise

25%

•Years in business and client portfolio
•Industry-specific experience
•Team qualifications and certifications
•Proven track record with case studies
•Awards and recognition

🎯

Proposed Strategy & Approach

30%

•Quality and creativity of proposed strategy
•Understanding of our business and challenges
•Realistic timeline and expectations
•Methodology and process clarity
•Differentiation from competitors

💰

Pricing & Value

20%

•Competitiveness of pricing
•Transparency of costs
•Value for money and ROI potential
•Flexibility of contract terms
•No hidden fees or surprises

👥

Team & Resources

15%

•Quality and experience of assigned team
•Capacity to handle our needs
•Communication style and responsiveness
•Cultural fit with our organization
•Availability and accessibility

📊

Reporting & Communication

10%

•Quality of reporting and insights
•Frequency and format of updates
•Responsiveness to questions
•Proactive communication style
•Transparency and honesty

RFP Best Practices

Follow these guidelines to get better proposals and make smarter hiring decisions.

🎯

Be Specific About Your Goals

Vague objectives lead to vague proposals. Clearly define what success looks like with specific metrics.

✅ Do This:

• Include actual numbers (traffic, leads, revenue)
• Specify timeframes for expected results
• Define your target audience in detail
• Share current baseline metrics

❌ Don't Do This:

• Say 'improve SEO' without specifics
• Leave goals open to interpretation
• Hide current performance data
• Use buzzwords without substance

📋

Provide Adequate Background

Agencies need context to provide relevant proposals. Share information about your business, industry, and challenges.

✅ Do This:

• Include website analytics and current rankings
• Explain competitive landscape
• Share previous marketing efforts and results
• Be transparent about pain points

❌ Don't Do This:

• Assume agencies know your industry
• Withhold important context
• Hide past failures or challenges
• Keep budgets completely secret

⏰

Set Realistic Timelines

Give agencies enough time to craft thoughtful proposals, and set realistic project start dates.

✅ Do This:

• Allow 2-3 weeks for proposal development
• Build in time for Q&A and clarifications
• Plan for reference checks and presentations
• Consider agency availability for start dates

❌ Don't Do This:

• Expect proposals in 2-3 days
• Rush the selection process
• Demand immediate start dates
• Skip reference checks to save time

💷

Be Transparent About Budget

At minimum, provide a budget range. This saves everyone time and results in more relevant proposals.

✅ Do This:

• Share a realistic budget range
• Explain what's included in budget
• Be clear about budget flexibility
• Mention if budget can grow over time

❌ Don't Do This:

• Say 'send your best price' with no guidance
• Lowball your actual budget
• Compare agencies on price alone
• Expect champagne results on beer budget

📞

Ask for Case Studies & References

Past performance is the best predictor of future results. Always check references.

✅ Do This:

• Request 3-5 relevant case studies
• Ask to speak with current and past clients
• Ask specific questions to references
• Verify claims and results independently

❌ Don't Do This:

• Skip reference checks
• Only read written testimonials
• Accept generic case studies
• Fail to verify claimed results

🤝

Evaluate Fit Beyond Capabilities

Technical skills matter, but cultural fit and communication style are equally important for long-term success.

✅ Do This:

• Assess communication style and responsiveness
• Evaluate cultural fit with your team
• Consider time zone and availability
• Look for proactive vs. reactive approach

❌ Don't Do This:

• Focus only on technical capabilities
• Ignore communication red flags
• Overlook cultural misalignment
• Dismiss your gut feeling about fit

Common RFP Mistakes to Avoid

Learn from these frequent errors that lead to poor agency selection and wasted time.

❌

Being Too Vague

Problem: RFPs that say 'we need SEO' without specifics result in generic proposals that don't address your actual needs.

✅ Solution: Provide detailed context: current traffic, rankings, goals, target audience, competitive landscape, and specific pain points.

💸

Hiding Your Budget

Problem: When you don't share budget, agencies guess wildly—some too high, some too low. You waste time on mismatched proposals.

✅ Solution: Provide at least a budget range. This ensures proposals are realistic and appropriate for your investment level.

⏱️

Unrealistic Timelines

Problem: Expecting proposals in 48 hours or demanding immediate start dates limits your options and quality.

✅ Solution: Give agencies 2-3 weeks to respond and plan realistic project start dates. Good agencies are usually booked 4-8 weeks out.

💰

Choosing Based on Price Alone

Problem: The cheapest proposal is rarely the best. You get what you pay for, and cheap SEO often means low-quality or black-hat tactics.

✅ Solution: Evaluate based on value, expertise, strategy quality, and fit—not just price. Calculate ROI, not cost savings.

📞

Not Checking References

Problem: Agencies can make big promises. Without reference checks, you won't know if they deliver.

✅ Solution: Always speak with 2-3 references. Ask about results, communication, responsiveness, and whether they'd hire the agency again.

👥

Too Many Decision-Makers

Problem: When 8 people must approve, the process drags on for months and agencies lose interest.

✅ Solution: Limit decision-makers to 3-4 key stakeholders. Empower them to make the final decision without excessive layers of approval.

Sample RFP Template Sections

Preview what's included in each section with example content.

📄

1. Executive Summary

Brief overview of your company, the opportunity, and what you're seeking from potential agency partners.

Example:

[Company Name] is seeking a digital marketing agency specializing in SEO to help us increase organic traffic by 150% and generate 50+ qualified leads per month within 12 months. We're a B2B SaaS company in the HR tech space with 15 employees and $2M annual revenue.

🏢

2. Company Background

Detailed information about your company, products/services, target market, and competitive landscape.

Example:

Founded in 2018, [Company Name] provides cloud-based HR management software for small businesses (10-100 employees). Our primary competitors are BambooHR, Gusto, and Namely. Current website traffic: 5K/month organic visits, 2% conversion rate.

🎯

3. Project Objectives & Scope

Clear definition of what you want to achieve and the specific services needed.

Example:

Primary objective: Increase qualified organic traffic to 15K monthly visits and achieve page 1 rankings for 20+ high-intent keywords. Services needed: Technical SEO audit and fixes, on-page optimization, content strategy and creation, link building.

📊

4. Current State & Challenges

Honest assessment of where you are today and what's not working.

Example:

Current challenges: Previous SEO agency delivered minimal results over 6 months. Site has technical issues (slow load time, mobile responsiveness). We rank well for brand terms but not valuable product-related keywords. Content library is thin.

👥

5. Target Audience & Market

Detailed description of who you're trying to reach.

Example:

Primary audience: HR managers and business owners at companies with 10-100 employees, primarily in US and UK. Pain points: manual HR processes, compliance concerns, employee onboarding inefficiency. Average customer value: $5,000/year.

💰

6. Budget & Timeline

Budget parameters and project schedule expectations.

Example:

Budget: £2,000-£4,000 per month for ongoing SEO services. Preferred contract: 6-month initial term with monthly renewal option after. Ideal start date: Within 6 weeks of selection. RFP responses due: [Date].

📋

7. Proposal Requirements

Specific information you want agencies to include in their response.

Example:

Please include: Agency background, team bios, proposed strategy overview, similar case studies, timeline and deliverables, pricing breakdown, references (3 minimum), answers to attached questions.

⚖️

8. Evaluation Process

How and when you'll make your decision.

Example:

Evaluation criteria: Experience (25%), Proposed Strategy (30%), Pricing (20%), Team Fit (15%), Communication (10%). Timeline: Proposals due [Date], Finalist presentations [Date Range], Final selection by [Date], Project kickoff [Date].

What Happens After the RFP?

Typical timeline and process from RFP submission to final selection.

Review & Shortlist

1-2 weeks after submission deadline

Evaluate all proposals against your criteria and narrow down to 2-4 finalists.

Reference Checks

3-5 days

Contact references for finalists to verify claims and learn about their experience.

Finalist Presentations

1 week

Invite top candidates to present their strategy in more detail and meet the team.

Final Decision

3-5 days

Make your selection based on all information gathered and negotiate final terms.

Contract & Onboarding

1-2 weeks

Sign contract, provide access to tools and platforms, and begin discovery phase.

Ready to Find the Right Agency?

Download our free RFP template and start evaluating agencies with confidence. Or skip the RFP process and talk to InstaRank directly.

Download Free Template Talk to InstaRank

50+ essential questions

8 complete sections

Free forever

Ready to use today