How Much Do Quality Copywriting Services Cost?

Content marketing is serious business. Over 90% of marketers are currently using custom content to generate leads, and sales, according to research by the Content Marketing Institute. 25% of the average marketing budget is dedicated to custom content. But how much should quality content cost? The short answer is, enough to get the quality you need to reach your goals. The long answer is much more complex. Despite the fact that 54% of marketers will be increasing their content budget in 2013, 52% believe they lack the budget to perform their job adequately. Ted Karczewski of Brafton has highlighted the fact that by all standard success measures, low-quality content won’t get your business anywhere. It’s true that there are exceptions to the old “you get what you pay for” rule. You might be lucky enough to find a student, a mom working from home, or someone just starting out who is a talented copywriter and charges incredible rates. If so, hold on to them, praise them and give them a bonus now and then! However, be ready for their prices to go up as soon as: They get more experience. Their clients come to realize that they are good at what they do. They gain notoriety and become more in demand. An experienced copywriter is an investment. Many business owners would agree that investing in quality equipment upfront is a good business practice. Whether you’re buying a machine to produce your widgets or computers for your employees to use, you don’t want the cut-rate version that requires constant repair and downtime. This is our suggested pricing model. The copywriter quotes a simple, flat fee to cover all the elements of the copywriting job, taking into account all the factors listed below. Copywriter and client agree to revisit the fee if the work turns out to be different from the agreed scope. Some copywriters may ask for 50% of the fee upfront, particularly when dealing with a new client. Copywriting fees vary. In terms of the copywriter, factors that might affect the fee include: Experience. More experienced copywriters can command a higher fee, as can those who have worked on bigger brands Specialised skills. Copywriters may charge a premium if they can demonstrate highly developed skills in certain areas Location. Copywriters based in London and other urban centres may charge more Client status. Copywriters may choose to offer discounts and/or different rates to certain types of client, such as startups, SMEs or charities. In terms of the specific project, the key factors are: Briefing. The copywriter may need to help the client develop the brief before work can begin. This is not necessarily undesirable, but it does need to be acknowledged and charged for when appropriate Planning and strategy. The project may need to be carefully planned before writing begins. For example, a website might need to be structured before content can be developed, or an ad campaign might need its strategy to be clarified before creative work can start Creativity. The project may require significant time to be spent developing creative ideas as well as writing. For example, an advertising slogan or product name may not take long to ‘write’, but generating options and choosing the right one is a major undertaking Meetings. The copywriter may need to travel and meet the client face to face. Some copywriters may accept meetings as an overhead, but others will include a charge for meeting time, or charge for meetings separately Third-party liaison. The copywriter may need to brief, be briefed by or collaborate with other people involved with the project – designers, web developers, PR agency and so on Other auxiliary tasks. The project may include other tasks outside writing, such as image selection, uploading content and so on.

Source: Copywriting Indianapolis / Wikipedia