As a contract author, I by no means totally understood the worth I supplied to my purchasers till I wrote a case research describing how my content material generated six figures in income for a selected shopper.
In the event you calculate the worth of your writing, you’ll additionally most likely notice that you simply’re undercharging to your writing providers.
That can assist you determine how a lot to cost, right here’s an summary of the typical freelance writing charges. We’ll additionally focus on how one can create a pricing technique that maximizes your revenue.
How A lot Do Freelance Writers Make?
The typical freelancer makes about $29 per hour, and the common freelance writing fee per phrase ranges from $0.05-$0.10 for newbie writers, $0.30-$0.50 for intermediate writers, and $1-$1.50 for knowledgeable writers.
Analysis from Jasper reveals that the typical freelance author fees between $50-$1,500 per venture for long-form articles.
Common Freelance Author Charges
Whereas we mentioned the typical charges for normal freelance writing, right here’s a extra detailed breakdown of the typical charges for numerous writing niches.
Freelance Copywriter Charges
In response to Zip Recruiter, the typical freelance copywriter fee is $37 per hour or $77,000 in the USA, and the highest earners pull in about $136,000 yearly.
This information is particularly for direct response copywriters, so the copy they write is normally gross sales letters or touchdown pages for affords like dietary supplements or ebooks.
Freelance Editor Charges
Statistics from Upwork present that the typical freelance copy editor charges per hour are $30 for inexperienced persons, $48 for intermediate editors, and $100 for superior editors.
In the USA, the common fee for a contract editor is $29 per hour or $59,500 yearly, and the highest editors earn about $122,500 yearly.
Freelance Weblog Author Charges
The common freelance weblog author fees between $15 and $40 per hour, although technical writers sometimes cost between $20 and $45 per hour.
A extra detailed research from Upwork confirmed that inexperienced persons cost about $20 per hour, intermediate writers cost $41 per hour, and expert-level writers cost $85 per hour.
In response to ZipRecruiter, the typical freelance weblog author in the USA fees $29 per hour and earns almost $61,000 per 12 months, with prime earners pulling in $156,000 yearly.
Freelance E-mail Author
Freelance e-mail writers normally cost between $25 to $50 for shorter emails and $150 to $500 for longer emails. Nevertheless, many e-mail writers function strictly on retainers and cost about $1,200 for 15 emails (about $300 per week).
The common wage to rent an e-mail copywriter full-time is about $77,000 per 12 months or $37 per hour.
Freelance Journalist Charges
The typical freelance journalist fees $25 per hour and earns about $52,737 yearly in the USA. The highest freelance journalists earn round $81,500 per 12 months.
Freelance Web site Content material Writing Charges
Freelance web site content material writers normally cost between $100 and $200 for brief webpages, although the typical fee for longer webpages requiring technical writing is between $500 and $750.
Freelance Social Media Writing Charges
The typical social media author fee is $25 to $40 per hour or about $1 to $10 per social media publish. In the USA, the common social media author makes $76,000 yearly or about $37 per hour.
search engine marketing Writing Charges
The typical search engine marketing writing fee ranges from $15 to $35 per hour, and the typical search engine marketing copywriter’s wage in the USA is about $77,000 or $37 per hour.
Freelance Ghostwriting Charges
Most freelance ghostwriters cost between $35 and $65 per hour. Nevertheless, freelance ghostwriting charges vary dramatically as about 52% make between $39,500 and $62,499, whereas about 46% earn over $199,000 yearly.
Freelance Writing Pricing Fashions
As you’ll be able to see, there are numerous pricing fashions you need to use. Many new writers don’t notice that the pricing mannequin you choose considerably impacts your complete revenue. We’ll focus on the professionals and cons of every one that can assist you select probably the most advantageous pricing mannequin for your online business.
Pricing Per Phrase
Solely about 18% of freelance writers worth their providers by phrase depend. The per-word fee is considerably disadvantageous to purchasers because it’s straightforward for a contract content material author so as to add extra fluff to the article to earn more cash.
Subsequently, it’s possible you’ll discover it tougher to shut potential purchasers in the event you’re utilizing a pricing per phrase mannequin. The opposite drawback of this mannequin is that it doesn’t account for revisions. Consequently, it’s possible you’ll do a number of further work for no extra pay.
Pricing Per Submit
Charging a set venture fee is the most well-liked pricing technique, with about 40% of all freelancers charging a flat charge for his or her providers.
It’s advantageous for purchasers as a result of they know precisely how a lot to price range for every venture, and so they don’t have to fret about freelance writers including fluff to the publish simply to earn extra for the article.
Challenge pricing can be advantageous for freelancers because it provides you extra inventive freedom so as to add or eradicate phrases as vital. The important thing to pricing per venture is clearly defining the writing venture scope beforehand in order that purchasers don’t request a number of revisions and drag out the venture.
Pricing Per Hour
Charging an hourly fee advantages freelancers as you’ll be able to all the time relaxation assured that you simply’ll be paid for each hour you’re employed. Nevertheless, many consumers desire to pay a flat charge or a worth per phrase because it’s straightforward for a contract author to make up a random variety of hours.
As an alternative, estimate the variety of hours a venture would require after which pitch the shopper a flat fee primarily based on the venture scope.
Retainer Pricing
Lastly, you’ll be able to supply a retainer settlement the place the shopper pays a month-to-month recurring charge for a particular deliverable. For instance, you could possibly cost $3,000 monthly for 4 1,500 phrase weblog posts. This is a superb pricing mannequin because it provides you common recurring revenue.
It provides extra threat to the shopper, so closing them on this pricing mannequin could also be harder. Nevertheless, in the event you persistently ship nice work, it’s normally extremely advantageous for each events.
How A lot Ought to a Freelance Author Cost?
One of the best ways to set your charges as a contract author is to guage the worth you present to purchasers after which choose a fee primarily based on that ROI.
Many freelance writers fall into the lure of pricing their providers primarily based on expertise degree, content material high quality, or effort required. Nevertheless, purchasers don’t care in regards to the writing itself – they solely care in regards to the ROI your providers generate.
That is each good and dangerous information for freelance writers.
The dangerous information is that some purchasers have inefficient advertising methods, poor-quality merchandise, or different points with their broader enterprise technique that make your content material ineffective – no matter your content material’s high quality. Sadly, if the content material isn’t producing an ROI, it doesn’t make sense for them to proceed working with you.
Nevertheless, the excellent news is that in the event you work with the precise purchasers, you’ll be able to cost a lot increased charges, as any content material you produce will present way more worth for them.
For instance, in the event you work with a wonderful lawyer, a 500 phrase article that brings them two new purchasers value $20,000 is way more invaluable than a 1,5000 phrase article for a flower present that generates two purchasers value $20 every.
This implies working with high-quality purchasers is the important thing to elevating your charges. So, along with enhancing your writing expertise and normal content material advertising data, you also needs to attempt to enhance your shopper roster.
To find out the full worth of your content material, ask the shopper to trace leads and offers received out of your content material after which calculate the worth of these offers.
Utilizing that quantity, you’ll be able to decide the ROI of your providers after which choose an inexpensive fee that’s helpful to each you and your purchasers.
Tips on how to Cost Extra For Your Freelance Writing Providers
Now that you simply’re charging primarily based on the ROI of your writing providers, listed below are a couple of completely different strategies to earn more money as a contract author.
1. Work With Excessive High quality Purchasers
In the event you work with increased high quality purchasers, you’ll be capable of produce the next ROI and subsequently cost increased charges to your providers.
The difficult half is defining a top quality shopper, so contemplate these components:
1. Business
Some industries merely don’t have nice success with content material advertising.
For instance, a Thai restaurant most likely received’t see important positive aspects from producing 1,500 phrase weblog posts on Thai meals recipes just because that’s not how their clients uncover their enterprise.
As an alternative, have a look at competing services and products and decide whether or not or not they’re utilizing content material advertising to drive clients. You may normally reply this query by taking a look at how lengthy they’ve produced content material.
In the event that they’ve been producing content material for an prolonged interval, chances are high that the content material is working and driving clients.
For instance, if a cookie store desires to rent you to create social media content material, have a look at a competitor’s social media web page. For instance, a fast look on the Crumbl Cookies Fb web page reveals that they’ve been persistently producing a excessive quantity of social media content material for an prolonged time period.
Subsequently, social media content material works for that trade, and you’ll drive a fantastic ROI for the potential shopper’s enterprise.
2. Lead Quantity and Worth
If a enterprise is paying you to jot down e-mail copy for a low-ticket supply to a low-quality e-mail listing, you most likely received’t be capable of generate a lot income out of your copy.
Consequently, they received’t be capable of justify paying the next fee to your providers. Ideally, work with purchasers with a big audience and a high-ticket product/service.
For instance, a private harm lawyer in New York Metropolis could be a fantastic potential buyer as they’ve a broad audience and a high-value service.
3. Buyer Satisfaction and Demand
Lastly, do a background examine in your potential shopper earlier than you begin working with them to make sure they’ve a high-quality services or products. If they’ve poor evaluations or a product with poor product market match, you probably received’t present an ROI for them no matter your content material’s high quality.
That is typically a problem for freelance writers collaborating with model new startups. To examine for product/market match and product/service high quality, browse evaluate websites to gauge buyer satisfaction.
For instance, Gong would most likely be a fantastic shopper as they clearly have loads of joyful clients in response to their 5,000 plus G2 evaluations:
2. Implement a Retainer Pricing Mannequin
When you’ve closed higher-quality purchasers, implementing a retainer pricing mannequin is the following step to rising your revenue. We’ve discovered that that is probably the most worthwhile pricing mannequin because it lets you generate recurring income.
Many purchasers intend to work with freelance writers for an prolonged time period, however price range cuts and workflow interruptions could cause content material tasks to be pushed again or canceled.
Consequently, many freelance writers discover their revenue unstable, which may be anxious and unlucky.
That can assist you to generate a extra constant revenue, think about using a retainer pricing mannequin the place the shopper agrees to pay you month-to-month for 3 to 6 month contracts.
The one disadvantage with the retainer pricing mannequin technique is that purchasers might hesitate to signal because the retainer mannequin is far riskier for them. Subsequently, supply a trial one-month contract after which transfer them to a retainer pricing mannequin.
As well as, it’s vital to have nice testimonials and different joyful purchasers to show that you simply do glorious work. Then, make sure you consistently ship the identical superior high quality work to your purchasers in order that they proceed to resume the retainer with you and offer you referrals.
3. Reposition Your Providers
One unlucky side of freelance writing is that many enterprise homeowners view content material writing as a commodity. Subsequently, it’s possible you’ll attain a ceiling the place you discover most purchasers don’t need to pay extra for content material writing providers.
For instance, in the event you’re already charging $500 per weblog publish, many freelance writers have a tough time elevating their costs extra, as $500 is unquestionably on the upper finish for freelance weblog writing.
The important thing to charging extra is repositioning your self from a contract author to an search engine marketing or content material service supplier. Then, as an alternative of pitching purchasers a set of deliverables (e.g., a 1,500 phrase weblog publish), you’ll be able to pitch them an end-to-end content material service.
Many high-end freelance writers already embody extra providers of their supply, like key phrase analysis and content material technique, so it’s possible you’ll not have to alter your providers in any respect. As an alternative, you’ll simply must reposition the messaging.
Whereas it might appear foolish that you simply’re providing the identical deliverables, the repositioning is essential as a result of purchasers are used to paying upward of $5,000 monthly for search engine marketing or content material advertising providers. Nevertheless, few purchasers pay that worth level for freelance writing.
From a shopper’s perspective, the key distinction between a service supplier and a contract author is that the service supplier is a advertising associate that may information technique and supply directional recommendation. In distinction, a contract author normally must be informed what to do.
As a high-end freelance author, you’ve already acquired the talents to be self-sufficient and advise the shopper, so this shouldn’t be an excessive amount of of a shift for you. In reality, it’s fairly releasing to have full reign to information the technique.
I also needs to notice that whereas most freelance writers really feel that they should have staff below them to place themselves as search engine marketing or content material advertising suppliers, this isn’t true.
In reality, one of many primary issues that purchasers have with content material advertising and search engine marketing companies is that their work is outsourced to low-end freelancers or contractors.
So you’ll be able to really use the truth that you’re a solopreneur to your benefit and actively pitch that you simply’re doing the technique and execution your self.
4. Create Your Personal Advertising and marketing Funnel
Now that you’ve expertise driving the technique of a content material advertising company, the following step is to create an inbound advertising funnel to have a gradual stream of inbound purchasers.
To start your content material advertising technique, write a weblog publish that outlines your course of and the methodology behind your method to content material advertising. This may instantly set up you as an authority, because the shopper can see how you concentrate on advertising. Consequently, it is going to be simpler for potential purchasers to belief you and choose you over opponents that don’t present perception into the thought course of behind their technique.
Listed here are a couple of glorious examples of methodology-style posts that present not solely an summary of a particular content material advertising course of, but in addition an in depth evaluation that offers you perception into how that individual thinks about content material advertising:
When purchasers can perceive your thought course of, it’s a lot simpler to grasp why your course of is efficient and belief you as an individual.
When you’ve written about your course of and methodology, the following step is to jot down case research of the way you’ve applied the method to show it’s an efficient technique.
Once more, listed below are a handful of case research examples that show how your course of has pushed excellent outcomes:
For many freelance consultants, that is ample to drive constant inbound leads. Some freelancers select to develop a social media following to constantly drive inbound curiosity.
Ashley Cummings is a good instance of a contract author who has constructed a considerable following as a contract author:
Elevate Your Freelance Writing Charges At the moment
Elevating your charges may be scary, however you’ll discover that you simply’ll appeal to higher purchasers and be happier in the long term.
Begin by pitching potential purchasers your new charges, and as you shut sufficient new purchasers, let your present purchasers know that you simply’re elevating your charges.
So long as you proceed delivering glorious work and worth your providers primarily based on the worth you ship for purchasers, lots of them shall be joyful to pay the next worth to your content material providers.
However, it’s a difficult journey, and you may want some help from friends and mentors alongside the best way. Subsequently, we created the Copyblogger Academy, which is a membership group of different friends rising freelance writing companies.
Along with peer collaboration, you even have direct entry to me, Tim Stoddart (somebody who owns a advertising company and numerous content material web sites). I’m joyful to reply any questions you’ve alongside your journey and supply one-on-one mentorship.
I additionally notice that completely different views are essential, as a barely completely different viewpoint on an idea could make it click on. Subsequently, I additionally interview a number of the prime content material creators of the day, like Steph Smith, Ethan Brooks, Chris Ducker, and others.
I might clarify extra about what’s inside, however one of the best ways to determine if the Copyblogger Academy is best for you is by signing up for it. In the event you don’t assume it’s best for you within the first 30 days, I’ll offer you a full refund (and I might love to listen to your suggestions!). Nevertheless, I believe you’ll instantly see the worth of it when you leap into the platform, and some years from as we speak, you’ll be grateful to your self for making the funding!
See you inside Copyblogger Academy!
