How to Write a Copywriter Cover Letter — Pro Tips & Examples

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Contrary to one of the most common beliefs, or shall we say “myth,” you don’t have to be a “skilled imitator” to be a successful copywriter.

Copywriting is the art of prompting people to “take action” through the power of comprehensible text. Or, put simply, it is the act of “selling through words.”

Because of the world’s socio-economic situation now, lots of people resort to seeking online jobs to cover utility bills.

And, copywriting is one of the most “decent-paying” ones, especially if the odds are in your favor.

If you wish to understand the nitty-gritty of the millennial-sounding gig called “copywriting,” this article walks you through the easiest cover letter guidelines that can help you get this particular job.

 

How can we write a compelling copywriter cover letter?

You must list specific, quantifiable knowledge and skills relating to copywriting as well as sales and marketing, including professional or academic achievements and relevant software tools. Your copywriter cover letter must also persuasively demonstrate your copywriting language skills.

 

The secret formula to writing a compelling copywriter cover letter

To write a compelling cover letter, you need to understand the purpose of a cover letter first, which is to concisely introduce and sell yourself to your target company or client.

At certain times, though, you might also be asked to write a personal statement apart from your cover letter. Thus, knowing the difference between a cover letter vs. a personal statement would also be an edge.

Copywriting, if done appropriately, directly impacts the business in such a way that it drives a company’s profitability or return of investment (ROI) in the least.

On the other hand, a badly-written copy may also decrease product or service awareness and sales, hence its inarguable salience in the commercial world.

Average to experienced freelance copywriters could earn around three hundred to one thousand dollars per two thousand-word article. With these figures, you can already deduce how much newbies typically get.

This article length can be finished in just a couple to several hours, depending on the topic and your expertise. The average hourly rate in the USA is around twelve dollars, so you can do the maths for comparison.

If you think that the copywriting pay range is decent enough and you got the necessary skills, especially doing it in the comfort of your own home, then you may start considering a career as a freelancer.

However, if you prefer to work in an office setting with the help of other creative minds instead, you may also search for copywriting job vacancies in advertising agencies.

You can do this on job advertising platforms, just like Craigslist. Learning how to reply to a Craigslist job posting might also be something that could increase your chances.

In writing a copywriter’s cover letter, one has to use the basic writing structure made up of the intro-body-conclusion format, peppered with keywords that would demonstrate your ability to do the job.

You would also want to avoid making your cover letter look either like a thesis or dissertation paper, for recruiters and hiring managers only less than a minute to scan application documents.

Here are the specific details that you can include in your cover letter.

 

Introduction

The gist of this part is to highlight your key achievements and skills that would make a recruitment agent say “This is the one I’m looking for.”

You may start your introductory paragraph with a short statement that conveys an act of well-wishing to the addressee, which is often the Hiring Manager.

One of the most common ways to express our kind words to an addressee is by using the statement “I hope this email finds you well” or its alternatives.

Just like any formal text, one should also start with the intent of the correspondence to inform the reader why a certain piece of information is in front of them.

The key elements to be included in the introductory part are the position being applied for, the company or client’s name, as well as the informational source of the job opening.

A good length for an introductory paragraph would be two to three sentences, in which the last one should express your interest in the job role, as well as the reason why you are a good fit for the position.

A complimentary, respectful, yet friendly tone should also be observed throughout the paragraphs, but you should not overdo them, so as not to be perceived as being pompous. 

Here are two possible ways of how you can craft your introductory paragraph:

 

Examples:

 

(Experienced copywriter)

It’s a pleasure having to connect with you, Mr./Ms. Hiring Manager. Your job posting for the full-time Copywriter position on Craigslist caught my interest. I look forward to bringing my copywriting skills into ProWrite which I have acquired within five (5) years of experience in the writing industry. 

 

(Entry-level copywriter)

I hope you are doing well today, Mr./Ms. Hiring Manager. I am writing to apply for the full-time Junior Copywriter position at ProWrite which I have found on Linkedin. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and six months’ internship experience in an international advertising company that, I believe, are suitable for this particular role.

 

The examples above also include two alternative ways for “I came across your job posting.” As this specific verbiage implies that the applicant has landed on the job post “by chance” or “randomly,” then it is ideal to do away with this expression.

 

Body

Your body should elaborate your worth as an applicant for the copywriting position, notwithstanding whether you’re an experienced or an inexperienced applicant.

Here, you would want to further enumerate the details of any previous employment, key achievements, and skills relating to copywriting.

If applicable, you may also include keywords that are particular to the copywriting industry such as “sales funnel,” “touchpoints,” “conversion rates,” “landing page,” “call-to-action,” and so on.

This would concretely demonstrate your job knowledge or awareness if and when you are already an experienced copywriter.

Listing your key expertise and achievements in bullet format right below your body paragraph would also increase your odds of getting hired, especially if these are highly essential in copywriting.

Of course, it is not advisable to use field-specific keywords for entry-level copywriting positions unless you really know what they mean and you have some pieces of evidence that would support such usage.

If you’re a newbie in the field, it is enough to elaborate on any relevant experiences, such as academic research or personal or family business.

A previous or current internship experience should also be critically included in the body, as it is also another proof of your “real-world” exposure.

Since all of these pieces of relevant information should also be listed in your resume, reading our other resource material on how to include a current internship on your resume may also be of help.

In a nutshell, your knowledge and skills relating to writing and sales are key determining factors in this particular job role; therefore, you should craft your message in such a way that it would convey these implications.

Three to six sentences would suffice in creating this part.

Here’s how you can do that:

 

Examples:

(Experienced copywriter)

Your job post states that you are in search of an expert copywriter who is capable of walking through and converting your cold leads into potential customers in your online shop. In my most recent job as a sales funnel copywriter in Drixo, I have been in charge of a high-volume workload that entailed creating content for online advertisements, landing pages, blog posts, and automated emails with short turnaround periods.

 

With the following key achievements in my previous employment alone, I believe that I will be an asset to your organization:

• I have created 387 taglines that contributed to a 19% overall increase in online sales for kitchenwares and home decors.

• I have made 156 blog posts with an average of 1,500 words per content piece that utilized SEO strategies, and 72% of which ranked well on Google.

• I can use copywriting and SEO software tools such as AnswerThePublic, Calendly, Evernote, Wordcounter, Ahrefs, Canva, and WordPress, as well as the basic ones like Google Docs and Excel Spreadsheets.

 

(Entry-level copywriter)

In my four years of journalism studies at the University of Missouri, I have acquired excellence in both oral and written communication skills, as well as the ability to effectively balance being a student and a school paper writer. I also took part in an internship at AdSolutions last summer that helped me hone my composition and editing skills even further. Additionally, I am interested in reading and writing short fiction stories, particularly Irish mythology.

Here are some of my key achievements that may help you in your decision:

 

• I have originally written 31 short Irish mythology stories which were used as research resource material in post-graduate research in 2019.

• I am a Best Thesis Nominee for my undergraduate research titled “The Subtle Art and Hard Science of Creating Clickbait News Headlines”

• I hold online certificates in Copywriting 101, Modern Copywriting, and SEO Fundamentals.

 

Conclusion

Finally, you can end your cover letter with a short and sweet statement that would encourage your recruiter to go through your other application documents, such as your resume, as well as work portfolios, if any.

Apart from that, you should also include a call-to-action prompt that would demonstrate your willingness to be interviewed.

Ending any formal correspondence requires tact and civility too, and thus, gathering some tips on how to end an email professionally would also do more good than harm.

Here’s how you can structure the conclusion part of the cover letter for a copywriting position:

 

Examples:

(Experienced copywriter)

My resume and work portfolio are separately attached to this email for your further reference. Should my skill and experience levels suit your job requirements, I welcome any opportunity to discuss them with you in person or on any communication platform. My contact details are also listed below.

 

(Entry-level copywriter)

To help you reach a decision, please refer to my resume and work samples. I am also available for a call, virtual, or actual meeting anytime, should you consider me for an interview. You can find my contact information below.

 

Copywriter cover letter sample for experienced applicants

 

 

Copywriter cover letter sample for inexperienced applicants

 

 

Contextualizing Copywriting and Cover Letter Writing

Try to look around your home, and check whether you’ve got any stuff that you bought online despite not being interested in nor aware of them at first.

Shall we say a rock-solid, sleep-enhancing lamp made up of salt?

A shoe umbrella? A banana slicer? Or, a salad spinner, perhaps?

If you think about it, these things are “borderline useless,” so to speak. But, if you wonder why you have bothered purchasing any of them, especially online, then you can blame this on the power of copywriting.

Writing a cover letter has its dos and don’ts, but you do not need to be a prolific writer like Dan Brown or Mitch Albom to be able to come up with a worth-reading one.

This also means that a college diploma becomes irrelevant, let alone necessary, in gaining income as a copywriter, as long as the job description does not explicitly state so.

What you need instead are effective writing and research skills, as well as some amount of sales and marketing know-how or experience.

 

Conclusion

You can think of copywriting as “poetry” but in the business world in particular. Hence, demonstrating rhetorical language use is key in creating a compelling cover letter for a copywriting job.

In other words, you don’t have to be a seasoned copywriter to get hired, especially because of the surplus of demand in this field at present, which is propelled by the advent of digital technology.

 

Frequently Asked Questions on “How to write a copywriter cover letter”

 

How do you write a creative cover letter for a copywriting position?

To write a creative copywriter cover letter, you may use the AIDA model which stands for attention, interest, desire, and action. This is a popular marketing framework used by many copywriters.

 

How can write a copywriter cover letter if I have no work experience?

You can highlight your relevant skills and academic achievements instead, such as your undergraduate research, internships, online courses, personal writing interests, and technical skills.

 

What skills should a copywriter have?

A copywriter must be skillful in persuasive writing, as well as sales and marketing.