How Much To Pay For A Blog Post: $100, $300 or $500?
January 24, 2019 | Sean Foo
So maybe you are new to content marketing and excited to get your content strategy going with awesome blog posts!
But are you left scratching your head when it comes down to deciding how much to spend?
Have no fear, we are here to de-mystify everything about blog posts.
But first, let’s get the big question out of the way.
How much should you pay for an effective and high-quality blog post?
Quick answer: It depends. Really. Either could be effective depending on your goals!
What is the difference between a $100 blog post and one that is $500?
The short answer:
The skill-level + research + knowledge that goes into the article.
So before you decide on paying $100, $300 or $500 for that new fancy article, ask yourself one question:
What are my business goals for this article?
Blog posts are perhaps the most effective medium when it comes to inbound marketing but unless you are clear about your end goal, you might be overspending or underspending!
But first let’s find out why you are looking to create content.
After helping more than 200 clients with content creation, I can safely say the majority of people seeking blog posts fall into 3 categories.
The Three Types Of People Looking To Create Content.
1) I Want Content To Rank My Website So My Business Can Be Found Online
Around 60-70% of people seeking blog posts fall into this category.
While blog posts can certainly be part of a larger Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy, this shouldn’t be the main reason why you are interested in content creation.
Content creation isn’t about writing words on a space that touches random topics about your business and stuffing them to the brim with SEO keywords.
Content creation is about creating quality content that connects with your reader, informs them fully about a particular subject and solving a problem they have.
In fact Google’s search algorithm, that is getting more complex with each passing day, not only factors in keywords…but the relevance of the content.
But the relevance of the content as well!
That means ten poorly written articles written for SEO might not be as effective as one well-written post for the audience!
Now I know many of you might still want to go this path so how should you maximize your $100?
Firstly even though your budget is $100, you STILL NEED to go for QUALITY.
That means do not expect to get a 2,000-word article for $0.05 a word.
Copywriters who are worth their chops and are competent enough to handle this scope of work will charge at the very least $0.20 a word.
Those who charge less are probably in content mills and will see your project as just another task and will aim to finish it as fast as possible.
The end result? A poor article that is not only ineffective but one that could harm your business!
So $100 at $0.20 a word leaves you with 500 words.
Yes, the post will have enough words to include your SEO keywords, but the main question is: what type of content should you be writing about?
As I am writing this post, the word count is already above 535, so a long-form informative post like this might be out of the question.
The best kind of post you can create for $100 is a mini-case study.
It is short, it is effective and it showcases directly what your business can do for your client.
Here is a quick structure of a compelling kick-ass 500-word blog post.
1) Highlight the challenge your client was facing
2) Talk about how you solved that one problem. Just one. You only have 500 words.
3) Discuss the awesome results they are enjoying after engaging in your work.
4) Give 1 quick tip on how someone can solve that problem by themselves.
Now point 4 is the most important.
Yes, yes…I know what you might be thinking, but won’t I be giving away my magical solution and hurting my business?
No, you are not!
90% of people reading the post will be too lazy to solve it themselves and will engage you instead.
Why? Because they will think ‘Wait a minute, if this business is giving out free tips, that means their product is much more awesome! I want to buy it!’
2) I Want Content That Positions My Business As An Expert To Build My Brand
Ok, now things are getting much more serious!
You are now looking for quality content that not only convinces people you are good but to build your reputation to become the best.
It is blog posts and articles like these that not only help you get more customers but allow you to increase your product price or service rates.
From big corporations like SAP to venture-backed startups, more businesses big and small are using this type of content to position themselves as an authority in their industry.
The purpose of a post that builds your brand is simple:
To Help Your Customer Solve A Pressing Problem In Their Lives That Is Connected To Your Business.
For example, if you are running a travel agency.
Your blog post could be about:
“9 Ways To Plan That Perfect Holiday While Saving 50% Off Your Total Bill!”
The article could be teaching the reader about how to save money at every step of their holiday from the plane ticket to the hotel without sacrificing much comfort.
Maybe you are selling a SaaS product focused on email marketing automation.
A great blog post you could create might be:
“The Ultimate Guide On How To Write Emails That Get Opened And Convert”
This post can take the reader through a journey of how to write an email from the headlines to the body copy to the call to actions while providing examples.
Remember, these articles are created to solve your customer’s problems.
That means, after reading the post, they can close it and immediately use that information to solve their problems and make their lives better.
The advice and insights there must be actionable.
Let’s talk about pricing. How much should you pay for a blog post of this standard?
For a well written and well-researched content piece, expect to pay at least $300 for a 1,000-word post.
That works out to at least $0.30 a word. Any lower and your alarm bells should start ringing.
3) I Want To Drive Paid Traffic To The Blog post & See An Immediate Result.
This perhaps is perhaps the highest level of content creation that blends in elements from sales copywriting.
Creating a post that gets your reader to immediately take an action won’t come cheap, but if done right, is extremely effective in both branding your building and seeing an immediate ROI.
Businesses creating such a post will usually demand the best quality content from an experienced writer.
After all, they are spending money to buy traffic from Google / Facebook / LinkedIn to visit that post.
An article of this caliber and quality will likely start from $500 for a 1,200-word article or at least $0.40 a word.
So what makes this post the most expensive compared to the previous two?
It is not what is in the post, but how the post is crafted.
When you are driving traffic to the post and want someone to take an action…
Maybe you want them to leave an email at the end…
Or perhaps you want them to click on a link directing them to a sales page…
Either way, throughout the article you will need to lead them down the AIDA structure.
AIDA stands for Attention-Interest-Desire-Action, your article has to capture your reader’s attention…
Pique their interest in solving their problem or hearing more about your business solution…
And build their desire to take the next step in discovering how to get more information/buy your product…
And finally, take action!
All this will require elements of sales copywriting within the article and this is why it costs $500 or more for a well-written article that converts readers into buyers!
So if you are new to creating content for your business, what is a good strategy?
Depending on your budget, I would say a good mix of all three categories.
You will definitely want some quick articles for SEO ranking…
But you will also need authority articles to help build your brand into an industry leader…
While having one article that drives traffic to your blog while reaping business results!
A Formula To Follow Is A 5 – 3 – 1 Strategy Every Month.
Five $100 quick blog posts = $500
Three $300 authority blog posts = $900
One $500 premium blog posts = $500
The total cost: $1900 a month
Becoming An Industry Authority & Getting More Sales: Priceless.
Key Takeaways
However you choose to plan your content marketing, you should always aim for quality over quantity.
While the temptation might always be there to hire on budget writers, it is safer and smarter to invest in a quality writer that will…
Take the time to understand your business…
Craft a good angle for your blog posts…
And lend strategic advice on what might or might not work.
