Cold Emails That Win Freelance Clients: 6 Templates

A cold email is a message to someone who doesn't know you yet, offering help with a problem they have. Done badly, it's spam. Done well, it's one of the best free ways to find clients, because you aren't competing with fifty other freelancers on a job post.

Find businesses that need you

Look for businesses with a visible problem you can fix:

Google Maps: search for restaurants, clinics or shops in a city, then check their websites and reviews.
Instagram and Facebook: find businesses with good products but weak posts or no recent activity.
Job posts: companies hiring full-time often need short-term help in the meantime.
Your own life: businesses you use and like.

Keep a simple spreadsheet with the business name, website, contact email, the problem you noticed and the date you wrote.

Find the right email address

Check the website's Contact or About page.
For small businesses, the owner often reads the general email.
For bigger companies, find the right person on LinkedIn, such as the marketing manager.
Never buy email lists. They're often illegal to use, and they don't work.

What a good cold email looks like

A short, specific subject line, such as "Quick idea for Green Leaf Café's menu page".
A personal first line that shows you looked at their business.
One problem and one idea, not a list of everything you can do.
Proof: one relevant sample.
A small, easy next step, such as "Would it help if I sent a quick mockup?"
Under 120 words.

Template 1: A website problem

Subject: Quick idea for [business]'s website

Hi [name],

I was looking at [business]'s website and noticed [specific problem, e.g. the menu is a PDF that's hard to read on a phone].

I build simple, mobile-friendly websites for [type of business]. Here's one I made for a similar café: [link]

Would it help if I sent you a quick mockup of how your menu page could look? There's no cost for the mockup.

[Your name]

Subject: Ideas for [business]'s Instagram

Hi [name],

I love [something specific, e.g. your weekend specials]. I noticed your Instagram hasn't been updated since [month], and I think your customers would enjoy seeing more of it.

I design and schedule social media posts for [type of business]. Here are a few examples: [link]

Can I send you three free post ideas for next week?

[Your name]

Template 3: A free mini-review

Subject: 3 quick wins for [business]'s website

Hi [name],

I took a quick look at [website] and found three small changes that could help more visitors contact you:

1. [Specific, short observation]
2. [Specific, short observation]
3. [Specific, short observation]

I'm happy to explain any of these, or fix them for you if that's useful.

[Your name]

Template 4: Follow-up

Send one follow-up after three to five working days if you haven't heard back.

Subject: Re: [original subject]

Hi [name],

Just following up on my note last week about [the idea]. I know things get busy, so no worries if now isn't the right time.

If it would help, I can send that [mockup / list of ideas] this week.

[Your name]

If there's still no reply, stop. Don't keep sending messages.

Template 5: Reconnecting with a past client

Subject: How is [project] working out?

Hi [name],

It's been a few months since we finished [project], and I wanted to check how it's going.

I've recently started helping clients with [new service], and I thought of you because [reason]. Would it be useful to have a quick chat about it?

[Your name]

Template 6: Partnering with an agency or freelancer

Subject: Extra help for [agency name]'s busy weeks

Hi [name],

I'm a [skill] freelancer, and I work well alongside [type of agency or freelancer]. When you have more [type of work] than your team can handle, I can help on a project basis.

Here's a sample of my work: [link]

Would you like to keep my details for your next busy week?

[Your name]

Rules to follow

Personalize every email. If it could be sent to anyone, it won't work.
Be honest about who you are and what you offer.
Respect "no". If someone asks you to stop, stop immediately.
Follow anti-spam laws. Many countries regulate commercial email. Write to individual businesses, identify yourself clearly, and never send bulk messages to lists you bought.
Send from your own email account, a few at a time, not with mass-mailing tools.

Track and improve

Write 5 to 10 emails a day, and track the replies. If nobody replies, change your subject line or first sentence. If people reply but don't hire you, improve your samples or your offer. When someone says yes, send a clear quote with the free quote calculator, then put it in writing with the contract generator.