I've been 'uhm-ing and ah-ing' over whether to write this post or not for a while, but after recently reading "They ask you answer" by Marcus Sheridan, who advocates writing about pricing, I decided to bite the bullet.

When you google 'how much is a copywriter' online, there aren't a huge number of posts online that actually answer the question. The reason for that is because this question is a bit like asking "how long is a piece of string". It's actually a pretty complicated question to answer because it depends on the project and the copywriter.

 

Some copywriters also don't like to advertise their prices online either because they don't want other copywriters to undercut them or because they don't want to put off potential clients.

 

So why am I writing this? Truthfully, it's the most commonly asked question I get so I think it deserves a dedicated post. I also think because there is very little pricing out there some business owners think they won't be able to afford it. As my mother used to say, "if there's no price on it, it'll be too expensive for us.' But if you don't know what a typical copywriting price is then how will you know if the quote you've been given is fair? This is what I'm hoping I can help with.

 

What does a copywriter do?

Before I dive into pricing, it's worth just reiterating what a copywriter actually is and what they do. I've written posts on both but I’ll do a brief summary here. A copywriter writes words that persuade people to take an action. In the world of business, this would normally be to encourage someone to buy a product or service, click a link or fill in a form. Copy (the words) is found both online on websites, emails and social media ads and also in print in the form of adverts and gift guides. A copywriter writes these words, usually in collaboration with a team which could include the business owner(s), a graphic designer, web developer and members of the business’s marketing team (if they have one). 

Content Writing

At this stage, I also want to give content and social media a mention. Content like that found on social media posts, email newsletters and blogs is not copywriting as the purpose of those posts is not to sell but to raise brand awareness usually through education or entertainment. You can read more about the differences between content and copywriting here and I’ll do a separate pricing post on these another time as pricing for these tends to differ in some respects.

It’s also important to note that not all copywriters write content - I currently do some as I enjoy it but every copywriter is different.

How much does a copywriter charge?

To answer this question, I need to break down the factors that affect the costings. These are as follows:

The copywriter’s experience

The copywriter’s background is one of the main factors when they determine their pricing. How long have they been a copywriter? What reputation do they have? Do they have any specialist knowledge? What results have they achieved for other clients? How busy are they? Where are they located? It’s stating the obvious, but the more experience they have and the busier they are, the more likely they are to be booked up several months in advance especially if they have a reputation for delivering results. This means they can charge more and businesses will pay because of that reputation. A newer (junior) copywriter could charge less as they aren’t as established, are less busy and don’t have that same reputation. 

The type of project

What do you need copy for? Do you need a new website and if so how many pages do you need? Do you need property listings written or product descriptions and if so how many? Are you in need of a landing page - somewhere people can sign up for a freebie or a sales page? Do you need the copywriter to create a lead magnet for you as well? Is your project an email funnel if so how many emails do you want them to send per month? Are you in need of social media ads or a print ad? What about a brochure or gift guide and if so how many pages of copy do you need?

I think you get the idea - but the type of project you need completing will be a significant factor in how much you’ll be charged, mostly due to the time it will take for the project to be completed.

 

How long is the project going to take

The length of your project is another key consideration - how long will it take the copywriter to complete and when do you need it completed by? If you need a quick turnaround the copywriter will probably charge an increased fee for this. If a project is going to take weeks or months this will be more expensive than a quick project than a product listing. Will the copywriter need to undertake market research (interviews, questionnaires etc) as this can also take time to perform and gather the results and affects your pricing?

How much and what kind of research is required

All copywriting projects will require the copywriter to do some research. If they are just rewriting your current website less research might be required than if you are starting from scratch. Equally. if you’ve done the research already this will also save time - but only if this is sufficient for the copywriter’s purposes. I’ll be writing a further post about this in the future so watch this space.

How does a copywriter charge?

All of the above factors will influence the pricing of your project. As for charging you, a copywriter will normally do this in one of 2 ways - either by charging you a total project price or through an hourly rate. 

Project prices are loosely based on a copywriter’s hourly rate and they will make an assumption as to how long the project will take, they will then deliver the agreed deliverables for the declared pricing. If the project overruns, you wouldn’t be charged any extra as this price is all-inclusive. However, if you ask for things that are not included in the deliverables after the project has started, the copywriter will normally charge you separately for these.

Hourly rates - The copywriter completes the work and charges you at the end based on the hours actually completed. These tend to be more flexible so if you want the copywriter to do another task previously not agreed on they usually will but at their hourly rate. For ongoing copywriting projects such as regular sales emails, copywriters might offer you a retainer. With retainers, a copywriter agrees to work a set number of hours per month doing the tasks that are agreed with them.

So how much is it?

I’m going to do my best to answer this based on what I’ve seen people charging.

Freelance copywriter hourly rates in the UK typically start at around £25p/h for a new copywriter. I believe the average for a copywriter with several years of experience is in the £40-£60p/h range but I am aware of copywriters who charge much more £120p/h.

Figures below based on a copywriter with around 5-7 years experience.

For a typical 5 page website would be in the region of £1200 - £1500.

Email Marketing (funnels) of around 5 emails would be £800-£1200

Product descriptions / listings each - £30- £60

Ads - £50 to £200 (depending on project)

How much do I charge?

I can’t speak for other copywriters but I can speak for myself. I am less experienced than some other copywriters so I consider myself a junior copywriter. Here is my ‘rough’ pricing based on my hourly freelance rate of £30p/h.

5 page websites start from £1000

Product listings / property descriptions from £30ea

Email marketing funnels (5 emails) from £600

Regular sales emails (4 per month) from £480pm

Want a quote?

These prices are rough estimates based on average projects and I’d be happy to give you a personalised quote. Drop me a message through my contact page to start a conversation.