Why do copywriter services vary so much in price?

UPDATED JULY 8, 2024

Copywriter services can vary wildly in price

A copywriter on Fiverr is charging £43 for a 500-word article. On their website, another copywriter is charging £500 for the same.

But why such a difference in price?

Will one copywriter really do a £457 better job than the other?

To understand what you’re getting for your investment, you need to understand how freelance copywriters and their services differ from each other.

No two copywriters are quite the same

At the time of writing, there are 1,200 UK freelance copywriters listed on LinkedIn.

Illustration-of-diverse-crowd-of-people — ^{Image by Venita Oberholster from Pixabay}

They’re all unique in their own way. They come from different backgrounds and are knowledgeable in different areas. Many have previously been employed in different sectors. And they all offer different copywriter services.

These differentiators can all make a difference to a copywriter’s rates, so let’s have a look at each one in more detail.

Copywriters have different levels of education

Freelance copywriters come from a variety of educational backgrounds. Some have degrees, some have marketing, journalistic or industry qualifications — and some are naturally talented writers.

But copywriting is not just about writing well and requires a more specific set of skills. So most copywriters will have taken at least one copywriting course, if not several.

A copywriter who’s invested significantly in high-value copywriting courses might feel justified in charging higher rates. Especially if those qualifications have helped them achieve good results for their clients.

Copywriters have varying lengths of experience

All freelance copywriters are at different stages of their careers. Some have been writing for three decades, some for three years and some for three months. The more experience they have, the more a copywriter is likely to charge.

Copywriters can be generalist or niche

Copywriters generally classify themselves as either generalist or niche.

For many freelance copywriters, the ultimate goal is to find a niche, because this can be a key differentiator.

What is a generalist copywriter?

Generalist copywriters don’t specialise in writing on one subject and are generally happy to write about most things. But they might stay away from more specialised and regulated industries, such as financial, medical and technical.

Some generalist copywriters are generalist because they haven’t found a subject niche yet, while some choose to stay generalist because they like the variety of subjects they’re asked to write about.

What is a niche copywriter?

A niche copywriter is a copywriter who specialises in writing for a specific industry or on a specific subject.

Some copywriters get their niche experience by freelancing for clients in a particular industry. But most venture into copywriting having worked in these industries beforehand.

A niche copywriter knows that their industry insight, knowledge and expertise can be invaluable to the right business, so they’ll typically charge more for it.

Copywriters have different specialisms

Having a subject niche can be a key differentiator — and so can having a specialism. Some copywriters have both.

Some copywriters specialise in terms of media. For example, they might be expert in writing short-form advertising, marketing emails or social media posts.

Some copywriters specialise in writing certain kinds of copy. For example, that might be Search-Engine-Optimised (SEO) copy for the web, or conversion copy, which is primarily about converting prospects into customers.

And some might specialise in working with a specific kind of client, such as startups, entrepreneurs or women. Their expertise might be in understanding these clients and the specific challenges they face.

Copywriters who are experienced and successful within their specialism will charge higher rates for their services.

Copywriters offer different levels of service

Some copywriters offer different levels of service. You can choose the level of service you want based on what you need and how much you can afford. Fiverr is a good example of this.

On Fiverr, freelance copywriters offer three levels of service: Basic, Standard and Premium. Each level of service has a different price point according to the value it offers.

The service levels are based on a number of parameters, such as:

Word count
Lead time
Research to be done
SEO work to be done
Inclusion of references and citations
Number of revisions included.

With the Fiverr Basic service, you’ll probably find that the word count isn’t high enough to make an impact, the SEO isn’t included and the sources of information won’t be cited.

Therefore, the low cost you’re looking at probably won’t give you everything you need.

A more inclusive level of service will cost more, but it can usually be tailored to give you exactly what you need to get results.

Some important points to bear in mind

Price is not a barometer of performance

Choosing the highest priced copywriter doesn’t guarantee you results. And it doesn’t follow that a cheaper copywriter will always be terrible either.

Some copywriters just have the nerve to charge more for their services — even when those services may not be all that they promise.

Neither is having English as a first language

Native English copywriters shouldn’t be seen as superior. Some have bad reviews and lousy reputations.

Copywriters with English as a second language often have amazing English language skills.

If you’re getting a good ROI, price is irrelevant

It doesn’t matter if you’re paying £43 or £500 — if you’re not getting any results you’re still wasting your money.

Good copy should pay for itself many times over. With content, not every piece will make you money, but each piece is contributing to your overall strategy, so they’re all playing their part.

Low rates suggest high volumes

The less a copywriter charges, the more work they’ll have to do to make up their money.

If a copywriter is charging low rates, it often means they’re churning out high volumes of content — and the quality of that content will be suffering.

The wrong article can be worse than no article at all

Publishing poor quality articles can damage your brand and destroy your ranking potential, which means it’s a risk that’s not worth taking.

So, how do you choose a copywriter?

The best way to choose a copywriter for your business is to find some with the attributes you’re looking for, then narrow them down.

You’ll find lots of freelance copywriters on LinkedIn and in the ProCopywriters Network — or by doing a Google search.

And you can search for them based on the particular skills you need. For example ‘SEO copywriter’, ‘Finance copywriter’ or ‘Conversion copywriter’.

When you’ve found some copywriters you like the sound of, visit their profiles or websites and check out their writing. Look at the websites themselves and the work/portfolio pages. Does their copy resonate with you? Can you imagine them writing for your business? Does their service suit your budget?

Next, look at their testimonials and/or case studies. What are others saying about them? This should give you more confidence in terms of whether this person is a good fit.

Read my article: How to choose a copywriter >>