From social media and e-commerce, to HTML and SEO, digital marketers are the backbone of many companies’ success. Whether you’re a specialist or a jack-of-all-trades, businesses large and small are looking for professionals like you to help them develop their marketing strategies and use the web to their advantage.
Besides benefiting from flexible hours, remote working options and a comfortable salary, digital marketers are also in demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (U.S.) estimates that the need for marketing professionals will increase by 6 percent over the coming decade – faster than average for most industries.
So you’re confident you know how to sell just about any product or service – but do you know how to create a marketing strategy for yourself? When it’s time to land your next marketing job, you’ll need to craft the perfect cover letter: one that makes a great first impression and shows off your strongest skills.
Here at Resume.io, we have a range of resources including 180+ cover letter examples. This guide, along with an effective cover letter example will:
- Highlight the benefits of a thoughtful cover letter for any digital marketing role
- Walk you through the cover letter format and provide free examples, samples and templates
- Explain the best marketing principles to incorporate in your application
- Impress the employer by showing off the right skills and avoiding common mistakes.
Now let’s take a look at how to create the perfect cover letter to complete your application.
Looking for some more inspiration? Check out our related cover letter examples below:
Digital marketing cover letter sample for freshers
Primary Purpose
Before we jump into the how of writing a great cover letter, let’s first take a look at the what. A cover letter is one of the most requested application materials, and for good reason. This one-page document, or roughly 200 to 400 words, allows you to highlight your strengths, most impressive achievements and even your personality.
While a great resume is vital to landing a new position, it still has its limitations. It best captures names, dates and degrees, but aside from a few lines of profile summary, it doesn’t offer you much space to show off what makes you truly unique.
To prove that you’re the right choice for a digital marketing position, you need to show the employer why you’ve got the right skills and experience for them. The cover letter is one of your best opportunities to make this case for yourself.
It’s worth noting that a strong cover letter isn’t just about great writing. You’ll also need a professional presentation to drive home the point that you’re a respectful and organized candidate. While clean formatting is important in all industries, it’s particularly essential for digital marketers, since much of the job focuses on visuals and the brand image. For specific formatting tips, check out our overall guide on cover letters.
What if the job description DOESN’T require a cover letter?
Online applications can often be rigid and formulaic with no way to ask the employer a question. This is particularly a problem when the job description doesn’t mention a cover letter. How can you know if it’s worth your time to write and submit one?
While other applicants might take the easy way out, they’re likely not doing themselves a favor when it comes to landing the position. Unless an employer specifically asks you NOT to submit a cover letter, it’s always a smart idea to write one as part of a complete application. This document works in your favor by answering any questions that arise from your resume and allowing you to make the best case for yourself – don’t throw away the opportunity!
Secondary purpose
Marketing is a game of numbers. Only a certain percentage of social media users will see your ads, a smaller number will click on them, and an even tinier amount will actually buy the product. But all the effort you put into the graphics, wording and promotion of your digital marketing campaigns and online marketing strategy are for one goal: to maximize your chances of success.
Your cover letter works in much the same way. You can’t guarantee a hiring manager will choose you over the competition, but every step you take to create a more professional and appealing image increases your overall results of landing the position.
There may be other job seekers with more years of experience or other qualifications that you don’t possess, but if you can show a recruiter why you’re the ideal fit, you can beat out the others in the applicant pool. Landing a new position is a game of numbers, and you have to play to win!
The importance of tailoring your cover letter
People love personalization. It’s just as true in marketing as it is in hiring. That means writing a generic cover letter that you use for every digital marketing manager position just isn’t enough. You need to show a company why you’re interested in working for them – and using your skills to drive their success.
Tailoring your cover letter involves updating it for each and every position with the specific examples and skill set that align with that company’s mission and needs. You may also want to tailor your formatting to use colors and design elements that convey the right image to fit in with their brand.
While tailoring your cover letter may add a few extra minutes to your job search, you’ll be putting yourself miles ahead of other candidates who didn’t want to invest in creating the perfect profile.
Best format for a digital marketing cover letter
Your digital marketing cover letter has structure and format. As a savvy marketer, you know that ranging too far out of the box can simply be confusing. The same goes for your cover letter.
While you can show off your creativity, your digital marketing cover letter should contain the following elements:
- The cover letter header
- The greeting / salutation
- The cover letter intro
- The middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
- The ending paragraph of your cover letter (conclusion and call-to-action)
This digital marketing cover letter example is a starting point for you to develop your own professional application:
Dear Ms. Goodman,
Digital Marketing is about finding a voice, amplifying it and cultivating a community around it. In my previous three positions, I have created award-winning social strategies, grown audiences by 1700%, and increased brand awareness off the charts (from 2% to 102%).
A winning social strategy feeds on itself and my role as a digital marketing manager is to create all the right ingredients for this to take place. Optimizing digital marketing campaigns for consumer brands taps into the psyche of the consumer. I have tripled sales of ice cream, broken a personal hygiene supply chain with +1020% LFL promotional success, and ensured that a new range of smoothies captured 25% market share within six months.
I have enclosed a selection of highlights from my portfolio that may be relevant to the campaigns I would be running with you. Every brand is different, but in many situations if one approach works for one brand it is likely to work for another. I am consistently recognized as one of the leading consumer marketeers and I am confident in my ability to translate my previous wins into amazing success for you.
I’d love the opportunity of an interview to discuss my ideas of how to take your brand to the next level on social.
Sincerely,
Matthew Jones
Cover letter header
Much like header of any webpage or social media account, your cover letter header helps identify you both in terms of content and visuals.
In many large companies, hiring is handled by a whole team of people and your application may float from desk to desk. The header’s primary purpose is to ensure that no matter who reads your letter, they know who you are and how to get in touch with you.
The secondary purpose of the header is to create attractive formatting and grab attention. This is one of the few places you’ll be able to show off your visual style, so it’s worth creating a look that’s both professional and eye-catching.
The goal of this section: Identify your document with the necessary personal data and catch the hiring manager’s interest with attractive formatting.
Align document styles!
Turns out branding isn’t just for online marketing strategy. To boost your professionalism and credibility, try creating a personal brand – a look and feel that represents you across all of your application materials. One of the best ways to do this is by aligning the headers of your cover letter and resume.
You can make this easier by using online cover letter templates, like these free options from Resume.io. Our resume samples and resume builder tool make it easy to create all the pieces of a polished application in just a few clicks.
Cover letter greeting
Your cover letter greeting is essential to establishing a respectful and approachable tone right from the start of your letter. It’s important to choose your greeting wisely, since some modern companies prefer more casual communication.
For formal institutions, “Dear” followed by the correct salutation and last name will work well across the board. Our cover letter sample uses this wording. If the company prides itself on a youthful work environment, you might try “Hi” or “Hello” and even the recipient’s first name.
The goal of this section: Address the letter recipient with a greeting that’s appropriate for the company culture, use the recipient’s name whenever possible.
The importance of names and addressed greetings
If you’ve ever created a mailing list, then you know just how powerful addressing a recipient by name (or at least a greeting with a personal touch) can be. And the evidence doesn’t just come from marketing.
Science has shown that humans have a positive neurological response upon hearing their own names. You can use this research to your advantage by addressing the hiring manager by name in your cover letter. This helps create a personal connection and demonstrates your interest in the position.
However, when hiring is handled by a large team, finding a name can be difficult. In that case, there’s no need to go to extreme lengths – a collective noun will do. Try using the company name plus “Hiring Team” or even “Family” if it matches the organization’s branding.
Cover letter introduction
Your first paragraph is one of the most important places for catching a reader’s attention – whether it be in a piece of online content or in your cover letter. You should aim to create an exciting, yet professional introduction that gets to the point fairly quickly. An interesting anecdote, relevant statistic or noteworthy fact can all do the trick. Just make sure this information leads smoothly into the body of your letter.
The goal of this section: Grab the hiring manager’s attention and encourage them to keep reading your letter via an exciting and relevant introduction.
The cover letter example text below offers the writer's vision and career achievements right off the bat.
Dear Ms. Goodman,
Digital Marketing is about finding a voice, amplifying it and cultivating a community around it. In my previous three positions, I have created award-winning social strategies, grown audiences by 1700%, and increased brand awareness off the charts (from 2% to 102%).
Cover letter middle part (body)
The middle paragraphs of cover letters is where you can finally get into the bulk of all the skills and marketing experience you have to offer. Make sure to highlight only the most relevant examples from your resume and keep each anecdote concise. One way to do this is by using the STAR method.
First, describe a Situation, then the Task required, your Action and the positive Result it caused. Your examples should be relevant to the potential duties of your new employer, which means you may have to swap them out when applying to different positions.
You can finish the body of your letter by talking about potential contributions and strategies you could implement in the new position.
The goal of this section: Use the STAR method to give concise, relevant examples of your skills and work experience, discuss potential contributions to the new position.
The cover letter example text below highlights the variety of products the writer has successfully marketed.
A winning social strategy feeds on itself and my role as a digital marketing manager is to create all the right ingredients for this to take place. Optimizing digital marketing campaigns for consumer brands taps into the psyche of the consumer. I have tripled sales of ice cream, broken a personal hygiene supply chain with +1020% LFL promotional success, and ensured that a new range of smoothies captured 25% market share within six months.
I have enclosed a selection of highlights from my portfolio that may be relevant to the campaigns I would be running with you. Every brand is different, but in many situations if one approach works for one brand it is likely to work for another. I am consistently recognized as one of the leading consumer marketeers and I am confident in my ability to translate my previous wins into amazing success for you.
How to close a digital marketing cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
Now that you’ve completed the heavy lifting, it’s time to finish off your letter on a positive note. A Call to Action is one of the most effective ways to conclude. This sentence expresses your interest and enthusiasm for the position and invites a hiring manager to contact you. You may even choose to leave your personal data and phone number here again, space permitting.
Then, choose an appropriate signature that matches the tone of your greeting. “Sincerely,” “Best” or “Thank you for your consideration” can all work well depending on the formality of your letter.
The goal of this section: Create a call to action that encourages the hiring manager to get in touch, close your letter with a professional and positive signature. Be confident without sounding arrogant or presumptuous.
A call to action is a key part of your closing. See the cover letter sample text below.
I’d love the opportunity of an interview to discuss my ideas of how to take your brand to the next level on social.
Sincerely,
Matthew Jones
Writing psychology: how to convey your work ethic in your cover letter
To land a digital marketing specialist position, there are a few key qualities you’ll want to convey.
- Analytical skills: Today’s digital marketing campaigns are based on SEO, web traffic data and a whole host of other statistics and indicators. By highlighting your ability to use concrete numbers to implement a strategy, you can show an employer how you will succeed in driving results for their business.
- Time management: Hiring managers are looking for candidates who can quickly assess the situation and put effective strategies into place. Showing how you will handle multiple tasks will create the impression that you are an invaluable addition to the company.
- Creativity: A unique approach will set you apart. You can convey creativity not only in the examples of previous work you choose to highlight, but also in the formatting and writing style of your letter.
- Communication: At the root of it all, your communication skills are your greatest asset. The right tone combined with error-free writing can go a long way to prove your abilities without ever having to brag.
The power of liking
One marketing strategy or more appropriately - psychological strategy that you may be familiar with is the power of liking. This principle is simple: humans are more likely to help people that they believe like them. More importantly: we are more willing to buy into the message of someone who we believe understands our problem.
This has great power in marketing, but it can also be used to your advantage while crafting your cover letter. In order for your message to succeed, you need to show a hiring manager the ways in which you understand their particular marketing needs and how you’re prepared to solve their greatest challenges.
More so that in other professions, a marketer’s cover letter is like an audition. You should aim to give the employer a free sample of what you can do for them. Previous campaigns, strategies and positive results are some of the best tools you have to show why you’re the ideal candidate for the position.
Make sure to incorporate concrete numbers, facts and statistics to add weight to your words and justify your confident and professional tone.
What does your visual presentation say about you?
Digital marketing is a highly visual profession. Whether you make the graphics, images and videos yourself or work with a marketing team or graphical designer to create them, an understanding of aesthetics and branding is key to success in this field.
That means your cover letter formatting is not just a pretty final touch. Your formatting is a taste of your visual style, attention to detail and creative abilities. Above all, you should pay attention to make sure your formatting communicates the right message.
Use the company website and existing marketing materials to get a sense of their tone and formality. Do they appreciate bright colors and bold fonts? Or do they tend to stick with clean lines and neutral color palettes. Even if you’re envisioning a total makeover of the materials, it’s a good idea to stick within the company comfort zone while still creating an attractive and modern presentation.
Digital marketing cover letter with no experience
Everybody starts somewhere, but how do you get your foot in the door? Here are some ideas for writing your digital marketing cover letter if you haven't held that position before:
- Describe any marketing experience you have
- Talk about your digital skills
- Play up your soft skills, such as your communication, organization and collaborative nature
- Create an example campaign.
Your cover letter can help elevate your resume by offering more details about why you are a great fit for the job — even without direct experience.
Formatting issues and common mistakes to avoid
Watch out for these all-too-common traps to outshine the other candidates and increase your chances of landing the position.
- Generic cover letters: Just like each digital marketing strategy has to be unique to the company and product, a cover letter needs to be tailored to each individual position. Hiring managers can easily spot copy-paste letters and often label those candidates as disinterested or not serious.
- Formatting issues: Your formatting says almost as much about you as your writing. Make sure the message is on point for the position and company culture. Luckily online cover letter builders and templates can make great formatting simple.
- Spelling and grammar errors: Good communication is a cornerstone of the profession, so typos and poor sentence structure are automatic red flags for any hiring manager. Make sure to use spell check and have a friend proofread your application before you submit.
- Poor tone: The balance between confident and cocky is always tricky, but finding your voice is important to capturing the hiring manager’s interest. To avoid coming across as arrogant, use data and facts to back up your achievements.
Key takeaways
- Cover letters are an essential tool to increase your chances of landing any given position. Make sure to include one as part of a complete application.
- Tailoring your cover letter with the right numbers, facts and examples is one of the best things you can do to show an employer you’re invested in the position and serious about the company’s success.
- Organize your cover letter with a straightforward structure that simplifies the writing process for you and makes your cover letter easier to understand.
- For digital marketers, your application formatting is an example of your visual style and abilities. Make sure your templates, colors and fonts align with the company’s tone.
- Typos and poor grammar suggest poor communication skills. Avoid these simple mistakes by proofreading your application before you submit.
With your marketing expertise and our recruiter-approved templates - take your career hunt to a new level. Go out there and get your dream job today!
