Digital marketers serve businesses in nearly every industry by effectively reaching the global, tech-savvy market. In the U.S. alone, the digital marketing industry is predicted to be valued at $667.6 billion in 2024, and likely surpass $730 billion in 2025.
If you’re a digital marketing professional, you might want to consider ways to streamline your projects. So how can you use a scope of work to help you do that?
In this article we’ll cover:
- What a digital marketing scope of work
- Why you should write a digital marketing scope of work
- What you need to include in your digital marketing scope of work
- Two top tips for writing your digital marketing scope of work
- How to use your digital marketing scope of work
- Why you should use Bonsai to create your digital marketing scope of work
- Frequently asked questions.
Let’s begin!
What Is a Digital Marketing Scope of Work?
Scope of work refers to a document outlining the obligations and objectives relating to a project. It’s usually recommended for projects to have a complete visualization of what needs to be done and who is involved.
In the marketing world, a digital marketing scope of work is a document that details all of the elements of a successful marketing project that keeps the interests of both parties in mind.
Marketing scope of work documents often includes (though they can be altered to suit exact contractual needs):
- Project expectations
- Timelines
- Milestones
- Payment terms.
Why Write a Digital Marketing Scope of Work?
When it comes to completing a digital marketing project, documentation matters. As such, writing a digital marketing scope of work addresses your client’s expectations, your responsibilities, and protects your work in the long run.
What to Include in a Digital Marketing Scope of Work
Digital marketing scope of work documents are comprehensive in nature, with many parts. Bear in mind that scopes of work aren’t legally binding and are instead intended to be advisory.
1. Objectives/Purpose of Project
What does completing this project intend to accomplish for you, your client, and the receiving audience?
This is the central question of your scope of work document which should be addressed in the first section of your document in a complete yet succinct manner.
2. Project Details & Timeline
Project details and timeline should go hand-in-hand — this outline should lay out how you intend to deliver on the promises of your objectives section.
3. Pricing & Payments
Outlining financial expectations in a scope of work document prevents unmet monetary expectations from arising.
Pricing should be arranged within the scope of work so that all parties are paid in a timely manner. In addition to a payment schedule, be sure to include the payment details of all parties.
4. Deliverables
Deliverables are specific results that a marketing team, agency, or freelancer is expected to deliver to the client as a result of project completion. The deliverables section can also incorporate deadlines and milestones for project timeline management.
5. Key Assumptions
Key assumptions, including budgeting and resource requirements, should be clearly defined. This section is subject to change based on the projects that you undertake, but there will be several items that remain in each marketing scope of work template.
6. Success Criteria
How do you and your client(s) define success within the scope of your project?
The success criteria of a marketing scope of work document is likely to involve measurable items, like data.
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are often utilized to measure the effectiveness of a digital marketing project, so it is valuable to become familiar with the approach to measuring success in digital marketing.
7. Signatures
Although the document is not legally binding, signatures should still be included at the end of the paperwork.
This is not only to ensure that you can come back to this document as a guide but also to provide some measure of paper trail (should you need it).
How to Write a Digital Marketing Scope of Work?
Find Out Exactly What the Client Wants
Learning about what your client wants begins with asking the right questions. Here are some client question ideas to get you started:
- What are your business goals?
- Who are the primary decision-makers in your company?
- Who are your primary competitors?
- What’s your company’s present marketing strategy?
Highlight What Sets You Apart
You need to communicate your worth to your potential clients, which should be tailored to their specific business goals.
Win your clients over by showing them your expertise and highlighting you’re a better fit than your competitors.
How to Use a Digital Marketing Scope of Work?
Digital marketing agencies, as well as freelance digital marketers, benefit from using a digital marketing scope of work that is easily transferable between projects.
A digital marketing scope of work allows you and your client to refer back to it as necessary during the term of the project. While this may be to iron out any disputes, i.e., around payment terms, it may also be to reinforce certain criteria, such as contactable work hours or timelines for deliverables.
Keep your scope of work handy and use it to guide your project work and client relationship.
Creating a Digital Marketing Scope of Work is Simple with Bonsai
Having a pre-made work template to edit can save you time. As a self-employed marketer or small marketing agency owner, you may find it challenging to manage all your clients. Having a template that’s already partly generated is going to make your work life a little easier.
Plus, using an SOW template can ultimately help you increase sales. You’ll be able to save time when it comes to communicating with new clients, have a clear overview of every project you’re working on, and ensure your project development runs as smoothly as it should.
With Bonsai, you’re not going to be missing any of these crucial details that are required in a scope of work document. You’ll be able to deliver a document that ticks all the client’s expectations and needs they require from you and your role in the project scope.
Sign up today and join the 500,000+ freelancers and small businesses already using Bonsai to close their most important deals.
Bonsai top tip: There’s also plenty of other templates that Bonsai offers whether you’re needing a contract, proposal or invoice document.
Digital Marketing Scope of Work FAQs
To help make the most out of your scope of work documents, here are some frequently asked questions for creating the best work templates possible.
What are the best project manager tips for writing a great scope of work?
A great scope of work will:
- Clearly state the objectives or purpose of the project in clear and concise language
- Lay out the details and timeline
- State pricing and payment terms and create a realistic budget
- State deliverables and set expectations early and often
- Lay out key assumptions and state success criteria
- Remember to have both parties sign the scope of work, and don’t forget to proofread!
What common mistakes are made when writing a digital marketing scope of work document?
Common mistakes when writing a digital marketing scope of work document are leaving certain objectives open-ended. The document should answer all your clients queries and outlines everything you’ll deliver.
Try to avoid overcomplicating the document and confusing the reader. Be detailed but concise, include work samples where they make sense, and set deadlines everyone can keep to.
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