Copywriters all have different approaches, overheads, skills, experience and productivity. So it's hard to compare like for like.
ProCopywriters detail the UK average day rate at £440, but it varies by experience and location. It'll come as no surprise that you'll pay more for a London-based copywriter. But, the East Midlands (where I'm based) is much more competitive.
You will get what you pay for
There are services like Upwork, Fiverr, People per hour (the list goes on) where you can 'hire' someone to write 5,000 words for 50p. But a word of warning before trying them, they may not offer the best value for money and remember the adage - you get what you pay for.
From my personal experience (I've had jobs 'fixing' copy completed through these platforms), many are novice writers, aren't native English speakers, or don't have the UK vernacular. Many openly use AI to generate your work, others are less transparent about it.
If you want some electrical work doing at home, would you choose to do it yourself? Find someone who's quite good at replacing a plug and has built a custom home entertainment system? Or would you ask for recommendations from trusted sources, and research the best-rated, accredited supplier in your area?
Employing an experienced copywriter will always offer the best return on your investment. It should be safer, less stressful, and much more enjoyable.
Human writers and freelancers in particular will offer a unique perspective on your message. We bring loads of experience, we're generally nice to work with and we're really keen (we have to be good and nice to get repeat business).
How to compare copywriting costs?
All copywriters will have their own tried and tested processes, along with personal preferences for pricing. I have a day rate and work out project fees based on experience of hours taken. Others have set project rates instead of a day or hourly rate.
With different processes, experience and approaches, it may be tricky to compare hourly rates and I wouldn't recommend that. One person could produce three times the amount of copy than someone else in the same time.
The best way to get comparable costs for you to consider is to give your potential freelance copywriters an example of a project. A mini brief or summary of what you're looking for would help them understand what you're after, and help you establish exactly what's included in their fee.
Here's an example to get you started:
LinkedIn post of approximately 200 words on the topic...
Key message is...
Target audience is...
Call to action...
Here's our outline/research...(attachment or link)
Tone of voice and brand style is...
Deadline is...
1 round of amends from stakeholder feedback.
Supplied in a Word document.
More to consider than cost
There's plenty more to consider too - the best working relationship will be forged from respect and understanding. I'm a firm believer in my gut instincts, so I'll always have a chat with a potential client to get a feel for them.
All writers will have their own process and checks, but I talk about how I work and what I expect from them. Things like making themselves available for briefing calls, interviews, providing background information and I'll even give them tips on how to supply clear feedback.
Many writers will have their own briefing templates too, so don't worry if you don't have one or haven't completed a brief before. It doesn't have to be too complex, but it's a way to formalise what you want, need and expect. And it helps the writer gather key bits of information to do a great job for you. Often we'll come back with more questions to clarify things - and I like chatting things through to get to those nuggets of information you might not have jotted down.
So there you have it. A copywriter will create valuable copy for you whatever form it takes. They'll combine their skill, experience and wider industry and marketing knowledge to help your work resonate. With a little leg work, I'm confident you will find an extremely capable and amenable copywriter who will lift your content, copy and marketing communications to the level you deserve.
If you want to talk to me about a potential project, fill in my contact form, or check me out on LinkedIn.
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