It’s the question every business owner asks once they realise they need to hire writers - how much does it cost to hire a writer? Whether you need to get an expert on board for a one-off project, or you want a freelancer to join the team remotely on an ongoing basis, you’re going to want to know how that will impact your marketing budget.
In this article, I’m answering all the burning questions that business owners, CEOs and marketing managers have before they hire writers. If you have any more, don’t hesitate to send me a message.
Otherwise, skip the questions and jump straight to the section on copywriter rates down below.
Further reading: The Lean CMO: How a Small Marketing Budget Can Produce Big Results
Is hiring a writer worth it?
You want to know that you’re going to get out more than you put in. Measuring the ROI of copywriting is notoriously difficult, because attribution is so unclear. And, unless the work is direct response copywriting, copy is often viewed as a way to drive traffic, build your brand and make sure you’re memorable. So although customers may not convert straight away, their interactions with your content are usually crucial to that end conversion.
Neil Patel carried out a study on 208 companies. He found that most companies were spending their marketing budget on paid ads, such as Google Ads and Facebook. However, the channel with the best return on marketing spend was SEO and content, with companies achieving just below 700% returns.
So - yes. Don’t try to save money by hiring a cheap writer or just doing it yourself. A good writer is like gold to your business.
How do copywriters set their rates?
The reason so many writers are vague when you ask them about copywriter rates is because there are so many variables at play. Here are some factors a professional will consider when pricing up a project.
1. Their level of experience
How many years of experience does the writer have? Someone just starting out will offer entry-level rates, but be aware that low quality copy can actually drive leads away and could really damage your business. When trying to hire a copywriter, consider how critical that deliverable is to your business. If you’re just trying out a new idea or are running some minor A/B checks, you might be able to save some money on hiring a cheap copywriter. If the project is crucial to your business - such as a website copy refresh - then get the best copywriter you can afford.
2. How busy they are at the time
Many copywriters don’t even have set-in-stone rates cards, simply because their rates can fluctuate depending on the season. If they’re super busy, they might hike up their prices. That’s because if they’re going to work weekends and evenings (we like to have a life, too), then it needs to be worth their time.
Many may not admit to this, but if your project is something that’s appealing to a writer (maybe they’re keen to break into an industry, or they’re passionate about what you do), they might cut you a deal.
3. Your industry
If you’re in a highly technical or niche industry, your writer will have to carry out more research. They’ll also need to be highly skilled at translating technical copy into something the everyday person can comprehend. The depth of research required and the writer’s existing knowledge in your subject matter could influence the cost of content marketing.
4. Your brief
How in-depth is your brief? If you already have an SEO specialist that has provided a clear guideline for the writer such as keywords and competitor research, that means less work for your copywriter, and therefore will probably reduce the cost. Some companies also want to include their own expertise and provide detailed notes for writers to expand on, making the handover much simpler and cheaper.
5. Your deadline
Do you need the copy, like, yesterday? Many copywriters are booked weeks in advance, but they understand that an urgent project can pop up from time-to-time. When you need a rush job, you’re asking to cut the line. Copywriters will usually add a 25-50% surcharge on urgent projects, depending on how urgent we’re talking.
Do copywriters charge by the word, hour, day or project?
First of all, avoid copywriters that charge by the word. Charging by the word is a bit of a hangover from journalism, and doesn’t represent the digital age. It leads to bad practice and writers will often add unnecessary words to bump up the price. You’ll end up with long-winded, awkward copy, when what you want is succinct, beautiful copy.
Most of the time, copywriters will provide a fixed rate, so you know exactly how much a project is going to cost you before you get started.
Other times, they’ll estimate how long something will take them and then charge by the hour or day. However, I know some copywriters that avoid this - especially when they’re experienced and fast at working - because they don’t want to get penalised for working quickly.
For me, I’ll estimate how long a project will take and combine this with the variables mentioned above, to provide a fixed price, or at least an estimate, before taking on any new work.
What is a retainer?
If you think you need to hire a copywriter on an ongoing basis, you might want to consider offering a retainer. A retainer is a fixed monthly payment that covers content marketing.
A retainer may be in both yours and the writer’s best interests if, for example, the writer is going to manage your weekly email campaigns, or write two blogs a month for the next year. This helps to streamline the payment process - it means less paperwork and the guarantee that you’re in line even if the copywriter gets busy. Hiring a writer on a retainer gives you the opportunity to build a positive, long-term working relationship, and you can count on a consistent quality and style of writing.
So, how much does it cost to hire a writer? Let’s check the numbers
This is what you really came here for.
When you hire writers, what’s it gonna cost you? As I already mentioned, cost varies massively depending on your industry, the copywriter’s level of expertise, your deadline, and your location.
For these purposes (and because most of my clients are currently based in those countries), I’ll look at how much a copywriter costs in the UK and Australia. A simple Google search will show you conversion rates for your country, although keep in mind that might not be an accurate estimation. You will find considerably lower rates if you work with a freelancer in India, South Korea and Portugal, for example.
When hiring a copywriter, they take care of any of your sales and marketing messaging, taglines, website copy and perhaps emails and social media copy. So how much does a copywriter cost in the UK and Australia, on average?
Why are freelance copywriters so expensive?
If a freelance copywriter provides a quote and you recoil - or worse, try to haggle them down - first consider why they charge what they do.
Obviously, and this goes without saying, you’re paying for their expertise. Most freelancers have spent years building up their skills in their field, and they’re bringing that to your business.
Secondly, a freelancer doesn’t have the same kind of job security that a full-time employee has. Which is fine - that’s what we signed up for. However, we have to consider covering some of the following costs when providing a quote for a project:
- Tax
- VAT
- National insurance (UK)
- Pension/superannuation
- Annual leave
- Sick leave
- Insurance
- HR expenses (invoicing, accounts, general admin, etc.)
- Office space
- Office bills
- Equipment (laptops, desks, etc.)
It all adds up, so we adjust our costs to fit with this. That’s why the hourly rate of a freelancer tends to be around double that of an employee.
Just keep in mind that if you chose not to hire a freelance copywriter, then you’d probably need to hire a full-time employee instead. That means paying more money in a yearly salary, and footing the bill yourself for pension/superannuation, benefits, holiday pay, office supplies, overheads, etc.
Want to hire writers for an upcoming project? Send me an email on amy@dot-doc.com and I’ll provide a quote.
