Do you want a cheap copywriter because you don’t have a money tree in the backyard?
Limited budget? Got no coins for marketing? Pandemic stuffed up your 2020 cashflow?
But, you still have that website, blog, sales page or social media content to write. You need a cheap copywriter.
Naturally you prefer your copywriter to have these qualities:
- experienced
- good at writing
- available
- affordable
You’re looking for a human unicorn, right?
- The experienced, good copywriters aren’t cheap
- The cheap ones aren’t available
- The available ones aren’t good
What’s a brand owner (who sucks at writing) gonna do?
I’m a copywriter but sorry. I’m not cheap. But I can help you find someone cheaper.
How to find a cheap copywriter
- decide what cheap means to you
- determine your brief
- speak to a few writers
- try overseas writers
- try a newbie, in return for reviews, testimonials and case studies
- consider DIY (with editing)
Let’s dive into this in more detail.
What exactly is cheap anyway?
First of all, it’s important to clarify what a cheap copywriter means to you. This can be rather tricky. If you’ve never used a copywriter before, how do you know what they typically charge?
But it’s actually not about that.
It’s what you are willing to pay.
How much do you value the writing? Is it just a basic task that doesn’t matter much? Or is it engaging, persuasive copywriting (like a website or sales page) that will potentially deliver thousands of dollars in sales to your business?
Let’s take website pages for example. My basic price starts at about $600 per page.
I’ve heard people spit their coffee on their keyboard when they hear that price.
On the other hand, I’ve had others happy to hand over their hard-earned clams.
So, some think I’m overpriced. While others think I’m worth it.
Typical copywriter hourly rates
Want more detail? Get the full report with recommended copywriting rates for a variety of copywriting projects.
But the tricky thing? If you’re not a copywriter, you have NO CLUE how many hours your project will take. Plus, while some writers charge hourly rates, others charge flat fees. Confusing.
I recommend chatting to a few copywriters to check their rates. But before you do that, you need to do this next step.
Define your brief
What exactly do you need written?
If it’s a website, define the pages you need.
If it’s social posts, define the length and quantity.
If it’s blogs, how many do you need?
Plus, when do you want the project finished? Good cheap copywriters tend to get booked out, so if you are willing to wait you might get a better price.
Once you have a firmer idea of your brief, it’s time to call a few copywriters.
Copywriter calling
I suggest using trusty Google. Search for your type of project, or type of industry.
- location + project type + copywriter
OR
- location + industry + copywriter
For example:
- Melbourne blog copywriter (like me)
- Sydney food copywriter (like Angela)
- Brisbane annual report copywriter (like Amanda)
- Perth construction copywriter (like Estelle)
Scan through the Google My Business Results or the websites.
If you want a cheap copywriter?
Best to skip the results on page one. They are ranking well and likely to get plenty of calls, so they’ll either be too expensive or booked out. Scroll on to page three or four of the Google results to get the copywriters who will likely be more affordable.
- pick three
- call them up
- ask about rates
- ask them about availability
- find out their favourite Spice Girl (optional)
Once you’ve chatted you will get a good idea of what the typical rate would be for your project.
How to find even cheaper copywriters (who don’t even have websites)
Of course, if you use Google search, you are looking for copywriters who have established websites. What about someone just starting out, who will be new to copywriting? They are likely to be charging those junior rates that fit your budget. But you won’t find them on Google search yet.
There’s three places you can find a newbie:
- Search the Clever Copywriting School directory (you can even list your job free, and have copywriters get in touch with you)
- Conduct a search on LinkedIn
- Jump into your favourite Facebook group and search for a copywriter there (here’s my tips on finding a copywriter on Facebook)
If you call them, they should sound extremely excited to hear from you and perhaps a little nervous.
What you can offer a newbie copywriter
Brand new copywriters don’t have an impressive portfolio of copywriting projects to share. This doesn’t mean they can’t write. On the contrary, they likely come with plenty of experience. Perhaps like me, they have a background in PR, corporate comms or journalism.
You can negotiate a reduced rate in return for a glowing review, a testimonial on all their channels and a case study on their website. That social proof is gold to new copywriters.
But in return for the cheaper rate, you do have to take a leap of faith. You can’t be as confident they’ll do a great job. A newbie copywriter may not have experience with briefing, so expect to refine the brief yourself. Give them plenty of direction and make everything super clear before they begin. Share examples of the style of writing you expect (and what you don’t like too).
Don’t ask for a free trial. But you could test them on a smaller job to see if you are happy with their writing style.
Even cheaper copywriters – it’s possible
If the newbie copywriters are still too pricey for you, there’s one more option. But, it is a VERY hit and miss strategy.
You can try overseas copywriters through procurement sites. There’s plenty of sites that help you find cheap copywriters such as Fiverr, Upwork, ContentFly and AirTasker. They take a cut of the fee in exchange for finding you the copywriter. (Usually the cut is between 10 and 20%). You also get the benefit of quality guarantees.
However at rates of about seven cents per word you may not get the quality. Local Australian copyrights can’t afford to go so low (they’d earn more working at Hungry Jack’s).
You might get lucky and find someone amazing. But the risks are:
- language: you may not get a native English speaker
- unAustralian: it may be American style copy (which tends to be rather pushy, over the top and writes organize instead of organise)
- lack of time: the rate doesn’t allow time for research, so they may not understand your angle, tone of voice or customer pain points
- x-factor: you just ain’t vibin’ what they wrote because it’s crappy
The DIY option
Of course, when the price is simply unaffordable, you can always write yourself. This is good when you have a very clear idea of exactly what you want to say.
This is bad because you quickly find that it’s harder to write in a clear concise way that gets your points across. (Which is lucky for us copywriters, so we can make a living doing it for you.)
It’s also bad because you are busy doing other things so it becomes last on your to-do list and therefore never gets done.
Get an editor
If you do try the DIY option, have you thought of getting an editor? Unlike copywriters, they don’t write from scratch. Instead, they take what you’ve written and give it a polish. Often a couple of tweaks here and there can make your content really shine.
A good editor will use the trusty delete key to make your brain dump concise and clear. Often at a fraction of the cost a copywriter would charge to write from scratch.
You can find plenty of great editors on the Clever Copywriting School directory.
Good luck with your search for a cheap copywriter
Or if you’ve changed your mind and you’d rather pay for an experienced, capable copywriter, give me a call on 0406 993 464.
