Well, somebody had to ask the question.
It’s one I hear a lot, and I get it.
When I was shopping around for a virtual assistant and accounting help, I felt blindsided by the costs. I was thinking, “Dang! How can anybody afford these prices?”
But I knew I needed help desperately, so I bit the bullet and made the purchase anyway.
It was the best decision I ever made. By outsourcing the stuff I didn’t like doing in my own business, I was able to enjoy my work, save time, and finally get a taste of that work-life balance thing I hear so much about.
Hiring a writer for your business is pretty much the same thing.
You know you want awesome content marketing that builds your business up. 90% of all businesses use content marketing in some form. That’s great, right?
Problem is, 54% of businesses say producing that content is a total headache.
But once you start searching around for writers, everyone worth a damn is double your budget.
To save money, they try hiring an inexperienced freelancer. I have nothing against newbies, but when your brand is on the line, you don’t want a newbie at the steering wheel.
You’re free to hire a lower-quality writer for $10 a pop, but I’m willing to bet the content will be so unusable that it’s not even worth your time.
It’s no surprise that this approach doesn’t get results. And when you aren’t getting results, it’s easy to think that content marketing is a bunch of hot air.
It’s clearly working though, because Toshiba, IBM, American Express, and other huge brands invest in content and get awesome results.
You’ve just got to do it right.
With that said, I wanted to share my hot take on why freelance writers are so “expensive.”
Freelance writer pricing
Good writers charge higher rates. That’s because they have the experience, education, and precise skillset you’re looking for.
Professional freelancers have to charge accordingly because:
- Research takes more time than the actual writing. I spend hours researching a “simple” 500-word blog. I sift through industry news, case studies, white paper, and stats to write something awesome.
- Good writing takes years to perfect. I would never claim to be a perfect writer. But, after years of hard work and a fancy-pants college degree, it’s a skill I’ve definitely improved.
- We have niche expertise. Clients come to me because of my marketing background, including my Google and Hubspot certifications. I put in extra work and time to maintain that knowledge, and that’s why my rates are higher than non-specialized writers. It’s the difference between hiring a writer who doesn’t know what “PPC” stands for and hiring someone who’s run actual PPC campaigns.
- SEO knowledge takes time. Y’all. I spend so much of my time worrying about SEO and algorithms and Google and Amazon. I take paid courses to stay on top of SEO for my clients. That’s something I do so you don’t have to worry about it.
- We need to buy stuff, too. I pay for several tools to do my job. That includes timers, project tracking, video editors, grammar/spell checkers, and occasionally a human editor. Freelancers are a business, and that means we do have overhead costs.
Why this actually isn’t that expensive
The right freelance writer will deliver a ton of value to your business. When you find the right person, they deliver value in a few ways.
1- Content strategy
An experienced writer helps you drive the ship. Instead of spending hours on your own content strategy, find a writer who makes one for you.
This is important because high-quality content is just one piece of the puzzle. It’s got to mean something for your business.
Who are your customers? How will you build your email list? What action should people take after reading this blog? Will the blog actually get you results?
A freelance writer analyzes your content strategy and fine-tunes it. That helps you stand out, use language your audience actually likes, and increase your visibility online.
2 – SEO-friendly content
Yeah, SEO isn’t for the faint of heart. A lot of people do SEO incorrectly, which means you could be investing in a strategy that will never work.
Hiring a freelance writer means SEO is off your plate. They’re able to write for your human readers and search engines. Let the writer worry about weaving in keywords and anchor text while you reap the rewards.
3 – Save time!
After the initial sticker shock, my first real reaction to outsourcing was a simple one: relief.
I was so relieved to have my time and mental energy back.
Writing is one of the most time-consuming things you can do. From researching to outlining to editing, writing isn’t a fun process for most folks.
Hiring a professional writer means you don’t have to worry about content at all. Pro writers have a streamlined process already, which means you get well-written, error-free content that’s ready for posting.
4 – Get results
Blogging is one of the best organic marketing strategies out there for small businesses. If you write boring, short content that nobody’s reading, you aren’t getting results from your blogs.
A writer helps you create a compelling, memorable brand voice that customers actually want to hear from. And when people want to hear from you, they’ll remember your business when it’s time to make a purchase.
The data supports this, too. Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates triple the number of leads. Since 70% of customers prefer learning about a brand through organic content, I’d say an investment in a freelance writer isn’t a bad thing.
The bottom line
Yes, outsourcing costs money. But it’s an investment that, done right, will make your business way more money than you spent.
If you want to scale up your content marketing but don’t have the time to do it, consider outsourcing. An experienced, professional writer will help you get on the track to profitability in no time.