When you are looking for work with online job sites, the first and quite possibly the only chance you are going to have to convince the business to hire you, is with your proposal. While each proposal should be different and tailored for the job you are applying for, there are some things that you can do to make your proposal stand out.

Try to keep a standard layout for each proposal that you create. Centered at the top, have your companies name followed by your tag line if you have one. If you are an individual you can use your name followed by your email address. Then start off with “Dear XXX” where XXX is the name or handle of the provider. If you know the name of the provider, by all means use that. However, if you only know them as SlyFly#5 use that when creating your proposal.

After the top layout comes the meat and potatoes of the proposal. The first paragraph should mention the specific name of the job and addresses any specific needs asked for by the buyer. For example, if they need someone who is proficient in WordPress, you would state that you are proficient in WordPress and in what way you are proficient (design, scheduling posts, responding to and maintaining comments, etc.) This first paragraph shows the buyer that you are paying attention to what was in the proposal.

The second paragraph introduces who you are. What your credentials are, test scores, and links to past works. It is important when putting in the links that they refer to the project at hand. If the buyer is looking for a blogger, don’t send them an ebook or a sample of your article marketing. You can put that information on your online resume. Wrap up this paragraph with a link to your online resume.

Your third paragraph includes your bid. Reiterate the needs of the buyer (your request for 10 blog entries) and specify the time line. Then break down the cost per item and the total price in a graph. That way, if all the buyer is concerned about is the price then they have an easy way to find it. You can then offer them the option of requesting an adjustment to the price. You don’t have to agree to it, but the offer to negotiate terms leaves the conversation open.

The last paragraph should thank them for the opportunity to bid and again offer them the option to negotiate pricing and terms of the agreement. You can then insert a graphic of your signature to add the personal touch and type your name underneath with your website information or link to your online resume. If you do this in Word or OpenOffice (which is free), then you can save this document as a pdf document and attach that to the bid, to add a professional touch.

You have to add a personal touch in order to stand out from the crowd. Try and touch on what attracted you to the assignment in the first place (as long as it isn’t the budget!) For example, I recently started on a blogging assignment for a solar power website. I happen to live in a very green oriented community and I’m in the process of researching putting a solar powered water heater in my house. I mentioned these things in my proposal and I think it helped win the bid. Remember it’s not how great you are, it’s how great you would be for the buyer’s project.

In another example, a prospective client asked for someone who was very interested in the future of media and how it related to social marketing. While pursuing my Masters Degree I was able to take a number of classes on cultural trends, popular media and the evolution of art. This background gave me a unique perspective on the client’s project, and you can bet I added it in.

Remember, everyone else who is bidding has experience with the topic at hand (though some are arguably better than others.) Everyone has examples of their writing across different categories. I can’t stress this enough: Your ability to win a bid will rely on how you well you appeal to the client, and the quickest way to the client’s heart is through his/her topic.

When I say a comprehensive bid, I mean a bid that details the nitty gritty. How much per blog post of XXX number of words. How much per article of XXX words. The reason why you need to put down specifics is because:

It helps to clarify the needs of the client

It’s clear what the deliverables are

It is a starting point for negotiation.

Point number 3 is very important. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell what the client’s budget is based on a few sentences. If the client indicates that the budget is too high you can change the parameters:

price = (time+quality) quantity

You can reduce the quantity or increase the turnaround time to offset the available budget. You can also reduce the number of words or offer suggestions as to what the client can do to decrease your research and prep time. The one thing you should never budge on is quality.

Some beginners “lowball” every project, hoping to build a stable of client. The downside to this approach is that it can be harder to raise your prices later. You should be able to complete beginner social media tasks at prices from anywhere from $80-200 per platform, depending on how big a following is wanted and whether the accounts are already set-up or if that is part of the job.

Start with a specific budget based on your set prices. Then negotiate from there. No matter how much you’re willing to come down in price, it still may be too much for the clients needs. If that’s the case, chalk up the proposal to experience and move on to the next client.