Invoice template for marketing consultants
Marketing consultants usually sell two things at once: thinking and doing. The audit, the positioning work and the plan are strategy. Running the campaigns, briefing designers and checking the dashboards every week is execution. When both land on one invoice as "Marketing services", the client cannot tell which part they are paying for, and the strategy work tends to get undervalued.
Media budgets cause the rest of the trouble. If ad spend flows through you, the invoice suddenly shows a large number that is mostly not your income, and a client comparing invoices month to month will see your "fee" swing wildly. Keep spend on its own line, or better, have the client pay platforms directly.
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What marketing consultants forget to bill
- Strategy and planning work as a fixed line, separate from monthly execution.
- Workshops with the client's team, including preparation time, not just the hours in the room.
- Campaign management hours above the retainer, logged by campaign.
- Media spend you paid on the client's behalf, at cost with the platform invoice attached.
- Third-party tools, research reports or survey panels bought for the engagement.
- Freelancers you briefed and paid, such as a designer or video editor, with or without a stated margin.
Questions marketing consultants ask
How do marketing consultants bill for ad spend?
The simplest way is not to: the client pays Google, Meta or LinkedIn directly and you bill a management fee. If you must front the spend, put it on its own line at cost, attach the platform invoice, and get it paid before the next month starts.
Should strategy and execution be on the same invoice?
They can be, but as separate lines. Strategy is a one-off deliverable; execution is ongoing. Keeping them apart shows the client what the plan cost, and makes it easy to stop execution later without arguing about what the plan was worth.
Do I charge for workshop preparation?
Yes. A one-day workshop usually takes at least another day to prepare and write up. Price the workshop as a package that includes both, or bill prep hours as a separate line.
Keep the next one in OIO
Numbered automatically, tied to the client and the project, outstanding until you mark it paid. Overdue invoices get their own list and a reminder written for you. Free plan, no card.
Start freeAlso for marketing consultants: quote template and contract template. Invoice templates for related trades: social media managers, SEO consultants, business consultants, copywriters. Or browse all invoice templates.