Digital Marketing Quotation Format: Sample and Pricing
Digital marketing quotation format with a filled sample: setup fees, monthly SEO, ads management fee, social and content lines, ad spend and term.
A digital marketing quotation sets out the channels you will manage, what you will deliver each month, what it costs and on what terms. Because marketing is ongoing work rather than a one-off job, a good digital marketing quotation format separates one-time setup from monthly fees, keeps advertising budget apart from your management fee, and puts numbers on every deliverable. Here is the structure, a filled sample for a small business, and the wording that keeps retainers from turning into arguments.
Sections of a digital marketing quotation
Header and client details
Agency name, contact details and tax number; client business name and contact; quotation number, date and validity date (14 to 30 days is common). If the quote follows a meeting, mention its date.
Goals and current situation
Two or three lines that show you listened: for example "Increase enquiries for the two clinic locations from organic search and Google Ads; current site gets around 1,800 visits a month, most from branded searches."
Services and deliverables
One section per channel, each with deliverables expressed as numbers: pages optimized, posts per month, campaigns managed, articles written, reports delivered. Avoid "ongoing SEO" with nothing measurable underneath it.
Fees
Split into one-time fees (audits, tracking setup, account builds, landing pages) and monthly fees. If you have a standard price list, our rate card template shows how to present it so quotes stay consistent.
Ad spend, reporting and terms
Who pays the ad platforms, the recommended budget, reporting frequency, minimum term, notice period, payment due dates, ownership of accounts and content, and taxes.
Digital marketing quotation format: filled sample
Quotation: DMQ-2026-052 Date: November 12, 2026 Valid until: November 30, 2026
Client: Northside Physio (2 locations)
Channels: SEO, Google Ads, social media, blog content
Minimum term: 3 months, then rolling monthly with 30 days notice
One-time setup
| Item | Deliverable | Amount ($) |
|---|---|---|
| SEO and website audit | Technical, content and local SEO audit with prioritized fix list | 600.00 |
| Analytics and conversion tracking | Analytics setup, call and form conversion tags, test report | 400.00 |
| Google Ads account build | 2 campaigns (one per location), keyword research, ad copy, extensions | 350.00 |
| Setup total | 1,350.00 |
Monthly services
| Service | Monthly deliverables | Calculation | Amount ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO retainer | Technical fixes, 2 optimized service pages, local listings, 4 quality backlinks outreach | Flat | 1,200.00 |
| Google Ads management | Bid and budget management, search term review, A/B ad tests | 15% of $4,000 spend (min. $500) | 600.00 |
| Social media management | 12 posts across 2 platforms, community replies on weekdays | Flat | 900.00 |
| Blog content | 4 articles of about 1,200 words, briefs approved by client | 4 x $175 | 700.00 |
| Reporting | Monthly dashboard and 30-minute review call | Included | 0.00 |
| Monthly total | 3,400.00 |
Summary
- First invoice (setup plus month 1): 1,350 + 3,400 = $4,750
- Months 2 and 3: $3,400 each
- Minimum commitment over 3 months: 1,350 + (3 x 3,400) = $11,550
- Recommended ad budget: $4,000 per month, paid by the client directly to Google from the client's own ad account. Not included in the totals above.
Monthly fees are invoiced in advance on the 1st, due within 7 days. Taxes are added where applicable. If you are deciding how to structure the billing side, our retainer invoice guide walks through billing in advance, and the marketing agency invoice template shows how to separate fees from ad spend on the invoice itself.
How to put the quote together
- Audit before pricing. Even a short review of the site, ad account and social profiles shows how much fixing is needed before regular work starts.
- Agree goals and KPIs. Leads, calls, bookings, or online sales, and how they will be tracked.
- Choose channels and deliverables. Match them to the budget; a small budget spread across five channels rarely works.
- Price each deliverable. Estimate hours per month per channel and apply your rate, or use your rate card. For typical ranges, see our guides to SEO pricing and social media management pricing.
- Set the ad spend rules. Who owns the ad account, who pays, and how your fee is calculated.
- Write the terms. Minimum term, notice, approvals, content ownership, and what happens if the client is slow to approve.
- Send and follow up. A short follow-up a few days later helps; our quote follow-up email templates give wording.
Writing deliverables clients can check
The strongest digital marketing quotations describe each monthly deliverable so the client can tick it off. Compare these two lines:
- Weak: "Social media management, ongoing."
- Strong: "12 posts a month across Facebook and Instagram (8 static, 4 short videos from client-supplied footage), content calendar sent by the 25th, comment and message replies on weekdays within one business day."
The second version tells the client what they are paying for and tells your team when the month's work is done. It also makes extra requests easy to spot: a 13th post or a third platform is clearly outside the quote and can be priced as an add-on.
Do the same for SEO (which pages, how many, what kind of link building), paid ads (number of campaigns, how often bids and search terms are reviewed) and content (word count, number of revisions, whether images are included). If a deliverable depends on the client, such as supplying footage or approving copy, say so next to it.
Pricing models you can use
| Model | How it appears on the quote | Works best for |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | Fixed monthly fee for listed deliverables | SEO, social media, content |
| Percentage of ad spend | % of spend, often with a minimum fee | PPC and paid social |
| Project fee | Fixed price for a defined deliverable | Audits, website rebuilds, launch campaigns |
| Hourly | Rate per hour with an estimate or cap | Consulting and training |
| Performance-linked | Base fee plus bonus per qualified lead | Lead generation with reliable tracking |
Country notes
India
Agency quotations usually show fees in rupees with GST as a separate line at the applicable rate, along with the agency's GSTIN. Check current rates and the treatment of export of services (clients abroad) on the CBIC GST portal. Ad spend paid directly by the client to the platform does not pass through your invoice.
UK and US
UK VAT-registered agencies add VAT to fees for UK clients and state it separately. In the US, marketing services are usually not subject to sales tax, though a few states tax some services, so confirm for your state. This is general information, not tax advice.
Reporting and KPIs to put in the quote
Clients renew retainers when they can see progress. Set out in the quotation what you will measure, how often, and in what format, so expectations are agreed from the start:
| Channel | KPIs reported monthly |
|---|---|
| SEO | Organic sessions, rankings for an agreed keyword list, organic enquiries, pages optimized |
| Google Ads | Spend, clicks, conversions, cost per conversion, conversion rate |
| Social media | Posts published, reach, engagement, clicks to site, follower change |
| Content | Articles published, traffic to new articles, enquiries attributed |
Agree the baseline in the first month, since much of the setup work is about getting tracking right. Without a baseline, nobody can say whether the numbers improved.
Approval and turnaround terms
Content-heavy retainers stall when approvals are slow. Add a line such as: "Content calendar shared by the 25th of the previous month. Content not approved within 5 working days will be carried over to the following month once only." Also state how many revision rounds are included per piece. These two lines protect your team's time and keep the monthly deliverables realistic.
Ownership and exit
State that ad accounts, analytics properties, social profiles and content belong to the client, and that on termination you will hand over access and any files produced. This makes clients more comfortable signing a minimum term, because they know they will not lose their data if they leave.
Common mistakes on marketing quotations
- Guaranteeing rankings or lead numbers. Commit to work and reporting, not outcomes outside your control.
- Mixing ad spend with fees. The client cannot see what they pay you, and your revenue figures get inflated.
- No deliverable counts. "Social media management" without a number of posts invites endless requests.
- No account ownership clause. Ad accounts and analytics should normally be in the client's name with you as a user.
- No minimum term for SEO. One month of SEO rarely shows results and leads to early cancellation.
If the client also needs a new website, quote it separately using our web design quotation template so the project and the retainer each have clear terms.
To send the quote as a professional PDF, use our free invoice generator: rename the document "Quotation", add the setup and monthly lines, and note the ad budget in the terms. It is free to use with no sign-up.
Frequently asked questions
What should a digital marketing quotation include?
It should include the client's goals, the channels covered (SEO, paid ads, social media, email, content), the deliverables per month for each channel, one-time setup fees, monthly retainer fees, how ad spend is handled, reporting frequency, contract length and notice period, payment terms, taxes and the quote's validity date. Listing deliverables in numbers, such as 12 posts or 4 articles a month, makes the quote easy to compare and check.
Should ad spend be included in a marketing quotation?
Show it, but separately from your fees. Most agencies have the client pay the advertising platform directly from their own ad account, and the quotation states the recommended monthly budget as information. If you pay the platforms and rebill the client, list ad spend as a pass-through line and say whether any markup or management percentage applies, so the client can see exactly what goes to the platform.
How do agencies charge for PPC management?
Common models are a percentage of ad spend, often in the 10 to 20% range, a flat monthly fee, or a percentage with a minimum fee. For example, 15% of spend with a $500 monthly minimum means a $4,000 budget costs $600 in management, while a $2,000 budget still costs $500. Whatever model you choose, state the calculation in the quotation.
What is a typical minimum term in a digital marketing quote?
Many agencies ask for three to six months for SEO, because results take time to show, and a shorter or month-to-month term for paid ads and social media. Write the minimum term, the notice period after it ends (often 30 days) and what happens to accounts, content and data if the client leaves.
Should I promise rankings or leads in a marketing quotation?
No. Search rankings and ad performance depend on factors you do not control, such as competition, algorithm changes and the client's website. Instead, commit to deliverables and activities, and list the KPIs you will report on, such as organic traffic, conversions and cost per lead. You can include targets, but label them as goals rather than guarantees.
Is GST or VAT charged on digital marketing services?
In many countries, yes. In India, marketing and advertising services are generally taxable under GST, and in the UK VAT-registered agencies charge VAT on services to UK clients. Supplies to overseas business clients can be treated differently under place of supply rules. Show the tax line separately and check the rules for your location and client.
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