As a contract author, I by no means absolutely understood the worth I offered to my purchasers till I wrote a case examine describing how my content material generated six figures in income for a selected shopper.
In case you calculate the worth of your writing, you’ll additionally in all probability understand that you simply’re undercharging in your writing companies.
That can assist you determine how a lot to cost, right here’s an outline of the common 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 price per phrase ranges from $0.05-$0.10 for newbie writers, $0.30-$0.50 for intermediate writers, and $1-$1.50 for skilled writers.
Analysis from Jasper exhibits that the common freelance author prices between $50-$1,500 per mission for long-form articles.
Common Freelance Author Charges
Whereas we mentioned the common charges for common freelance writing, right here’s a extra detailed breakdown of the common charges for numerous writing niches.
Freelance Copywriter Charges
In keeping with Zip Recruiter, the common freelance copywriter price is $37 per hour or $77,000 in america, and the highest earners pull in about $136,000 yearly.
This knowledge is particularly for direct response copywriters, so the copy they write is often gross sales letters or touchdown pages for gives like dietary supplements or ebooks.
Freelance Editor Charges
Statistics from Upwork present that the common freelance copy editor charges per hour are $30 for novices, $48 for intermediate editors, and $100 for superior editors.
In america, the common price 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 prices between $15 and $40 per hour, although technical writers sometimes cost between $20 and $45 per hour.
A extra detailed examine from Upwork confirmed that novices cost about $20 per hour, intermediate writers cost $41 per hour, and expert-level writers cost $85 per hour.
In keeping with ZipRecruiter, the common freelance weblog author in america prices $29 per hour and earns practically $61,000 per 12 months, with prime earners pulling in $156,000 yearly.
Freelance E-mail Author
Freelance electronic mail writers often cost between $25 to $50 for shorter emails and $150 to $500 for longer emails. Nevertheless, many electronic mail writers function strictly on retainers and cost about $1,200 for 15 emails (about $300 per week).
The common wage to rent an electronic mail copywriter full-time is about $77,000 per 12 months or $37 per hour.
Freelance Journalist Charges
The typical freelance journalist prices $25 per hour and earns about $52,737 yearly in america. The highest freelance journalists earn round $81,500 per 12 months.
Freelance Web site Content material Writing Charges
Freelance web site content material writers often cost between $100 and $200 for brief webpages, although the common price for longer webpages requiring technical writing is between $500 and $750.
Freelance Social Media Writing Charges
The typical social media author price is $25 to $40 per hour or about $1 to $10 per social media submit. In america, the common social media author makes $76,000 yearly or about $37 per hour.
web optimization Writing Charges
The typical web optimization writing price ranges from $15 to $35 per hour, and the common web optimization copywriter’s wage in america 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 possibly can see, there are numerous pricing fashions you should use. Many new writers don’t understand 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 small business.
Pricing Per Phrase
Solely about 18% of freelance writers worth their companies by phrase rely. The per-word price is considerably disadvantageous to purchasers because it’s simple for a contract content material author so as to add extra fluff to the article to earn extra money.
Due to this fact, you could discover it more difficult to shut potential purchasers for those who’re utilizing a pricing per phrase mannequin. The opposite drawback of this mannequin is that it doesn’t account for revisions. In consequence, you could do a number of further work for no extra pay.
Pricing Per Submit
Charging a set mission price is the most well-liked pricing technique, with about 40% of all freelancers charging a flat charge for his or her companies.
It’s advantageous for purchasers as a result of they know precisely how a lot to funds for every mission, and so they don’t have to fret about freelance writers including fluff to the submit simply to earn extra for the article.
Venture pricing can be advantageous for freelancers because it offers you extra inventive freedom so as to add or eradicate phrases as mandatory. The important thing to pricing per mission is clearly defining the writing mission scope beforehand in order that purchasers don’t request a number of revisions and drag out the mission.
Pricing Per Hour
Charging an hourly price advantages freelancers as you possibly can at all times relaxation assured that you simply’ll be paid for each hour you’re employed. Nevertheless, many consumers want to pay a flat charge or a worth per phrase because it’s simple for a contract author to make up a random variety of hours.
As a substitute, estimate the variety of hours a mission would require after which pitch the shopper a flat price primarily based on the mission scope.
Retainer Pricing
Lastly, you possibly can supply a retainer settlement the place the shopper pays a month-to-month recurring charge for a selected deliverable. For instance, you might cost $3,000 per thirty days for 4 1,500 phrase weblog posts. This is a superb pricing mannequin because it offers you common recurring revenue.
It provides extra danger to the shopper, so closing them on this pricing mannequin could also be tougher. Nevertheless, for those who persistently ship nice work, it’s often extremely advantageous for each events.
How A lot Ought to a Freelance Author Cost?
The easiest way to set your charges as a contract author is to guage the worth you present to purchasers after which choose a price primarily based on that ROI.
Many freelance writers fall into the lure of pricing their companies primarily based on expertise degree, content material high quality, or effort required. Nevertheless, purchasers don’t care concerning the writing itself – they solely care concerning the ROI your companies generate.
That is each good and unhealthy information for freelance writers.
The unhealthy information is that some purchasers have inefficient advertising and marketing 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 for those who work with the proper purchasers, you possibly can cost a lot greater charges, as any content material you produce will present way more worth for them.
For instance, for those who 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 abilities and common content material advertising and marketing 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 gained out of your content material after which calculate the worth of these offers.
Utilizing that quantity, you possibly can decide the ROI of your companies after which choose an inexpensive price that’s helpful to each you and your purchasers.
How one can Cost Extra For Your Freelance Writing Companies
Now that you simply’re charging primarily based on the ROI of your writing companies, listed below are a couple of totally different strategies to earn more money as a contract author.
1. Work With Excessive High quality Shoppers
In case you work with greater high quality purchasers, you’ll have the ability to produce the next ROI and due to this fact cost greater charges in your companies.
The difficult half is defining a top quality shopper, so think about these elements:
1. Trade
Some industries merely don’t have nice success with content material advertising and marketing.
For instance, a Thai restaurant in all probability gained’t see important features from producing 1,500 phrase weblog posts on Thai meals recipes just because that’s not how their prospects uncover their enterprise.
As a substitute, take a look at competing services and products and decide whether or not or not they’re utilizing content material advertising and marketing to drive prospects. You possibly can often reply this query by how lengthy they’ve produced content material.
In the event that they’ve been producing content material for an prolonged interval, likelihood is that the content material is working and driving prospects.
For instance, if a cookie store desires to rent you to create social media content material, take a look at a competitor’s social media web page. For instance, a fast look on the Crumbl Cookies Fb web page exhibits that they’ve been persistently producing a excessive quantity of social media content material for an prolonged time period.
Due to this fact, social media content material works for that trade, and you’ll drive a terrific ROI for the potential shopper’s enterprise.
2. Lead Quantity and Worth
If a enterprise is paying you to jot down electronic mail copy for a low-ticket supply to a low-quality electronic mail checklist, you in all probability gained’t have the ability to generate a lot income out of your copy.
In consequence, they gained’t have the ability to justify paying the next price in your companies. 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 terrific potential buyer as they’ve a broad audience and a high-value service.
3. Buyer Satisfaction and Demand
Lastly, do a background verify 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 opinions or a product with poor product market match, you probably gained’t present an ROI for them no matter your content material’s high quality.
That is usually a problem for freelance writers collaborating with model new startups. To verify for product/market match and product/service high quality, browse evaluation websites to gauge buyer satisfaction.
For instance, Gong would in all probability be a terrific shopper as they clearly have loads of comfortable prospects in response to their 5,000 plus G2 opinions:
2. Implement a Retainer Pricing Mannequin
When you’ve closed higher-quality purchasers, implementing a retainer pricing mannequin is the following step to growing your revenue. We’ve discovered that that is probably the most worthwhile pricing mannequin because it means that you can generate recurring income.
Many purchasers intend to work with freelance writers for an prolonged time period, however funds cuts and workflow interruptions may cause content material tasks to be pushed again or canceled.
In consequence, many freelance writers discover their revenue unstable, which will be annoying 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 downside with the retainer pricing mannequin technique is that purchasers might hesitate to signal because the retainer mannequin is far riskier for them. Due to this fact, supply a trial one-month contract after which transfer them to a retainer pricing mannequin.
As well as, it’s necessary to have nice testimonials and different comfortable purchasers to show that you simply do wonderful work. Then, make sure to continually ship the identical superior high quality work in your purchasers in order that they proceed to resume the retainer with you and offer you referrals.
3. Reposition Your Companies
One unlucky facet of freelance writing is that many enterprise house owners view content material writing as a commodity. Due to this fact, you could attain a ceiling the place you discover most purchasers don’t wish to pay extra for content material writing companies.
For instance, for those who’re already charging $500 per weblog submit, 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 web optimization or content material service supplier. Then, as a substitute of pitching purchasers a set of deliverables (e.g., a 1,500 phrase weblog submit), you possibly can pitch them an end-to-end content material service.
Many high-end freelance writers already embrace extra companies of their supply, like key phrase analysis and content material technique, so you could not have to alter your companies in any respect. As a substitute, you’ll simply need to reposition the messaging.
Whereas it might appear foolish that you simply’re providing the identical deliverables, the repositioning is vital as a result of purchasers are used to paying upward of $5,000 per thirty days for web optimization or content material advertising and marketing companies. Nevertheless, few purchasers pay that worth level for freelance writing.
From a shopper’s perspective, the most important distinction between a service supplier and a contract author is that the service supplier is a advertising and marketing accomplice that may information technique and supply directional recommendation. In distinction, a contract author often must be instructed what to do.
As a high-end freelance author, you may have 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 word that whereas most freelance writers really feel that they should have workers beneath them to place themselves as web optimization or content material advertising and marketing suppliers, this isn’t true.
In reality, one of many foremost considerations that purchasers have with content material advertising and marketing and web optimization businesses is that their work is outsourced to low-end freelancers or contractors.
So you possibly can 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 got expertise driving the technique of a content material advertising and marketing company, the following step is to create an inbound advertising and marketing funnel to have a gentle stream of inbound purchasers.
To start your content material advertising and marketing technique, write a weblog submit that outlines your course of and the methodology behind your method to content material advertising and marketing. It will instantly set up you as an authority, because the shopper can see how you consider advertising and marketing. In consequence, it will likely be simpler for potential purchasers to belief you and choose you over rivals that don’t present perception into the thought course of behind their technique.
Listed below are a couple of wonderful examples of methodology-style posts that present not solely an outline of a selected content material advertising and marketing course of, but additionally an in depth evaluation that provides you perception into how that individual thinks about content material advertising and marketing:
When purchasers can perceive your thought course of, it’s a lot simpler to know 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 carried out the method to show it’s an efficient technique.
Once more, listed below are a handful of case examine examples that show how your course of has pushed excellent outcomes:
For many freelance consultants, that is enough 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 Immediately
Elevating your charges will 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 current purchasers know that you simply’re elevating your charges.
So long as you proceed delivering wonderful work and worth your companies primarily based on the worth you ship for purchasers, a lot of them shall be comfortable to pay the next worth in your content material companies.
Nonetheless, it’s a difficult journey, and you may want some assist from friends and mentors alongside the way in which. Due to this fact, we created the Copyblogger Academy, which is a membership neighborhood 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 and marketing company and numerous content material web sites). I’m comfortable to reply any questions you may have alongside your journey and supply one-on-one mentorship.
I additionally understand that totally different views are vital, as a barely totally different viewpoint on an idea could make it click on. Due to this fact, 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 simplest ways to determine if the Copyblogger Academy is best for you is by signing up for it. In case you don’t assume it’s best for you within the first 30 days, I’ll offer you a full refund (and I’d love to listen to your suggestions!). Nevertheless, I believe you’ll instantly see the worth of it when you bounce into the platform, and some years from at the moment, you’ll be grateful to your self for making the funding!
See you inside Copyblogger Academy!
