Do you use or are you looking to engage an external copywriter to help your editorial and marketing team during busy periods? The 2019 Copywriters Survey Australia has been released by The Clever Copywriting School, giving insight into how copywriters work, the range of services they provide and rates charged.
The survey will be of interest to small publishers who work closely with freelance copywriters, are seeking to engage freelance services, or offer similar content marketing services to clients as part of their publishing business.
Over 200 Australian copywriters were surveyed, with the majority based in metropolitan areas (77 per cent). Of those surveyed, 67 per cent have more than three years experience copywriting, and the majority hold either a Bachelors or Masters degree, and most have undertaken relevant training.
How do copywriters operate?
Currently, 67.4 per cent are freelancing only, while 18.7 per cent combine freelancing with regular employment. The majority freelance part-time hours (66 per cent).
Copywriters generally gain clients via word of mouth, while a similar proportion rely on repeat work from existing clients to grow their business. Most surveyed service small business (78.6 per cent) or corporate clients (47.6 per cent).
What services do copywriters provide?
The survey found that in the last 12 months the majority of copywriters completed blogging (79 per cent), editing (75.4 per cent) and content development activities (68.7 per cent), closely followed by proofreading, creating copy for brochures and printed materials, and social media content.
Nearly half of the copywriters surveyed completed SEO-based copy, website landing pages, brand identity/tone of voice strategy, and content strategy.
Other services included producing product description copy, press releases, content management, video scripts, style guides, social media strategy, social media advertising, training others and Google Adwords.
What do copywriters cost?
The majority of copywriters charge a project fee (65 per cent), with only 17.8 per cent charge an hourly rate, 5 per cent charging a day rate, and 1.1 per cent charging by the word. Hourly rates are averaged at $107 and daily rates at $677.
Pricing varied significantly between copywriters based on the service provided and experience level of each copywriter. The median price (exclusive of GST) for a:
- 5-page website was $1,450
- 1,000-word blog post was $450
- 3-minute video script was $500
- Email newsletter was $300
- Press release was $350
- Sales landing page was $600.
It is important to note that this list is median prices only.
Access the survey results here to the range of pricing for each product, and other more detailed information.
The Clever Copywriting School is a member community that provides Australian copywriters with training, resources and advice to improve their business. Members can be accessed via the online directory where they can be contacted directly about job opportunities, or copywriting tasks can be posted via the job board.
If you’re trying to hire a copywriter, you likely understand the challenge of finding a candidate with the right combination of these and other skills for the job.