Social Media RFP: Examples, Tips, And FAQs

With the help of social media RFPPs, finding the right social media agency or software doesn’t have to be a long and complicated process.

In an ideal world, you would snap your fingers and instantly find the best-fitting social media service provider or platform. 

But in reality, you must send out a social media RFP to attract and find the right talent or provider that aligns with your brand or company’s unique needs. 

So, what exactly is a social media RFP, and how do you create one?

This guide has the answers and walks you through the basics of social media RFPs, including examples, time-tested tips, and answers to frequently asked questions. 

What you will learn

• What is a social media RFP?
• What should you include in your social media RFP?
• What are social media RFP examples?
• Ready to create a solid social media RFP?

What is a social media RFP?

A social media Request for Proposal (RFP) is an open call for pitches for one-off or long-term projects or collaborations. 

It is usually sent to individual practitioners, such as social media managers or marketers, marketing agencies, or software providers. 

Essentially, a social media RFP is a document that outlines your company’s specifications and expectations for vendors or agencies interested in submitting bids. 

An RFP process allows your company to vet providers and ideas before committing to a project-based or long-term agreement. 

It lets you check options before signing the dotted line to ensure you get the agency, provider, or solution that meets your company’s needs. 

What should you include in your social media RFP?

Consider the following essential elements to include in your social media RFP.

1. Introduction

Start your social media RFP with an introduction outlining your company’s needs. 

Provide a top-level summary including key information, such as your company’s name, your objective or request, and the submission due date. 

2. Company profile

Provide background information on your company, including specific details relevant to your social media software, agencies, or services RFP. 

Include key information on your company, such as:

• Core values
• Mission statement
• Stakeholders
• Target customers and market
• The current landscape of your industry or niche

Don’t include trade secrets or proprietary information. Keep the details as generic as possible to avoid putting your company or information at risk. 

If it’s necessary to share more details, note that more information is available upon request and secure a signed Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA). 

3. Current social media landscape

Give potential collaborators or vendors a sneak peek into your company’s social media initiatives and environment. 

Share details on which social media platforms your company is active on, including the following information. 

• A summary or list of your company’s active social media accounts. If your company uses the social media management platform Vista Social, you can easily find your company’s active accounts in one place
• Overviews (including links) to your previous or ongoing social media campaigns
• Key components of your social media marketing strategy
• Campaign, page, or profile highlights, such as your viral posts or top-performing content
• Relevant analytics data and insights, such as engagement rates, audience demographics, social media audit, and more. It’s easy to get this information from your connected profiles’ social media analytics reports on Vista Social

Providing these details helps vendors or service providers better understand your company’s social media ecosystem, allowing them to submit the right proposals or concepts. 

[Must read: Social Media Audit Ultimate Guide: w/ Steps And Screenshots]

4. Goals and description

Explain the purpose of your social media RFP, including its specific scope of work and goals. 

Examples of your RFP goals can include the following:

• Generate more leads from specific social media platforms
• Raise awareness for a new branch in a specific location
• Share your company initiatives or values with target audiences
• Promote and increase the visibility of your existing service or product
• Run social media contests or seasonal promotions
• Establish your company as an industry or thought leader
• Grow your company’s followers on a newly launched social network page

Be as specific as possible and break down your goals into multiple or secondary objectives when necessary.  

Doing so gives potential vendors and service providers a clear picture of what matters most to your project, which they can weave into their proposals. 

5. Questions

Include questions in your RFP to help determine the best candidate based on their answers.

Below are several sample questions you can use.

• Does your agency use a social media management platform?
• How many clients are you currently handling?
• What are your top social media achievements?
• What are content distribution best practices?
• How do you collect and incorporate User-Generated Content (UGC) into your social media content strategy?
• What’s the best way to engage target audiences?
• How often are you available for check-ins, feedback, and discussions?
• How often can you send reports?
• What are the key social media Key Performance Indicators for X campaigns?
• What is your social media content review and approval process, and do you use tools to automate this?

Asking these key questions is crucial to determining how potential service providers and collaborators work, their processes, social media playbooks, etc. 

[Must read: How to Build a Social Media Playbook (For Agencies)]

For instance, asking about a social media marketing agency’s content approval process helps you assess whether they do thorough reviews before posts go live to ensure quality and compliance. 

It can also tell you if the approval process is efficient. 

Do they review and approve posts manually? Or do they streamline the process via automated post-approval workflows like what Vista Social offers? 

6. Bidder qualifications

Specify the bidder qualifications in your social media RFP. Request details on why a provider or agency uniquely qualifies for your project or campaign. 

You can ask for their past projects, experiences, team sizes, and other relevant credentials. 

Include the qualifications that are:

• Necessary to ensure your project succeeds
• Crucial for helping you assess proposals
• Essential to your social media marketing and business needs

Other vital information to ask for can include the following:

• The size of the service provider’s team (or the number of users the tool can accommodate for social media solutions)
• Proof of social media certification and training
• Client testimonials
• Sample works with existing or previous clients
• Results from previous projects
• Resources that are available and will be used for your project
• Social media project management strategy

Asking for qualifications ensures you outsource to a provider or agency with the necessary skills and expertise. 

[Must read: Outsourcing Social Media Marketing: A Guide for Agencies]

7. Proposal guidelines

Share details on how you want bidders to package and deliver their proposals. 

Include the what, where, when, and how of your proposal submission, such as the deadline, desired format, and level of detail.  

Add links to your company’s brand social media guidelines and other relevant resources. 

[Must read: Social Media Guidelines: How to Create One for Your Team]

You can also include the contact details of your point person so bidders can easily contact them for questions or clarifications. 

8. Project timelines

Provide clear details on the proposal and project timelines. 

You can share a structured proposal schedule for bidders, including the specific events or dates your project is tied to and your deadlines. 

Your social media RFP can include:

• RSVP submission deadlines
• Preliminary discussion meeting schedules
• Deadlines for bidders to submit questions
• Proposal submission dates
• Finalist selection and presentations
• Date of the winning proposal selection
• Contract negotiation period
• When notifications to bidders who didn’t make the cut will be sent 
• Specific target project date or deadline, including milestones and deliverable due dates

What are social Media RFP examples?

Below are a few examples to inspire your company’s social media RFP development and creation. 

The State Bar of California

The image below is an RFP for Social Media Marketing and Database Management services from the State Bar of California.

Image source: calbar.ca.gov

The document has all the essential components of a social media RFP, from the introduction and statement of work to the submission and contracting requirements. 

The Fund for Women and Girls

The document below shows an RFP for a social media coordinator.

Image source: thefundcc.org

The document is a classic example of a detailed but concise social media RFP.

Brand USA

Brand USA’s social media and content creator RFP is a comprehensive document.

Image source: thebrandusa.com

The RFP contains all the necessary information for bidders, including attachments such as a notice of intent to bid and a certification statement. 

Social media RFP FAQs

How can you find social media RFPs?

You can type “Social media RFP” in the Google (or other search engine) search bar.

You can also go on social media platforms like LinkedIn to find RFPs that other companies or brands share on their pages. 

Another option is to go to a website specifically for publishing and responding to RFPs. 

Can you use templates to create your social media RFP?

Yes. 

Many websites and platforms offer free (or paid) social media and other RFP templates that can be easily customized. 

What does a well-written social media RFP look like?

An effective social media RFP should be clear, detailed, and highly -customized to your project’s needs. 

Well-developed RFPs are more likely to get high-quality proposals.

Ready to create a solid social media RFP?

Writing a strong social media RFP requires careful thought and planning. 

Learn from the best practices, look at examples, and know the essential components of a social media RFP to guide your process. 

If you want to find a reliable social media management platform, look no further than Vista Social. 

The platform can be your modern solution to modern social media management challenges. It includes the following core features:

• Social media publishing and scheduling tools
• Optimal posting time suggestions based on optimization algorithms and engagement data
• Social media engagement tool that features a unified Social Inbox
• Brand and creator tools, including AI hashtag and username Generators
• AI Assistant for generating and refining captions, taglines, and message replies
• Content calendar
• Social media listening

The platform offers more sophisticated features, from a link in bio tool to integrations with many social networks and other business tools. 

Create your Vista Social account now.