How much does a copywriter cost?

Good question. Fair question. Relevant question. But also a bit vague. There are quite a few factors that influence the hourly rate or budget of a copywriter. In this blog, we give you some insight into hourly rates and the hows and whys behind a quotation. Assess whether a copywriter is worth the money. So, How much does a copywriter cost?

The most common hourly rates for a copywriter.

The hourly rate for copywriters in 2020 is usually between 80 and 120 euros per hour. But without having to search long, you will also find copywriters who charge 50 euros or 150 euros per hour. With copywriters who charge 120 euros or more, you have to be sure that they will produce high-quality work more than a copywriter with a lower hourly rate. Copywriters who charge less than 80 euros per hour, you can ask yourself whether they are producing quality copy.

After all, everything has to be paid for by an independent copywriter: computer, software, office rent, administration costs, pension, AOV and other insurances, acquisition costs, training. For a copywriter under 80 euros, the need is apparently so great that all this is not taken into account. You may wonder what that says about the quality of his or her copy. Also, remember that an experienced copywriter does in 1 hour what an inexperienced copywriter takes 3 times as long. Count your winnings.

Is the rate of a copywriter justified or sky-high?

Ultimately, copywriters are also just part of our economy and therefore depend on supply and demand. Do you have a distinctive product or an original service? Then people are willing to pay for it. 

Words move people.

A good copywriter can mean a lot to a company or organization. Words make a difference. Words are weapons. Words get people moving. Words become a story and people start to believe in a convincing story.

Good copy gives your corporate business a boost. A good copywriter can, therefore, show you cases where his or her texts and ideas have been successful in selling. In retrospect, the rate usually turns out to be completely correct.

How much does it cost to write a website?

In itself a clear question. Just like, how much does writing a brochure cost? Or, how much does writing a blog cost? You can answer this question with a counter-question: How much does a car cost? How much does a house cost? How much does a vacation cost? You get it. It takes a little more context before you can come to a reasonable price.

The most important factors are: how much text is involved; how complete is the briefing and how complex is the subject?

After all, there are some websites with only a few pages and others with dozens of pages. There are brochures with a lot of images and little text and others with heavy text and only a banner image. There are 300-word blogs and 3000-word blogs.

Has the client prepared everything down to the last detail, or does the copywriter still have to do some research? The latter would mean more work for the copywriter, which would mean a higher fee.

Finally, what is the text about? Is it a common subject that everyone is familiar with? For example a standard car? Or is it about complex matters, such as advanced industrial software?

Good copy is an investment in your brand.

Take a look at how brands such as Coolblue, Hema and Oatly communicate. Brands that have managed to find their own and unique tone of voice. A tone that perfectly matches the brand personality. Which hits the right note. And what makes people love such a brand. That is worth gold. Hire a brand copywriter today!

You will benefit from a unique tone of voice for a lifetime.

But in the beginning, it requires an investment in time and budget: Time to find the right copywriter and tell them everything about your brand. Budget to give the copywriter the space to search for that unique voice for your brand. Once you have it, you have an asset that you will benefit from for a long time to come.

Which is better: pay-per-word, per-hour or per-project?

Paying per word seems a fair way of calculating a fee. After all, you pay exactly what you get and not a word more. However, the danger is that a text will become uninteresting just to get the word-count up. As a result, you may not get the short and concise text you want. Moreover, writing is mainly about scrapping. That means that a copywriter initially writes a lot more than they are paid for and scrap them later.

An hourly rate is a common way of reaching price agreements. Especially if the assignment has not yet been clearly defined. For example, because there is still a lot of research to be done first. In order to have some control, you can agree on a framework in combination with the hourly rate. For example, between 4 and 6 hours for a blog.

A pre-agreed project price often works best for both parties. An experienced copywriter can estimate how long it will take to work on a particular assignment. The number of hours times the hourly rate is a project price. Easy. This gives the client clarity and there are no surprises afterwards. The risk lies with the copywriter; if he or she takes it longer, it is bad luck. If it goes faster then you are lucky. That’s the entrepreneurship that comes with being a freelance copywriter.

Continue Reading: 10 questions to ask yourself when hiring a copywriting agency

The target budget.

Instead of asking what a copywriter or a project costs, you can calculate what your available budget is. The copywriting agency or the copywriter themself can then let you know what options you have.

Online copy: more volatile, so it must be cheaper?

A common misconception is this: a copywriter is asked to write a text for online use. For example a blog or an article for an e-mail newsletter. The thought then is often; this text has a short shelf-life, so it does not have to cost that much.

It is true that a blog or newsletter has only a brief moment in the spotlight. But that does not mean that the content can be inferior quality. Every blog and newsletter article still represents a company or organization. If the content is not seen by the reader as relevant, striking and memorable, it will damage your image and reputation.

Web copy: less is often better.

Because the volume of online communication is high (people are used to multiple blogs per week, for example), it should not all cost too much. While the solution is often: less is better. Rather spend a little more on a really good blog that gets you a lot of readers, likes and leads, than keep producing content haphazardly.

A good copywriter is priceless.

This blog was a lot about money. About what a good copywriter can cost. But above all, it considers what a good copywriter will bring you. To begin with, a good copywriter saves you a lot of time; you don’t have to write texts yourself or ask your employees. You can do what you are good at.

The language talent of a copywriter is something that is not given to everyone. Take advantage of that. A good copywriter is also a smart strategist. After all, before you put a word on paper, you have to understand the market, the target group and the distinctive character of the product or service you are writing about.

A good copywriter gives your story wings. It ensures that you reach people and really touch them. A good copywriter helps you to generate more sales with your company. That may cost something, right?

Looking for a professional copywriter for your business? Look no further!