Content marketing generates three times more leads than outbound marketing. But that's not all. Quality content influences customer buying behavior and costs significantly less than paid advertising.

If you own a marketing agency, you may be thinking about hiring content writers.

As a business owner, you may not have the time to write website content yourself. Plus, you need a copywriting team to create blog posts, reports, and website copy for your clients.

That's a great idea, but there are some drawbacks you should consider. Good content writers are in high demand, and hiring one is anything but cheap. The cost of employing an entire writing team is in the six-figure range.

Have you considered outsourcing content creation? This option is more affordable than hiring an in-house team. Plus, you'll have access to a global talent pool and different skill sets.

But don't just take our word for it. Let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of hiring full-time writers versus outsourcing your content.

Why Hire Content Writers?

Having an in-house writing team comes with its perks. This option makes it easier to build a team that aligns with your company's culture and values.

In-house writers tend to pay more attention to the specific needs of your marketing agency. They will work together to define and maintain your brand voice. Furthermore, they'll get to know your clients and adapt their writing style to meet their needs.

Another advantage of hiring content writers rather than outsourcing is that you'll be in the same office and have the same working hours.

This can facilitate communication and prevent misunderstandings. Plus, you can keep an eye on your team and provide directions as needed.

Your writing team will likely develop stronger brand knowledge over time compared to an external team. If, say, your marketing agency appeals to healthcare providers, you can train your employees to write in a style that resonates with your audience.

This approach to content creation also eliminates the risk of dependency on third parties.

Freelance writers come and go, but a permanent employee will stick with your company for years to come. If he decides to leave, you can still rely on your other team members to get the job done.

As an employer, you can provide training to your writers to help them grow and improve. Over time, your team will become more knowledgeable and more productive, which may improve your company's bottom line.

When you hire in-house writers, you know which team members are best suited for each niche and topic. They will focus solely on your company's needs instead of juggling multiple clients.

Are There Any Drawbacks to Hiring Content Writers?

Like everything else, hiring content writers comes with its drawbacks. First of all, it's a lot more expensive than outsourcing.

The average content marketer salary is around $52,866 per year and can go up to $81,000, depending on his experience and location. Content writers make about $45,493 per year.

Experienced freelance writers charge anywhere between $75 and $100 per hour — and you probably won't need one 40 hours a week.

If you do the math, you'll see that it's much cheaper to outsource work than hire an in-house team.

Recruiting, hiring, training, and then keeping an employee takes a lot of money. Back in 2012, the cost of hiring a skilled employee for a role that required advanced education was more than 200% of his annual salary. Not to mention the time it takes to fill a role.

Now imagine that one or more of your writers leave after a few months of employment. That's money down the drain. As an employer, you must start all over and pay a fortune to find a good fit for your team.

Outsourcing doesn't involve these risks. Freelance writers pay for training themselves. You don't even have to give freelancers W-2s or any kind benefit, such as health insurance.

Another drawback of hiring content writers is that you may not be able to find the right person. That's especially true for companies located in smaller cities. Plus, top employees may require higher salaries and extra perks.

Outsourcing Is Cheaper, Faster, and More Convenient

The global outsourcing market was worth over $92.5 billion in 2019.

Nearly 80% of organizations feel positive about their outsourcing relationship. About 60% see it as an effective cost-cutting tool, while 47% say that outsourcing solves capacity issues.

Outsourcing content creating gives you access to greater intellectual capital. You can handpick writers for each project without having to worry about training them.

This option not only helps reduce your overhead costs but also allows you to scale quickly.

As a marketing agency, you can hire freelance writers to tackle projects in various niches, from health to technology. These professionals have in-depth knowledge in their field and keep up with the latest industry trends.

When you launch a new project or work with a new client, you don't know how things will go.

Hiring content writers for a specific project involves the costs of training, employment contracts, or even new software. If the project fails or your client isn't satisfied with the outcome, you end up losing money.

Outsourcing helps mitigate these risks.

Sure, you still lose money if a project fails, but the damage will be less severe. On top of that, you can hire and fire as needed without dealing with extensive paperwork.

Leverage Outsourcing to Grow Your Marketing Firm

All in all, outsourcing content creation is more convenient than hiring content writers. With this option, there's more diversity in writing style and expertise.

Marketing agencies can save time and money with outsourced writing services.

As a business owner, you'll have access to a more diverse range of voices and skills, from copywriting and editing to content management. This option works particularly well for large-scale, long-term projects.

Are you ready to take the plunge and outsource content writing? See our guide on how to find the best freelance writers for your team.

Don't hesitate to contact us and discuss your needs. Our talent network is one click away.

According to reports, the demand for content creators is exploding by an annual growth of roughly 33%.

Fortunately for those needing writing services, the ranks of freelance writers have also shot up. However, not all of these writers have the skills required to produce quality content.

One of the best ways to ensure that you receive great content is to pay well for it. However, there is also a limit as to how much you need to pay a specific writer.

So how much should I pay a freelance writer?

There is no easy answer to this question. But once you have some insight on typical rates based on content type and experience, it'll be a lot easier to offer a rate that is both competitive and affordable.

Read on to get the inside scoop on freelance writing rates and become confident in your offers.

Different Freelance Writing Rate Structures

There are a few different freelance writing rate structures.

The most common fee structures are hourly and per word. Besides these, some freelance writers also charge a monthly retainer for large projects and ongoing work.

Per word rates are some of the easiest for both writers and clients. As a client, per-word rates are ideal, as you knew exactly what a piece of content will cost upfront.

Some people also pay freelance writers per assignment. However, this is similar to per word, as most assignments will have a predetermined length.

An Overview of Freelance Writing Rates

Freelance writing rates can vary drastically, from as little as $0.005 per word—to $1.00 per word and up.

Average hourly rates for writers also vary widely. According to Indeed.com, hourly writing rates can range from $7.25 to $55.25.

As for annual earning levels, Glassdoor tallies that blog writers earn between $33,000 and $81,000 annually, with $51,395 being the average annual salary.

ZipRecruiter, on the other hand, puts the annual earning range of freelance blog writers to between $12,500 and $150,000. However, their data also places the average annual earnings at $51,324.

Additionally, ZipRecruiter estimates that the average hourly rate for freelance blog writers is $27.

This data is, however, so broad that it's not all that helpful. Let's take a more detailed look at the relationship between freelance writing pay and experience.

Rate Scales and Experience

As shown above, hourly freelance writing rates vary dramatically. However, rates typically correlate with experience.

To get a better idea of "how much should I pay a freelance writer", here is a rough break down of the different pay ranges in relation to experience levels.

Beginners

Beginner writers typically have up to 3 years of experience. Some of this may have been on a part-time basis.

There are two rough rate categories most commonly paid to freelance writers. These are up to $20 per hour and between $21-$40 per hour.

Equivalently, acceptable per word rates for beginner freelance writers range from $0.01-$0.10 per word and can go as high as $0.25 per word.

If you are working with a freelance writer that is new in their career, but competent, you may want to consider offering rates in the $21-$40 range. However, if the writer in question is very fresh, slow, prone to errors, and writing highly simple content, you could look at paying $20 or less.

Intermediate

Intermediate writers typically have between 3-7 years of experience writing full time.

Common ranges of hourly pay for intermediate freelance writers are around $21-$40 per hour and $41-$60 per hour.

As for per-word rates, intermediate writers may charge between $0.11-$0.25 per word, or more commonly, $0.26-$0.50 per word.

Once again, the quality of work that the writer is providing should be able to guide you as to what to pay within these ranges.

Professional

Professional writers are those who have been writing for between 7-15 years.

Professional writers net somewhere between $81-$100 per hour and in some cases over $100 per hour.

When it comes to per word rates, professional writers may charge anything between $0.26-$1.00 per word. The exact fee may depend on the subject matter.

Expert

Some expert freelance writers charge a similar amount to professional writers. However, a large percentage of expert writers cost over $100 per hour to hire.

Most writers who have been in their field for over 15 years will be experts.

How to Judge Experience

Hopefully, the broad categories that we just looked at will give you a rough idea of how much to pay based on experience.

However, experience is not something that can always be measured in years. For example, a writer may have 5 years' experience but have never written on your subject matter before. Or, they may have been writing for 3 years, but have not improved their grammar skills or their delivery.

Therefore, when using experience to estimate freelance writing pay, take into account the following:

• The writer's ability around your subject matter
• Their general writing skills
• Their ability to come up with relevant content ideas

Make sure that you get to look at their portfolio. You can also send potential writers a test piece to see if they are able to write the specific type of content you are looking for.

Experience is one of the top qualities to look for in a freelance writer. So make sure that you investigate this.

Types of Writing and Associated Costs

The final thing to consider when wondering what freelance writing pay to offer is the type of content that you need.

Straightforward content on simple topics will typically take less time to produce than detailed content on technical subjects. Make sure you factor this in.

If you offer a low rate for technical writing, you will likely end up with a string of unqualified writers who cannot do the information justice. On the other hand, paying high rates for very basic content is also not worth it.

How Much Should I Pay a Freelance Writer? Now You Know

By now you probably have a basic answer to the question "how much should I pay a freelance writer."

Is your next step to start generating content at an affordable price? If so, you need to take a look at the stellar pricing plans on our content creation services.

If you like what you see, you can start ordering content from our vetted writers today by creating a client account. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help.