freelance writing rates

I think we can all agree content is essential.  You can’t go anywhere without coming across content. Content is everywhere, from the emails your favorite brand sends to that meme your dentist posted on social media. However, budgeting to create all that content is another beast you might not be ready to tackle. We have some good news for you. Content marketing doesn’t have to be an overwhelming beast that will gobble your budget. You can take it in levels like tackling a video game. You won’t need to graduate to the next level of content marketing until you defeat the one you’re at and receive the profits. Those profits allow you to scale up, creating more content and generating even greater rewards. Content marketing doesn’t feel so daunting anymore now, does it? Let’s break content writing pricing down to see what costs to expect and how to fit them into your budget. How to Craft a Content Marketing Budget Before diving into the numbers, it’s crucial to understand your budget and what factors play into content marketing costs. Sure, Suzy in HR says she likes to blog in her spare time, but can she give you the content you need to achieve your marketing goals? Use these factors to evaluate where you are at as a business and what content writing pricing you can afford. Understand Your Target Audience Content is for your audience. You’re writing to the people you hope will eventually become clients. So, the first place to look when deciding your marketing budget is your target audience. Ask yourself: Who do I want to reach with my content? What do I want my content to tell that audience? What action do I want my audience to take? Where can I reach that audience? These questions don’t just tell you which content marketing channels to prioritize but also tell you what level of content you need. HR Suzy might be able to craft a fun social media post, but can she also write an authority piece for financial leaders? While everyone’s content needs vary, the average monthly content marketing budget ranges between $5,000 and $10,000. You’ll be on the higher end if your target audience has higher educational levels or is in a complex industry like the medical field or cybersecurity. You will fall on the lower end of that range if you’re a B2C business in a more common industry like fashion that doesn’t have too much industry-specific jargon.   Factors Impacting Pricing What might make a project or freelance agency cost more than another? Writer Experience: You will pay more for subject matter experts with more experience. Industries like the legal industry, finances, and tech usually charge the highest prices because they require significant niche knowledge. Research Requirements: Topics requiring more extensive research will also be more costly to account for the extra time the writer needs to find that information. Search engine optimization (SEO) research is also an additional charge. For example, Express Writers charges $10 for a meta add-on and $60 for keyword research if you want to optimize your content for search engines. Content Volume: If you order content in bulk, you can often receive a discount, which makes creating regular content more budget-friendly. Turnaround Time: Do you need content by yesterday? Expect to pay more for rush orders. Express Writers already prides itself on our fast delivery, with delivery times ranging from 3-10 days, depending on the content’s complexity and length. But, if our delivery is still outside your window, we also offer rushed orders for an additional fee. Managed Options: How much help do you want with your content creation? Adding on services like Express Writers’ Managed Content will increase your costs but will also decrease the time and mental load of content creation.     To find the right package for your marketing needs, you need a careful balance of cost and quality. Investing a little more in content today can increase your rewards tomorrow. Investing in consistent quality content over time will significantly boost your web traffic and conversions while saving you hours of valuable time. Budgeting for content marketing comes down to how much your time is worth and what rewards you hope to achieve. The value of those items will define your budget.   Average Content Writing Pricing Based on Content Format Now, it’s time to dig into the actual numbers behind content marketing based on average industry prices. Use our freelance content writing pricing as guidelines to budget for your marketing strategy. 1. Average Blog Post Cost Average Cost: $640-$3,600 monthly for eight blog posts. Web content and blog posts will comprise the bulk of your content. Aim to create two to four weekly blog posts to maintain a consistent, high search engine ranking. If you’re posting twice a week, that’s eight blog posts a month, which you can order using a volume discount to make it more budget-friendly. How much will that cost you? A quarter of businesses pay between $500-$1,000 for a month’s blog content. Content marketing pricing varies greatly depending on the business. The average includes different blog post lengths and quality levels. You can easily spend much more than that in a niche industry. At Express Writers, a month’s worth of general blogs will cost $640+ for a basic package with minimal research or expertise. If you’re looking for a month’s worth of high-quality, authoritative content, expect to pay $3,600 for eight highly researched, 1000-word posts crafted by subject-matter experts with experience in your industry.     2. Average Case Study Cost Average cost: $140 per page Case studies require a different skill set than general writing and are often more expensive than what you’d pay for a blog, quickly reaching over $1,000 per case study. What you’re paying for is the marketing experience of crafting a story that highlights your best features while showcasing previous wins. At Express Writers, single-page case studies start at $140 with a $125 design add-on available. Each additional page increases the price by the … Read more