Templates for getting freelance commercial work

What is a letter of introduction?

A letter of introduction (LOI), also known as a letter of interest, is an email you send to potential clients introducing yourself and expressing an interest in working together. 

An LOI is a marketing tool that any creative freelancer can use. It enables you to reach out to potential clients, which will hopefully lead to new work. I like to think of it as a halfway house between a cover letter and a pitch. 

How can you use it to land commercial work?

Most freelance commercial work doesn’t get advertised anywhere. Busy marketing managers and account directors come up with a creative concept and then have to execute it quickly, relying on freelancers they’ve either worked with before or know through their network. 

All the companies I’ve ever worked with have always been on the lookout for more freelancers. 

If you don’t have commercial contacts in your network, a letter of introduction is a way for you to find this work. 

Who do I send them to? 

The likelihood of your LOI resulting in work is entirely dependent on how much research you put into working out who to send it to. 

Start by making a list of the types of companies that are likely to hire freelancers in your area. For example, if you’re a writer, look for companies in your wheelhouse that produce blogs or other written materials. If you’re an illustrator, look for companies using illustrations in their content marketing.

Once you have your list of companies, go on LinkedIn, Twitter or the company;’s website and look for people with “marketing manager”, “art director” or even “editor” in their job titles. If you can’t find the actual email address of the person you want to send your LOI to, send the message via LinkedIn. 

When do I send them? 

Often! Start with the assumption that not every LOI you send will turn into work. This is especially true if you’ve never sent one before. But that’s no reason not to send them, it just means you need to be consistent in your sending strategy. 

Put aside time each month to research new companies to send your LOIs to and keep track of how many you’re sending. 

Templates 

The good news is that once you’ve researched the companies to send your LOIs to, the hard part is over. 

The LOI itself is super short and to the point. Plus, I’ve already written it for you. I’ve put all of the above together into a couple of LOI templates to give you an idea of how to send these emails. 

LOI inquiring about working together:  

Dear [INSERT NAME],

My name’s Anna and I’m getting in touch to ask if your company works with freelance writers? I’ve seen on your website that you have a blog and I would love to contribute to it if you’re open to pitches.  

I’m a freelance writer who writes about culture and work. I specialise in new ways of working, the freelance economy and flexible working. My writing has appeared in the New York Times, Guardian, Wired and Monocle (I’ve included links to a few clips at the bottom of this email.)

I have some ideas that I think would be a great fit for your blog, if you’re interested in hearing them, I’ll happily send them over. 

Thank you,
Anna

The template asking to be added to the roster of freelancers: 

Dear [INSERT NAME],

My name’s Anna and I’m getting in touch to ask if your company works with freelance photographers? I’ve seen on your website that you have product shots and I would love to shoot for you if you have any oncoming projects.  

I’m a freelance photographer who works with a mix of editorial and commercial clients, specialising in food, fashion and travel photography. My clients include Dazed and Vice, as well as Mastercard and British Airways. You can find my portfolio here.

Looking forward to hearing from you and hopefully working with you in the near future. 

Thank you,
Anna

The LOI for pitching a specific idea 

Dear [INSERT NAME],

My name’s Anna and I’m getting in touch to ask if your company works with freelance audio producers? I’m a big fan of your content marketing, I particularly enjoyed your recent piece about the future of sustainable fashion. 

Have you ever considered producing a podcast as part of your campaigns? 

I’m a freelance podcast producer who specialises in fashion and sustainability and I think your company could make a fantastic podcast series building off the back of your campaign. 

I’ve made similar podcasts for my clients, including this series for Airbnb about the future of travel. 

Looking forward to hearing from you and hopefully working with you in the near future. 

Thank you,

Anna

If you end up sending any, let the rest of the community know either in the comments below or in the Slack group how it went!