First, of course, let’s get some definitions down: Copywriting is advertising and marketing writing; words that are designed to sell or persuade. Websites, emails, banner ads, brochures, magazine ads, billboards, etc. Content is writing that’s designed to educate, entertain, or inspire. Think: blog posts and articles.
They’re both forms of writing, but copywriting requires more training, more skills, and more mastery and, thus, it pays much better. I’m not saying that content writing is easy, only that it’s easier. They’re both climbing mountains, but one mountain is steeper.
You’ll find that, in general, content works pays a lot less for this reason. There is a lower level of skill required (please see previous paragraph; I’m NOT saying there is NO skill required), many people who hire content writers don’t even know how to screen for that level of skill, and, so, the market is flooded.
Copywriting, on the other hand, pays well because it requires a higher level of skill and often directly translates to helping a client increase revenue. Of course, there will ALWAYS be some clients that try to get great copywriters for cheap, just as there are always people trying to get anything for cheap. But in the professional world, clients are generally willing to pay well for good copywriting.
So, all of this is why I teach copywriting: it’s more challenging, more interesting, more versatile and it pays better. If you want to make six figures as a copywriter? It’s absolutely possible. If you want to make six figures as a content writer? Sadly, good luck.
But here’s the thing: Just because we’re copywriters doesn’t mean we don’t write content sometimes. In fact, I have a couple of clients who ask me to write a few blog posts periodically in addition to their copywriting projects.
So what does a copywriter charge for content work? Do we charge the 10¢ a word (or less!) that many content writers have to settle for? In three words:
Oh HELLS no.
When I (and my students and other professional copywriters) write content for our clients, we charge our copywriting rates. Why? Because our clients are still getting the extra level of strategy and insight that our copywriting training has given us, now infused into their content and content strategy.
Becoming a copywriter doesn’t mean that you’ll never write blog posts again if that’s what you like to do. It means that you’ll write them better and you’ll command higher rates for your services—which is a win for both you and your client.
Your turn! What appeals to you about copywriting versus content writing? Or vice versa? Let me know in the comments below.
I feel like copywriting and content writing are the same. You can write any piece of content to persuade while educating, entertaining, and inspiring your reader. And both kinds of writing require a high level of proficiency to be effective.
I like both kinds of writing and I charge the same rates for both. My biggest hurdle is explaining to clients why they should pay for good content.
Hi Kim,
I’ll respectfully disagree. 🙂 Content and copywriting have different purposes – copywriting is designed to get people to take action or, sometimes, to change how people think about a company (which, yes does veer toward a grey area). That direct correlation between copywriting and action—whether that be clicking on an ad, opening an email, signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or any number of other things—is a large part of what makes it so valuable to clients. Content absolutely *is* valuable, but its goals of educating, entertaining, or inspiring are “softer” goals. They definitely can lead people to begin to think differently about a company as a secondary benefit, but their *primary* purpose (for the reader – not getting into SEO here) is to educate, entertain, or inspire.
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Excellent article. As a freelance blogger/copywriter (natural beauty niche), I more charge clients on project bases, as I work full-time otherwise (Motor Vehicle Insurance Underwriter because charing by the word or the hour tend to confuse me a bit.
Been based in the Caribbean, I have received emails from Caribbean nationals interested in learning copywriting, but I am relatively new, (1 year – August 2018) and a bit scared to venture in that area of teaching copywriting, when I am still young to copywriting and would not know how much to charge.
Again, your article was a great read and it made me understand a little better. Thanks.
Hi Avion,
This article might help a bit with understanding charging by the project or by the hour (though *never* by the word!): https://filthyrichwriter.com/copywriting-qa-by-the-minute-the-hour-the-word-how-you-should-charge/
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Hello there!
I was just wondering. If you don’t mind sharing of course, how much do you charge for your articles or posts? I got an offer as a freelance copywriter for social media content for Facebook pages and blog write ups but I’m not sure how much is the average rate to charge ‘cause I’m a newbie. 🙂 do you think $50 to $55 for 500 words is okay? I live in Malaysia so I thought of charging RM55 for 500 words and RM105 for 1000 words.
Hi Adila,
Well, there’s a difference between copywriting and content writing. Copywriting is writing that’s designed to sell or persuade and (generally) designed to get people to take some sort of action or think differently about something. So that encompasses emails, websites, banner ads, direct mail pieces, billboards, and all kinds of other things. Content is writing that’s designed to educate, inspire, and/or entertain, and this is where blog posts and articles come in. Copywriting requires a bit more training and strategy, and so it’s paid much better than content writing, and copywriting is what my course and site are focused on. Even if a company calls it “copywriting,” if the work is content writing, it’s content writing. (Some companies don’t know the difference.) So I can’t really help you with your content rates, but I’m sure there are all kinds of resources on the internet about it–just be sure to search “content writing” instead of copywriting.
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
This was very helpful; thanks! I’m currently enrolled in the academy, and this post is adjacent to one of my favorite things about it so far. I’m new and can already tell my personal blog writing (my first writing-love) will be exponentially better with greater results.
Hey Doug,
I’m glad it was helpful – and I’m glad you’re enjoying the Academy! And I agree – I think you’re going to be really pleased with how copywriting will affect your writing across the board. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Can you provide information as to the availability of your academy? Just signed up on the waiting list, but couldn’t find any information.
Also-for someone who’s medium-savvy in tech-but loves to write and has taken masters level courses in marketing. Do you have a simple suggestion as to how we can satisfy the tech-page piece of a portfolio? Would a well-run, content-rich Facebook page suffice?
Thank you!
Hi Mary Ellen,
You actually already have info about the Academy in your inbox! (Be sure to watch those videos we sent you…) Also, some of our emails are bouncing back from your inbox – you might want to put us on your “whitelisted” list to make sure you get our other emails.
We actually have a training about how to set up your portfolio site in the Academy! The good news is that it’s easier now than ever and completely doable even for people who are a bit more tech-hesitant. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
One of my pet peevs is clicking on titles to articles that don’t actually deliver on the title. You are saying content writing and copywriting are different but the title says what copywriters charge for content. When I’ve read through this article I’ve leamed what copywriters don’t charge. But what content writers might charge. So I am a bit confused. Can you clarify?
Hi Michelle,
Sorry if that annoyed you; my point with the post is that copywriters charge *copywriting* rates for content, not the standard low content rates. The actual price of a project is going to depend on a lot of factors including the copywriter’s level of experience, how familiar they are with the company and the topic, how in-depth the client wants the post to be, whether they have to come up with the topic, and whether they have to research the topic (among other things). For a very, very ballpark estimate, a copywriter could charge anywhere from $200-$700 (and possibly higher if it’s intended to be a very in-depth piece of content that will be a major content pillar for the company) but, again, it depends on all of those factors. There’s never going to be (nor should there be) a “standard” rate for any kind of copywriting or content work.
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Hi! Your article is very informative. I hope you can also give light on my concern now. I applied as a copy writer (a beginner) but I was asked to simply copy the pdf file to a word file. They are asking me for my rate per project. For the first project, I received a low-content 13 page brochure. Can you help me decide how much to charge?
Hi Lian,
Well, it sounds like that’s not really copywriting – it sounds more like transcribing from one document to another, which is a very different type of task altogether. Since that’s not in my wheelhouse I can’t really advise you about how much to charge but if you Google transcription rates you might find something that would help. Good luck!
Nicki
Very helpful stuff, thanks. How should I reckon my rates on revising copy on someone’s site for them to make it more effective? Thanks!
Hi Matvei,
A “rewrite” is, essentially, creating new copy with a keener insight into what doesn’t work (based on their old copy). In a nutshell, for any project, you figure out how long it will take you to write each element of the site, factor in editing time, revisions, and meetings and multiple that by your hourly rate. It’s usually a good idea to round up just a little bit to account for any additional meetings or editing. Does that make sense?
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki