How to Write a Marketing Cover Letter – Free Template Included!

Marketing is an exciting and fast-moving industry with a huge range of career options that touch every sector, from retail to charity, and from education to corporate events. Almost every business needs a marketing professional at some point and as such, there will never be any shortage of opportunities. In this post, we’ll show you how to write a cover letter for marketing positions that will help you stand out from the crowd - we’ve even included a cover letter template to get you started!   What are employers looking for in a marketing cover letter? The clue was in the introduction – excitement and pace! Marketing is a high energy career choice and to be the best candidate, your letter needs to show plenty of passion and personality.  There’s a common misconception that experience is everything. You can certainly use experience to good advantage if you’ve worked in marketing before, but you can also use your personal attributes and transferable skills to persuade someone to give you a chance. In general, marketing sector employers are looking for someone with great communication skills, knowledge of technology and data analysis, meticulous attention to detail, creativity, innovation, energy and an understanding of consumer demographics.    Using keywords The purpose of a cover letter is to create early engagement and positive bias. After reading your letter the employer should already be hopeful that you’re a perfect match, and that’s before even looking at your CV! To achieve this, you’re going to need keywords.  Each employer has their own ‘ideal candidate’ profile, which can be found in the Job Description, but to get you started there are some common marketing keywords that feature in a high percentage of roles. These include market analysis, competitor analysis, digital marketing, digital channels, campaign marketing, consumer behaviour, strategy, content writing, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), commercial acumen, teamwork and communication.  If in doubt, check out the Key Skills or Person Specification of the Job Description and make sure you reflect as much of the employer’s wish list as possible in your letter. Do remember that it has to be engaging - there’s no point just listing things you think you can do – you need to demonstrate those skills through examples and personal anecdotes.   Tone & style Before you get started, read the Job Description carefully and visit the employer’s website. What is their tone and style? Are they very formal, or does their language suggest they like to have a bit of fun?  A cover letter is a formal document but when applying for a role in marketing, don’t be afraid to showcase your personality! Most marketers are passionate, high energy people with a competitive edge and a strong preference for individuality, so analyse their style and try your best to reflect it back through your own personal or professional experiences.  A word of warning though – be mindful of keeping anecdotes and stories short, no employer wants to plough through a cover letter that’s more than a page long and as one of the cornerstones of a marketing career is great communication – if you waffle, you’re out.    What’s the winning formula for a marketing cover letter? To make sure you have the best chance at securing an interview, you need to format your letter correctly, create early engagement and then keep up the pace throughout. The attached example demonstrates the best format for achieving that objective. On average you need just 4 paragraphs. A short, snappy introduction. An overview of your interest in the role and the individual company (show that you’ve done some homework for the best results and demonstrate empathy with their mission). Some quantitative examples from your professional history or personal interest in marketing and finally a warm, enthusiastic conclusion with a subtle call to action such as ‘I look forward to meeting with you soon.’ Remember marketing is about energy, analysis, passion, insight, communication and vision – demonstrate that you have these qualities in abundance and you can’t go far wrong.    Marketing cover letter example showcasing best practice Below is a sample marketing cover letter that puts the tips we've talked through into practice. Go ahead and download the template as a Word Document here and use it as a starting point for writing your own cover letter.  

To: [Name of Recruiting Manager, Name of Business, City & Postcode]

Re: [Title of vacant position; Job Ref where known]

Dear [Joe] [Mr. Bloggs] [Recruiting Officer] [Sir/Madam]

I am pleased to submit my application for the role of Marketing Executive at [insert company name] and to attach my CV for your attention. As a keen marketing professional with more than 5 years’ experience, I’m confident that I can conduct accurate market & competitor analysis, increase traffic through all digital channels and generate fresh interest in the [insert name] brand.

My interest in marketing comes from a deep belief in the power of good communication, and a fascination with how different strategies and methods can be used to engage and influence diverse demographics. Trends in marketing are fast-moving, SEO requirements change often, audiences shift and change. Keeping up with those changes, identify audience needs and developing strategies that capture consumer attention, or influence consumer behaviour, is an incredible challenge and for me, has become an exciting and rewarding career.

In my role as Executive at [insert company name] I demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of both B2B and B2C marketing, created fresh print & digital content, and researched the market continually to maintain cutting edge knowledge of consumer trends and behaviours. Working closely with the [Commercial Director] I redefined the company’s digital marketing strategy and increased monthly footfall on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by an average of 32%. I also planned press releases and omni-channel campaigns, as well as representing the company at International industry events, which led to a 12% increase in fresh lead generation.

My CV highlights some of my achievements over the past 5 years, including the recent conceptualisation, coordination and delivery of the ‘Brightest & Best’ industry event, which I successfully leveraged to launch the new [name] brand.

Exceptional communication, commitment to cross functional teamwork, keen attention to detail and great product knowledge have made my marketing campaigns to date incredible success stories. I look forward to delivering more of the same as part of the team at [insert company name].

Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely

Name Goes Here

0123 456 7890

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