Marketing Retainer Proposal Template

A marketing retainer proposal sets out the results you'll work toward, what's included each month, how you'll report, and the terms of an ongoing engagement. This template offers three retainer levels clients choose from.

  • Where You Are, and Where You Want to Be
  • How the Retainer Works
  • Reporting
  • Retainer options
  • What's Not Included
  • Term and Cancellation
  • Payment Terms
  • Ownership and Access
  • Acceptance
  • Signatures from you and your client
Free, no account needed to start. Not legal advice.

Use it to turn a project client into an ongoing marketing partnership, or to pitch monthly services to a new client.

The full template

Words in brackets, like [Client Name], fill in automatically from your client's details when you use the template in Clientary.

In the editor, you can change any section and package options. Once you send it, your client picks a package and signs online. Edit this template online

This proposal outlines an ongoing marketing partnership between [Company Name] and [Client Name]: the results we'll work toward, what's included each month, how we report, and three retainer levels to choose from.

Where You Are, and Where You Want to Be

[Summarize the current situation, for example: steady referral business, but little predictable demand from search or social, and no reporting on what marketing spend returns.]

Over the first six months, we'll focus on:

  • [Objective, for example: grow qualified leads from the website by 30%]
  • [Objective, for example: publish consistently on two social channels]
  • [Objective, for example: report on cost per lead every month]

How the Retainer Works

Each month we plan, produce, and report on an agreed set of deliverables. A shared plan at the start of the month sets priorities, and you approve content before it goes live.

Month one is onboarding: audits of your site, search, and social channels, tracking setup, and a 90-day plan we agree on together.

Every month after follows the plan, adjusted by what the numbers show.

Reporting

You'll receive a monthly report covering traffic, leads, campaign results, and spend, with a 45-minute review call to agree on next month's priorities.

Retainer options

Retainers are billed monthly in advance. Advertising spend is billed separately at cost and paid directly to the ad platforms.

Foundation · Search and content
Monthly strategy and reporting$800.00
SEO, on-page and technical$1,200.00
Blog articles, 2 per month (2)$900.00
Total$2,900.00
Growth · Search, content, and social
Monthly strategy and reporting$1,000.00
SEO, on-page and technical$1,200.00
Blog articles, 4 per month (4)$1,800.00
Social media, 2 channels$1,500.00
Total$5,500.00
Accelerate · Adds paid campaigns and email
Monthly strategy and reporting$1,200.00
SEO, on-page and technical$1,200.00
Blog articles, 4 per month (4)$1,800.00
Social media, 3 channels$2,000.00
Paid campaign management$1,500.00
Email newsletter, 2 per month (2)$800.00
Total$8,500.00

What's Not Included

  • Advertising spend, which you pay to the ad platforms directly
  • Website redesign or new development, which we quote separately
  • Photography and video production beyond stock images
  • Hours beyond the monthly scope, billed at $120 per hour with your approval

Unused deliverables don't roll over to the next month, but we'll always tell you early if a month's plan is at risk.

Term and Cancellation

The retainer starts with a three-month minimum term, then continues month to month. Either party may end it with 30 days' written notice. You may change retainer levels with the start of any month.

Payment Terms

The first month's retainer is due on signing. After that, retainers are invoiced on the 1st of each month and due within 15 days. We may pause work on accounts more than 30 days overdue.

Ownership and Access

Content we create for you is yours once paid for. Ad accounts, analytics, and social profiles stay in your name, with access granted to us for the length of the retainer.

Acceptance

Choose your retainer level and sign below to get started. We'll schedule your onboarding call within one week.

How to use this template in Clientary

  1. Edit it online. Change any section, add your own, and add a fee table with packages the client can choose from. No account needed.
  2. Preview it as your client will see it. Fill in who it's for and pick a design.
  3. Start your free trial to send it. Confirm you'll have it reviewed, since templates aren't legal advice, and your proposal is waiting in your new account with your client's details filled in.
  4. Send it to be signed. Your client reviews, chooses a package, and signs online, and you can see when it's viewed and signed.

Learn more about proposal software in Clientary.

Frequently asked questions

What's a typical minimum term for a marketing retainer?

Many agencies ask for a three-month minimum, since search and content take time to show results, then continue month to month with 30 days' notice. This template uses that structure.

Should ad spend be included in a marketing retainer?

Usually not. Ad spend is billed at cost or paid directly to the platforms, so the retainer covers your team's work and the client keeps control of the budget.

Is this marketing retainer proposal template free?

Yes. Read and copy the full text on this page, or edit it online and see it as your client will. When it's ready, start a free Clientary trial to send it or download it as a PDF.

Has a lawyer reviewed this template?

No. It's a general starting point written by Clientary, not legal advice, and it hasn't been reviewed by a lawyer for your situation or the laws where you and your client work. Have your own counsel review it before you use or sign it.

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