Email marketing proposal template

The email marketing proposal template

Email is one of the few marketing channels a business fully owns, and most clients know they're not using it well. They send an occasional newsletter, have no welcome series, and aren't sure whether their emails even reach the inbox. Your proposal should show you understand all three: the flows that earn money in the background, the campaigns that keep the list warm, and the technical set-up that keeps emails out of spam.

This template works for e-commerce brands, service businesses and B2B companies. Swap the flows to match the business model: abandoned cart and post-purchase for shops, lead nurture and re-engagement for services.

The filled-in example further down uses a fictional client. Its names, numbers and prices are illustrations, so use your own.

Email marketing proposal for [Client business name]

Prepared for: [Client name], [Company]
Prepared by: [Your name], [portfolio link or example emails]
Date: [date]
Valid until: [date]

1. Where you are now
[Company] has [list size] subscribers on [email platform]. From a first look: [observation 1, e.g. there's no welcome email for new subscribers], [observation 2, e.g. the last campaign went out (X) months ago], [observation 3, e.g. the sending domain has no DMARC record]. You'd like email to [the goal, e.g. bring in steady repeat sales / turn enquiries into booked calls].

2. Goals and how we'll measure them
Main goal: [e.g. revenue from email, tracked in your email platform and analytics].
Supporting: click rate, conversion rate, list growth, unsubscribe and spam complaint rates.
Baseline: I'll record current numbers in week 1 and report against them.

3. Scope of work
Phase 1, audit and set-up
- Audit of list health, sign-up forms, past campaigns and current flows
- Deliverability: SPF, DKIM and DMARC on your sending domain, list clean-up, unsubscribe and complaint checks
- A branded, mobile-friendly email template
- Segments: [e.g. new subscribers, first-time buyers, repeat buyers, lapsed customers]
Phase 2, automated flows
- [Welcome series: X emails]
- [Abandoned cart or browse abandonment: X emails]
- [Post-purchase or onboarding: X emails]
- [Win-back or re-engagement: X emails]
Ongoing, each month
- [X] campaigns written, designed, tested and sent to the right segments
- One test per campaign (subject line, offer, layout or send time)
- Sign-up form and pop-up improvements
- Monthly report and planning call
Not included: [paid ads, product photography, platform subscription costs].

4. Deliverables
- Audit report with prioritised fixes
- Email template and segment set-up
- [Number] automated flows, live and tested
- Monthly campaign calendar and [X] campaigns a month
- Monthly report: revenue, clicks, conversions, list health and test results

5. Timeline
Week 1: access, audit and deliverability fixes.
Weeks 2 to 3: template, segments and the welcome series.
Weeks 4 to 6: remaining flows live.
From week 3: monthly campaigns begin.
Month 3: review results against the baseline and plan the next quarter.

6. Investment
Option A, audit and set-up: deliverability fixes, template and welcome series. [price], one-off.
Option B, full flow build: everything in A plus [number] flows. [price], one-off.
Option C, flows plus monthly campaigns (recommended): B, then [X] campaigns a month. [price] set-up plus [price] per month.
Platform subscription costs are paid by you directly.

7. What I need from you
- Admin or user access to your email platform, website and domain DNS settings
- Brand assets, product photos and current offers
- Information on how and when subscribers signed up, for consent records
- Approval of each campaign within [X] working days

8. Terms
Payment: set-up fees [X%] up front and [X%] when flows go live; monthly work billed in advance.
Term: monthly campaigns have a [3] month minimum, then rolling with [30] days' notice.
Ownership: your list, account and data are always yours. Templates, flows and copy I create are yours once paid.
Compliance: I'll set up unsubscribe links and sender details in every email. You're responsible for having permission to email your subscribers; check local rules or ask a lawyer if unsure.

9. Next steps
1. Choose an option, or tell me what to adjust.
2. I'll send the agreement and first invoice.
3. Once I have access, the audit starts within [X] working days.

[Your name]
[email] | [phone or messaging link]

Replace every [bracket] with your own details. Want a version written for a specific client brief? Paste it into the free proposal generator.

What to include in an email marketing proposal

Clients buy email marketing to make money from the audience they already have. Show them where the gaps are, then what you'll build to fill them.

• An audit: list size and health, sign-up sources, current flows, recent campaign results and deliverability set-up.
• Automated flows: welcome series, abandoned cart or browse abandonment, post-purchase, lead nurture, win-back.
• Campaign calendar: newsletters and promotions, how many a month and to which segments.
• Segmentation: by purchase history, engagement, interests or customer type.
• Design and copy: a reusable template, brand styling and who writes the emails.
• List growth: sign-up forms, pop-ups and lead magnets.
• Reporting, compliance and who owns the platform account and the list.

Deliverability: the part most email proposals skip

The best email does nothing if it lands in spam. Include a deliverability check in every proposal and explain it in plain words: the sending domain needs to prove it's allowed to send, the list needs to be clean, and complaint rates need to stay low.

Since February 2024, Gmail has set requirements for senders. All senders need SPF or DKIM authentication and a spam rate in Postmaster Tools below 0.3%. Senders of more than 5,000 messages a day to Gmail accounts also need SPF, DKIM and DMARC, and one-click unsubscribe for marketing emails with a clearly visible unsubscribe link. Google recommends keeping the spam rate below 0.1%. Check the current rules before you set up a client's account.

• SPF, DKIM and DMARC records set up on the client's sending domain.
• A cleaned list: remove addresses that bounce and long-term non-openers, or run a re-engagement flow first.
• Consistent sending, rather than a huge send after months of silence.
• Clear unsubscribe in every email and complaints monitored.

Consent and email marketing rules

Clients often assume any address they've collected can be emailed. The rules depend on where the recipients are, so include a short compliance note and tell the client to check local rules or speak to a lawyer if they're unsure. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

• UK: under PECR, marketing emails to individuals need their consent, unless they're existing customers who bought or negotiated to buy a similar product and were given a clear chance to opt out at the time and in every message (the soft opt-in). Bought-in lists aren't covered by the soft opt-in. The ICO notes its guidance is under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
• US: the CAN-SPAM Act requires a valid physical postal address in each message, a working opt-out, and opt-outs honoured within 10 business days.
• Everywhere: keep a record of how and when each subscriber signed up.

Email marketing metrics and reporting

Open rates are less reliable than they used to be. Apple's Mail Privacy Protection stops senders from seeing whether a message was opened, which makes open numbers less reliable. Lead reports with clicks, conversions and revenue, and treat opens as a rough signal only.

• Revenue from email, split into flows and campaigns.
• Revenue per recipient for campaigns, or leads per send for service businesses.
• Click rate and conversion rate.
• List growth, unsubscribes and spam complaints.
• Flow performance: which emails in each flow earn or lose attention.
• Test results: subject lines, send times, offers and layouts.

How to price email marketing work

Price the set-up separately from the ongoing work. An audit and flow build is a project with a clear end: audit, deliverability fixes, template design and a fixed number of flows. Campaigns are ongoing, usually a monthly retainer for a set number of sends, with design, copy and reporting included. Some freelancers also price per email or per flow for clients who want small, one-off jobs.

• Number of flows and emails in each.
• Number of campaigns a month and segments per campaign.
• Who writes copy and designs the emails.
• Platform migration, such as moving lists, templates and flows between email platforms.
• Integrations with the shop, CRM or booking system.
• Testing, reporting depth and meetings.

Email marketing proposal example

Illustration only: a fictional client with made-up numbers and prices.

Email marketing proposal for Oak & Thistle Teas

Where you are now
You have 6,200 subscribers on your email platform, mostly from a 10% discount pop-up. New subscribers get the code and nothing else. The last newsletter went out four months ago. Your sending domain has SPF but no DKIM or DMARC.

Goal
Steady repeat sales between seasonal launches, measured as revenue from email.

Scope
Phase 1: audit, DKIM and DMARC set-up, list clean-up, new template, segments for first-time and repeat buyers.
Phase 2 flows: welcome series (4 emails), abandoned cart (3), post-purchase with brewing tips and a reorder reminder (3), win-back for customers with no order in 6 months (2).
Monthly: 4 campaigns, one test each, monthly report.

Timeline
Deliverability fixes in week 1, welcome series live in week 3, all flows live by week 6.

Investment
A, audit and set-up: $700
B, audit and all 4 flows: $1,900
C, flows plus 4 campaigns a month: $1,900 set-up, then $900 per month (recommended)

Use your own real work, numbers and prices in yours.

Short email marketing bid for Freelancer.com or Upwork

Marketplace clients read short bids, not documents. Send this first, and the full proposal once they reply.

Hi [client name],

You've built a list of [size] subscribers, but [current situation, e.g. new sign-ups get no welcome series and campaigns go out irregularly], so email isn't bringing in the [sales / bookings] it could.

Here's how I'd approach it:
1. Audit your list, flows and sending set-up, and fix anything that could push emails into spam
2. Build the automated flows that earn in the background: [welcome, abandoned cart, post-purchase or nurture]
3. Plan, write and send [X] campaigns a month, reporting on clicks, conversions and revenue

[proof: a similar email programme you ran, with what you built and what changed]

Quick question: which email platform are you on, and is it connected to your [shop / CRM]?

I can have the audit and first flow live in [timeline] for [price].

[Your name]

More on bids in our Freelancer proposal template and how to bid on Freelancer.

Mistakes that lose email marketing clients

• Skipping deliverability, then wondering why a beautiful campaign got no clicks.
• Leading reports with open rates, which privacy features in some email apps make unreliable.
• Emailing the whole list every time instead of segmenting by behaviour and purchase history.
• Importing bought or scraped lists, which breaks consent rules in many countries and damages sender reputation.
• Pricing flows and campaigns as one vague monthly fee, so the client can't see what the set-up involved.
• Building flows in an account you control rather than the client's own platform account.

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Frequently asked questions

What should an email marketing proposal include?

An audit of the client's list, platform and deliverability, the automated flows and regular campaigns you'll build, segmentation, design and copy, list growth, reporting metrics, compliance, pricing for set-up and monthly work, and ownership terms.

What are the Gmail sender requirements?

At the time of writing (October 2026), all senders to Gmail accounts need SPF or DKIM and a spam rate below 0.3%. Senders of more than 5,000 messages a day also need SPF, DKIM and DMARC, and one-click unsubscribe for marketing emails. Check Google's current guidance before setting up an account.

Which email flows should I propose first?

For shops: welcome series, abandoned cart and post-purchase. For service businesses: welcome or lead nurture and a re-engagement flow. These run in the background once built, so they're usually the best place to start.

How should I price email marketing?

Price the audit and flow build as a one-off project, and ongoing campaigns as a monthly retainer for a set number of sends. Per-email or per-flow pricing suits small one-off jobs.

Are open rates still a useful metric?

Treat them as a rough signal only. Apple's Mail Privacy Protection stops senders seeing whether a message was opened, so lead reports with clicks, conversions and revenue.

Can my client email anyone on their list?

Not necessarily. In the UK, PECR generally requires consent for marketing emails to individuals, with a soft opt-in for some existing customers. In the US, CAN-SPAM sets rules on opt-outs and sender details. This is general guidance only, so the client should check local rules or speak to a lawyer.

Can I use this template for Upwork or Freelancer.com bids?

Use the short bid version as your first message, then send the full proposal once you've seen the client's platform and list.