A lot of the best freelance jobs now turn up on LinkedIn. The Freelance Writing Network newsletter is full of them. That’s great news, unless LinkedIn makes you want to throw your laptop out the window (and it does for me, so you’re not alone if so).
Outreach is hard. Really hard. The person on the other end has no idea who you are. It’s a cliche, but doing this does often feel like shouting into a void. Nobody wants to sound desperate or stiff, and yet here we are, drafting yet another opening line.
Today’s resource is designed to make this process slightly less painful.
Here you’ll find three templates that I’ve used in the past for cold outreach on LinkedIn. I’ve chosen them because these three templates have all led to at least one commission or piece of work.
The key here is not to just copy and paste. They’re templates, but you still need to make them yours. Add your personality, include your details. Let the person you’re reaching out to know you’re a real human who is serious about the work you do.
You’ll also note that these templates differ in style. I modify the manner in which I write depending on the individual I’m reaching out to. You should always have a quick glance at their LinkedIn account and company so you can judge which approach will work best.
Just don’t be disheartened if you don’t always hear back - keep rewriting and throwing mud until it sticks to the wall!
If you’re not a paid subscriber, but you want to access these templates without a full subscription, you can purchase them from my Gumroad store here.
Template #1
This is the most straightforward, matter of fact outline that I use. It’s formal, reads clearly, and provides enough insight into your relevant experience and skill set.
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