Freelance Cover Letter: What You Should Include + Examples

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A well-detailed freelance cover letter has the potential to make your profile stand out – a prospect that most self-employed people want.

Not only does it give you the chance to express to your clients what makes you the right fit for the job, but it also shows clients how you’ve put in the work to better understand them and their needs.

Learn in this article why you should use a freelance cover letter, what information you should include in it and download our free cover letter for freelance work!

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Benefits of a freelance cover letter

Before we get started on all the things you should include in your cover letter, let’s first talk about why a cover letter is so important to freelancers and how it can help you with your client proposals.

First things first, a cover letter tells your clients exactly who you are and what it is you can do for them. It allows you to highlight your strengths and tells your client that you are serious about having the opportunity to work for them.

Another reason why you should include a cover letter with every proposal is that it has the added benefit of bolstering your resume. If your resume is not persuasive enough to garner a call back, a cover letter attached to it can help.

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Things to include in your freelance cover letter

What To Include In Your Freelance Cover Letter
What To Include In Your Freelance Cover Letter

Now that we’ve established the importance of a cover letter, let’s take a look at some of the most important things that your cover letter should include:

#1 Your name and information

Start your cover letter with your name and your contact information. You don’t want potential clients hunting for information on how to contact you should they wish to work with you. Your contact information should include your email and phone number.

#2 Date + client’s name and information

The next thing to include in your cover letter is the current date, name of your client, and any available contact information (email or office address).

Make sure to position this on the left side of your cover letter as it is generally what is expected.

#3 Salutation (greeting)

Always greet your client with a polite salutation (Dear Mr., Ms., or Mx.) before you start your opening paragraph. It’s always a good idea to research your client and use their last name in your salutation – this shows that you’ve done your research.

Seeing their name on the cover letter may grab the hiring person’s interest and they will probably be more receptive to your application.


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#4 Introduction

The beginning first paragraph of your cover letter should contain an opening line that hooks your client in straight away. For example, you could give them feedback or a compliment.

Try mentioning how you learned about the project, what caught your attention from the project description and show your enthusiasm for the position by mentioning some facts about it.

Hello Mr. Maas,

Thanks for adding the Profile Verification feature to freelancermap. I’m a long-time freelancermap user and since I verified my profile I’m getting in touch more often.


I noticed you are currently also looking for a SEO expert and I’d be happy to help you rank for keywords such as “XY” or “YX” in the top 5.

I belive my past experience could make a valuable asset for the team.

#5 Your achievements and reasons why you should be considered

Now it’s time to start writing the main body of your cover letter. You should start by listing your achievements – consider adding in factual data about how your work helped improve a particular product or company. 

An achievement example to include in your cover letter as a digital marketer or SEO:

For the past 6 months, I helped XY place 15 relevant keywords in the top search results, resulting in an increase of X% in traffic and therefore an increase of X% in the number of customers.

By doing X and Y, I increased (Client X) website conversion rates by 32%.

Including numbers and data rather than vague achievements increases your chances of landing the project because it shows your clients how your work can improve their performance.

Tip: Include relevant keywords that the clients used in the job description (e.g. responsibilities or needed qualifications). Match those keywords with your actual skills to demonstrate that you would be a good fit for the project.

#6 Conclusion and CTA

Conclude your cover letter with a brief (but strong) closing paragraph. Reiterate your value to your client and hint at how you can be of use to them by teasing an impressive achievement.

Here’s an example of a closing paragraph for a freelance cover letter:

I’d be super happy to show you how I was able to increase (previous company)’s revenue in a short period of time.

Would you have time for a 15-min call?


I propose August 5 @ 9am or August 9 @ 10am (EST). If that works, please send me a zoom or other video link for the call.

#7 Sign off and name

Sign off your cover letter by using simple one-liners such as ‘Kind regards’ or ‘Sincerely’ along with your full name at the end.  Also do not forget to thank them for their time and consideration.

I appreciate your time and consideration.

Best regards,
The freelancer

More information and tips for a cover letter for a freelance job:

  • Proofread – Review your cover letter for typos or spelling mistakes (Especially in a cover letter for a freelance writer!).
  • Build trust – Clients just want the work to be done efficiently and on time. Show them how you worked with other clients.
  • Mention tools you use for work, communication or project management – This will help the client understand your working process.
  • Availability – Will you be working with other members of their team?If the client is based in the US say: I am also available in US time zones.
  • Technical excellence – No 2 freelance jobs are the same, read through the project description and identify what expertise is especially required by the client. Let them know that you have that important skill.

Freelance cover letter sample (Free download)

With the examples provided before, you can customise your own freelancer cover letter, but here’s a free template that you can use to get your own cover letter started!

You can download it (no e-mail address required) and use it for reference.

Don’t forget to customise it according to your preferences and the job in question.

Of course, depending on the work to do, the cover letter will be different. A freelance translator cover letter would have fewer similarities with a cover letter for a freelance web developer in terms of skills.

However, the cover letter format and structure will apply to any industry.

Do you have a cover letter example that gets you instant responses from clients? Share your tips and experience with us!

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Natalia Campana

Natalia is part of the international team at freelancermap. She loves the digital world, social media and meeting different cultures. Before she moved to Germany and joined the freelancermap team she worked in the US, UK and her home country Spain. Now she focuses on helping freelancers and IT professionals to find jobs and clients worldwide at www.freelancermap.com

1 comment

  • Grato Natália!

    Como sempre nos dando apoio e dicas super importantes para o nosso sucesso!

    Abraços

By Natalia Campana

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