So you are wondering how much you should pay a content writer.
Copywriting and content writing are the backbone of content marketing as a whole. A well-written blog can push your website into the mouths of your customer just as well as a bad one can make them pull back.
And for this reason, article writers LOVE to get paid.
The world isn’t shy of highly successful content writers who get paid in the hundreds of thousands.
Their secret is the same as every other copywriter who knows what they are doing: They know how to get the customer to pay top dollar for their work.
Fueled by these eye-watering prices and success stories, copywriters of all shapes and sizes love charging astronomical fees for their work.
Look at your current freelance copywriter: Do they SEO optimize their content? Do they write well, or do they write to sell?
And most importantly, what should YOU pay your freelance copywriter? Do you really have to pay a content writer $500 a blog, or is there a more affordable rate to enter the game and win the content marketing game?
Blog writing 101: The higher the price, the more dedicated the writer.
Did you know that a good blog will take me about 4 hours to write? The 1000 words article you asked your copywriter to write for you will go through a plethora of edits and fixes, but normally, these are the reasons why blog-writing can be so consuming:
Researching for a good article
The secret is that no copywriter is an expert in every single topic out there. Despite what many are telling you, your average freelancer will mostly focus on very specific topics and niches in these industries.
Your finances content writer may produce spectacular articles regarding index funds and economical strategies, but they probably don’t have a flipping clue on how to create an outstanding piece about woodworking or cooking.
And yet, somehow they do regularly produce work outside of their niches, and the work is very, very good.
I have written for 15 different industries over the course of my career, quite literally ranging from medical practices to water parks and even firearms! My secret is one: Research.
Your copywriter should spend about 60% of their time researching, 40% writing. Anything less than that, and the quality of the information provided is likely piss poor quality.
Read More: Basic Research Strategies Guide
You pay a content writer to edit, not to write.
Editing written text is what you are actually paying top dollar for. Anyone can write – but not many can edit.
I want you to write a 3000 words article and publish it straight away. Don’t read it, don’t look at it, don’t tweak it. Just hit that publish button and hope for the best.
How many mistakes did you accidentally include? How much wrong information are you sharing?
Think about the effect those silly mistakes will have on your brand. Would you seriously invest $30k in a company that spells “Money” as “mony” or just tell you that “their the best in the marketing business“?
Redrafting and tweaking
As a content writer, I can tell you two absolute truths:
1 – Editing sucks
2 – Rewriting sucks
I wish I could get a dollar for every single time I wrote something I thought was amazing, but my customer didn’t share my view because it didn’t fit their vision.
And that is one of the greatest dishonors of being a content writer: Despite writing is very often a highly subjective topic, the best content writers in the business will write to fit your vision – even if what they had in mind was totally different.
And that is why content writing can take a lot of time – and sometimes become quite expensive.
Or, of course, get really, really good.
The best content writers will have a chat with you before writing the content. During this chat, I will be able to understand exactly what your goals for the content is, and how I can effectively help you reach it. Branding is a big, big part of every piece of content, after all.
Optimisation and publication
When you pay a content writer, you expect people to actually read what they have written. The best writers will:
- Optimise images and videos
- Use a proven SEO keyword chosen with competitiveness rates in mind
- Implement said keyword a set amount of times to be organically perceived by both Google and your users.
- Sometimes, even support you by building backlinks and point you in the direction of authoritative websites that will.
- Publish a highly optimised blog under your domain, if requested.
- Oversee shareability, include Call To Actions and test the effectiveness of the produced content using Google Analytics or similar.
- Talk to you to understand brand perception and how to ensure the whole piece truly stands out.
And yes, all of that is included in the service I provide. Why not contact me today?
The thing I am trying to say is that you are paying a content writer for an ongoing relationship with them. Just like partners, the best content writers are those who prioritise your needs over long periods of time without turning the whole thing into a toxic mess that aims to take advantage of either party.
Ok, that was a bit too deep.
So, how much should I pay a content writer?
The entry point for blog writing is normally $25 per 500 words. Therefore, a beginner copywriter will likely charge you $50 for a 1000 words blog, AKA about $12.50 an hour. This is a good start, but the price quite literally will only go up from here.
A mid-weight copywriter will charge you between $40 and $50 per 500 words, meaning that a standard 1000 words article will cost you approximately $100. This fee is very, very common, and I consider this to be the fairest price for blog writing.
After the $100/1000 words threshold, these are the things that will make your expenses go up:
- Copywriting brand name: What I like to call “the biggest perpetrator of overcharges”, copywriters who have built a name for themselves will start charging significantly more for the same quality you can get with lesser known freelancers.
Small to mid-sized businesses should steer away from this, since it will be a significant strain on your finances.
However, larger businesses may actually benefit from the authority a well known copywriter may provide…. plus any backlinking opportunities, of course. - Niche: Your niche is the biggest price changer of them all. Do you sell bricks or highly specialised equipment made specifically for heart surgery? The more complicated and niche your product or blog is, the more you will have to pay a content writer (As a rule of thumb, up to 8 times).
However, you also will have to consider this from an SEO perspective: High quality content with very little competition on the search engine = a good time - Time restraints: Do you need your blog written in 2 days or 2 months? Goes without saying, that the shortest your notice is, the more your price will go up. A blog written on a 24 hours notice can even double in price!
- Hold on, there’s more! Ghost-writing, writing for a backlink, a complete content strategy etc… will just give you a soaring price. For example, whenever I ghostwrite on a customer’s behalf, I normally charge about 20% more due to the fact I cannot take credit for my work.
Find the table below of general price points for blog writing. Needless to say, take this with a pinch of salt.
There are too many variables out there that can and will change the cost of your blog.
How do you find writers with fair prices?
“Cheap” doesn’t necessarily mean “Fair”. Sure, you can go on Fiverr and just get yourself a 2000 blog article for $5. However, is that really what you want for your business?
Low prices can sometimes be just as bad as high prices for your business: The quality you are paying will forever trump over the tag.
And, I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but a $5 blog is, 99% of the time, complete junk.
However, it can be easy to find a good writer to negotiate your prices with. Remember that prices are subjective, and no 2 pieces of content will have the exact same price tag.
Where can you find one that is honest, reliable, and capable of providing you results-proven copywriting with new and intriguing concepts guaranteed to get your customers all over your products?
Well… *cough* just contact me and find out! *cough*