Are you interested in improving your copy for increased leads and sales?
Most likely, you’ve heard the expression “Get a copywriter!” For a while.
What’s wrong? Can you just grab any copywriter off the street and call it a day?
Well…
It is not easy to find competent copywriters who understand the subject. “
The cost of hiring a professional copywriter is the most important part of your search.
Why do copywriting rates vary so much?
There are many copywriters out there, each charging a different price. A quick Google search will show you a wide range of numbers starting at $25 to $25,000 and everything in between.
Too many numbers are confusing.
Without knowing the type of copywriting you need and for what purpose, it is hard to give an exact answer.
It’s understandable. It is however a bit strange that one copywriter will charge $1,000 for the same job, while another will only quote $100.
But, it all depends on the context.
Copywriters do not all have to be the same.
Some people are exceptionally talented. Others are not as talented. There are many others in the middle.
A landing page can cost $15,000 to an A-list copywriter, who has a track record of making millions by using the power of the written word.
Upwork can also help you create landing pages starting at $50 But they will not be able to compete with top-level talent
A copywriter’s price will be determined by their experience and talents.
I don’t recommend that you hire an A-lister, spend thousands of dollars on one deliverable, or that you have to pay a lot of money if you don’t budget.
An intermediate copywriter can write better copy than copy written by A-listers.
Copywriting rates can be affected by seven things
Understanding the price of copywriting projects can help you get the deliverables that you want.
We will cover the following topics:
- Types of Deliverable
- Pricing models
- Research depth
- Years of experience
- Subject-matter expertise
- Agency vs. freelancer
- How quickly do you need it
Now let’s get into the details.
1. Type of deliverable
Copywriters have many options for creating content and deliverables that are relevant to marketing.
These are some examples of
You may need product pages with Buy Now! If you sell products, product pages may need to include Buy Now!
It is possible to offer B2B services. You might want to provide B2B services. If so, white papers and case studies may be necessary. This will help you keep the conversation going throughout the sales cycle.
You need a landing page to convert traffic to your PPC ads. A copywriter may also be needed to write your ad copy.
The market rates for each type of deliverable will be listed later.
2. Pricing models
It is possible to conceal pricing models behind your copywriting project estimate.
People charge by the word.
Other companies charge flat fees for projects (this is exactly what I do).
Others charge per hour.
Some copywriters who use direct response will ask for royalties less often, especially for long-form sales pages.
Pricing is often determined by the length and complexity of the deliverable. More research is needed to create the copy
Word count should not be considered a pricing factor.
3. Research depth
Clients pay by the word for less skilled copywriters They assume less capable copywriters will charge clients per word.
In certain situations, this assumption might be valid. It does not guarantee that you will receive a quality copy.
I do not include word count in my pricing.
Deeper research is a better price indicator if you’re looking for a quality copy with results.
These studies may include:
- Gaining subject-matter expertise
- Immersion in the market, customers, or their pain points
- Analysis of competitors
- The benefits and features of your product or service.
This research would then be combined in a short creative way to guide the copy.
A strong background in psychology is necessary to write a copy that will appeal to a wide audience.
4. Subject-matter expertise
Copywriters must have strong research skills, a background in psychology, and knowledge about the niche or industry they are writing for.
It’s easier to work with someone who is an expert in one or two industries.
This is especially true for niches such as industrial B2B technology or highly regulated markets such as finance and healthcare.
Although these copywriters are more expensive, their copy will be more effective because they have experience in the industry. “
I highly recommend working with industry-specific copywriters.
5. Many Years of Experience
Searching for the lowest rates is risky, but it’s not because you’ll waste your money on a useless copy. The real danger is the huge opportunity cost.
A poor copy can drive customers away and hurt sales. Bad copy can hurt your sales and drive away leads.
An experienced copywriter is more cost-effective.
How many years of experience do they require?
It all comes down to how important the deliverable for your core business is.
If you are just starting with a new idea, or if you want to do some A/B testing, it might be worth hiring a less experienced copywriter.
Hire the best copywriter to handle this important project.
I believe that five years of experience in copywriting will suffice if you need support with important marketing initiatives.
6. How fast do you need it
You may need a copy urgently.
The best copywriters are booked weeks in advance. If you require them to finish your project quickly, expect to pay more.
You want to get a job done quickly because you don’t want to miss out on any other customers who have used their services in the past.
An additional 20%-30% surcharge is usually applied to expedited projects.
7. Agency vs. freelancer
Freelancers can be more expensive than agencies but there are still pros and cons to both.
Freelancers are at the highest risk of being ghosted or relegated to the end or middle of a project by someone else
Would you hire an agency to handle everything?
Rethink!
While an agency may seem more trustworthy than a freelancer, they might charge higher rates for lower-quality work if the company isn’t running a tight ship.
Unvetted agencies might “close” your case after the sales representative has closed it. After you have been closed by the sales representative, your case may be transferred to an account manager who might not fully understand your needs.
To be clear, not all agencies work the same. I have worked with many fantastic agencies.
I just want to say that if your interest is in working with a freelance copywriter or a digital agency for your project, it’s important that you thoroughly vet them, and ask questions about their processes.
Pay attention to these:
- Are they respond quickly to your emails?
- Can they answer all of your questions?
- Are they transparent and honest?
- Are their personalities compatible?
- What work have they done to their online portfolios?
Check out their testimonials. If their methods are successful, hire them.
Let’s close with a tip on hiring freelancers
Be aware of where they are located.
- Referrals by your industry or community are powerful.
- It is better to have them contact you directly (and not spammy!) Even better is if they contact you personally!
- These freelancers can be found on Upwork or other platforms.
Platforms such as Upwork will not attract top-tier copywriters. You don’t need to look for work on Upwork.
In-house or outsourced?
A copywriter is a person who can help your company grow its marketing department and increase staff.
An in-house copywriter can be 100% focused on your company, and not take on other tasks.
Outsourcing copywriting allows you to get better quality talent at lower rates by using a pool of writers with different skills.
Market copywriting rates per deliverable (updated 2020)
The following list does not include all the projects that copywriters have worked on, but it gives an idea of what they charge.
Digital Copywriting
Copywriting for your home page: $1,500 – $3,000
Copywriting for high-quality web pages (About, Service pages, Product pages), starting at $250 to $1,000 per page
Long-form Sales page: One Promotion: $5,000 to $9,000 (may also contain royalties).
Short-copy Lead Generation Landing Pages: $500 to 1,500
Content Marketing
Site Content Audit Report (find gaps and opportunities in your content marketing): $2,000 – $2,500
Blog posts less than 1000 words: $150-$800 per post
Articles on thought leadership (>1,200 Words): $250-$1000 for each article
SEO Copywriting
These prices appear at the top of Google search results when you enter “copywriting rates”
They show SEO copywriting despite me not specifically searching for SEO copywriting rates…
Resource Content
FAQ pages: 500 to $1.500
Case Study: $1200 – $2,000
White Paper or Special Report, $2,000 to $7,000
Podcast Script or Short Video: $300-$1,000 Per Minute
Campaigns
PPC Campaign (PPC): $75-$350/ad
Autoresponder & Funnel Email Series: $100 to $1,000 per email
Stand-alone Email campaigns: $250 to $2,000 per email
Source: (AWAI, 2020)
Full-time copywriter
Hire an in-house copywriter for your marketing team. They can earn up to $110K.
There are many options. Let us break it down by level of experience.
- Junior Copywriters: $51K
- Mid-level Copywriter: $58K
- Senior Copywriter: $80K
Benefits and onboarding costs are important when you hire a full-time employee. These costs can increase the employee’s gross salary by 30-40%.
