The cost of content creation is not something to take lightly, as it can easily derail even the most sophisticated and well-planned content marketing strategy. Pay too much for freelance work, and you’ll be unable to achieve what you’ve set out to accomplish. Pay too little, and you’ll have a hard time keeping freelance writers engaged.
Unfortunately, that leads to poor-quality blog content. Ideally, you want to hire a blog writer who understands your target audience, SEO keyword research, your brand voice, and other factors. They’re a professional writer who can produce content that’s free of grammatical errors.
To help you avoid low-quality blog content (and other mistakes related to blog post costs), we’re diving deeper into content pricing over the next few weeks. We’re taking material that’s been re-purposed from our wildly popular Content Creation Pricing Guide.
In the first installment, we’re explaining how much your company should expect to pay freelance writers for high-quality, well-researched blog writing.
Enjoy!
The Blog Writing:
Most companies have recognized the need for some kind of in-house company blog as part of their content marketing strategy. That blog content tells the story of what the company is doing. It also includes market trends of interest to customers and covers industry research and events.
The best of these blogs rival traditional media in terms of their breadth and quality. Each blog post aligns with the company’s digital marketing and ranks well in search engines. Others are still finding their niche and voice.
The difficulty with corporate blogs is that those running or working for a company may not have the time to write blog posts themselves. Sometimes, companies prefer to have third-party contributors or guest authors from the media. Or, they may look at content writers from other fields who can provide relevant content and give credibility to their own blog.
The Blog Post Cost Range:
The price per blog post ranges depending on several factors, including if you need to find writers through blog writing services. Professional writers charge per word, a flat rate (or flat fee), and hourly billing for each blog post.
In this section, we’re focusing on length when determining what to pay for a blog post.
A Short Blog Post:
Short blog posts with company updates or linking back to news releases might be a bare minimum of 300 words. They’re primarily posted to drive traffic and don’t require the subject matter expertise you’ll find with a professional writer.
If that’s the case — and if the content is based primarily on “found content” online, such as other blog posts, market research studies, and so on — that blog content might only cost a few hundred dollars.
Long-Form Content Writing
More in-depth or “long-form” blog posts might include interviews with one or more subject-matter experts, customers, or industry analysts. These are more technical posts whereby the company must turn to a high-quality writer.
Expect blog content pricing similar to what a newspaper or magazine might charge for a feature story of 1,500 words or more.
Blog Post Cost Factors:
- Minimum word count — Ensure the minimum word count for each blog post is consistent.
- Turnaround time — Do you want bloggers to submit within five business days? Seven business days? Make sure this is clear.
- Research required — Are you supplying resource materials for each post, or does the freelance writer need to conduct independent research?
- Subject matter complexity — Does this blog content feature more technical content that requires subject matter expertise from professional bloggers?
- The number of edits — Many blog writers factor the number of edits into the blog post cost.
- And other factors — Examples of these factors include the cost of using a blog writing service and the writer’s experience.
The Rationale Behind Blog Pricing:
Make sure to think about whether your blog posts are intended to be written in a particular voice. Ask yourself the following questions before engaging with a blog writer:
- Will the blog post have a byline with the name of someone on staff?
- And will the freelance writer need to talk directly with that person?
- Or will the blog post have a more “objective” tone, similar to what you might see in an industry publication?
Keep in mind: Look for an Experienced Blogger
A generalist freelance writer may require significant coaching. That’s especially true if your firm has specific specialties or a complex content marketing strategy. So, look for professional blog writers with some level of subject matter familiarity.
Want More Tips on Pricing Content for Blog Writers?
Here at nDash, we help thousands of brands build elite freelance writing teams around all sorts of budgets. In the process, we compiled some of our findings into a handy Content Creation Pricing Guide.
If you’re worried about overpaying (or underpaying) professional writers for blog content, be sure to download the full report.
