Artwork by: Antonina Kasyanikova
Once your marketing resume is finished, it’s time to start on a cover letter. In this blog, we offer marketing cover letter tips and examples to help you get started easily.
While a solid resume is a powerful asset in the job market, you can make yourself even more competitive with a strong marketing cover letter. Cover letters pick up where resumes leave off. Instead of listing your skills and experience in a bulleted list, they allow you to flesh out your qualifications and personality more naturally.
A cover letter is just as important in the marketing field as it is in other industries. Whether you’re an experienced advertiser or a newly-minted marketing intern, a cover letter can help you demonstrate your value to potential employers. While most cover letters follow a similar format, there are a few ways to adapt your letter to the sphere of marketing.
Before you set off on your letter-writing journey, it might be helpful to explore some helpful tips and tricks, In this blog, we offer some guidance for marketing professionals looking to write a cover letter and provide an example to guide you through the process. We’ll explore the following topics:
What is a cover letter?
An example of a marketing cover letter
5 helpful tips for writing a cover letter
Put simply, a marketing cover letter is a letter of introduction that you can use when looking for a new job in the field of marketing. The main purpose is to introduce yourself to the recruiter and to make the case that you’re the best candidate for the job.
While cover letters are usually written in a formal tone, they also offer more freedom than a standard resume. Instead of listing your experiences and skills, you’ll have the opportunity to describe how you overcame challenges in the past and used your expertise to forward the goals of your company. You can also use your cover letter to reference qualifications that might not fit into your resume.
As you might suspect, a marketing cover letter is designed to help you get a job in advertising and will, therefore, focus on relevant skills. For example, if you’re applying for a job in social media management, you might describe how you created successful Instagram campaigns for your past employer. Feel free to go into detail and focus on the methods and results of the campaign.
Here is an example of a marketing cover letter that you can use as a reference when writing your own:
Ryan Tisdale (667) 367-9900 [email protected] [email protected]
Dear Ms. Johnston,
I was delighted to hear that Vector Solutions is hiring for the position of Marketing Specialist. I am a marketing professional with three years of experience in digital advertising, social media management, and search engine optimization. I am writing to apply for the position of Marketing Specialist as I believe that my skills and experience make me an ideal candidate for the role.
I got my start in marketing three years ago when I took a job with InFrame as a marketing intern. After six months I was promoted to Content Specialist. In that role, I was responsible for developing digital content and campaign strategies in collaboration with a team of marketers and creatives.
Our initiatives included building out a company blog that focused on company news and product features and creating an extensive social media marketing infrastructure. The blog drove increased traffic to our company website and helped to boost sales by 12%. Our social media initiatives also increased traffic and were the most important factor in increased sales. After a year of increased social media activity, InFrame’s sales rose by a further 20%.
I believe that my experience with digital content creation, social media management, and SEO makes me a good fit for Vector’s marketing team. I am excited to speak with your team about the next steps and hope to hear from you soon. I am free to speak any day Monday through Friday after 4:00 P.M. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Ryan Tisdale
Here are a few tips to help you write a more effective marketing cover letter:
As a marketing professional, you know how to sell things to customers of all types. When writing your cover letter, it’s helpful to frame your application in these terms. You’re a combined marketer and salesperson selling your skills and expertise to a potential buyer.
When writing your letter, try to remember the fundamentals of marketing and incorporate them into your document. This not only makes you more competitive as a candidate, but it can also show your readers that you understand how to use these principles in real-life situations. Develop a “branded” voice that suits you as an individual and think about how you can bring value to a company and solve the issues that it faces.
Before writing any cover letter, it’s important to learn more about the company you’re applying to. Think of this as market research. Find out what the company values, explore its operations, and learn more about its competition and marketing strategies. It’s also helpful to review the job listing and find keywords that you can incorporate into your letter.
Once a recruiter recognizes your value as a marketer, they’ll want to contact you and continue the hiring process. You can encourage this by including your contact information in a prominent location. Create a header at the top of your letter that includes your name, email address, telephone number, and a link to your professional website.
Calls to action (CTAs) are a tried and true marketing technique that advertisers use to drive sales and customer engagement. At the end of your cover letter, include a short CTA encouraging the recruiter to follow up with you. Express your gratitude for their time and explain that you’re excited to take the next step in the process. It may also be helpful to provide information on your availability.
Your cover letter’s salutation is one of the most important parts of the document and forms the first point of contact with the recruiter. One of the most effective salutation techniques is to address the recruiter by name. This shows that you care about the job and put in the effort to find the correct contact.
If you can’t find a name for your recruiter, here are some salutations you can use:
Dear Hiring Manager,
Dear [company name] marketing team,
Dear [company name] recruiting team,
A marketing cover letter is a letter of introduction that you can use in conjunction with your resume when looking for a marketing job.
A cover letter works in tandem with your resume, allowing you to flesh out your accomplishments and address the recruiter in a more personal way.
When writing a cover letter for a marketing position, try to use your marketing skills to make your pitch.
Before you write your letter, do some research into your future employer.
If possible, find the name of the recruiter you’re writing to and address the letter to them directly.