Content Marketing Pricing: How Much Does Content Marketing Cost in 2024? [Data]
Content marketing costs $5,001 – $10,000 per month on average in 2024. How much your business spends on content marketing can depend on several factors, like whether you work with freelancers or an agency and the type of content you want to create. Keep reading to learn more about content marketing pricing!
200+ industries with dedicated copywriting experts
Highlights
🤝 Custom strategy
📝 Content creation and editing from industry-specific specialists
🔎 Ongoing content optimization and reporting
📚 Content formats including blog posts, SEO copy, graphics, and videos
77% of businesses are satisfied with the return on investment (ROI) they receive from content marketing
58% of businesses spend $5001 – $10,000 per month on content marketing
55% of businesses allocate 11% – 50% of their overall marketing budget to content marketing
53% of businesses pay $100 – $700 on a content audit
31% of businesses spend $1001 – $3000 on social media content per month
27% of businesses pay $501 – $1000 on content updates/refreshes per month
23% of businesses spend $501 – $1000 on blog content per month
22% of businesses spend $501 – $1000 on website content per month
Content marketing is an essential strategy that helps you rank higher in search engine result pages (SERPs), drive traffic to your website, and generate leads and conversions.
If you’re researching the costs of content marketing, you’re in the right place. Keep reading to get all the details of average content marketing pricing!
Content marketing pricing basics
Looking for a quick overview of content marketing costs? We asked 350 marketers how much they spend on their content marketing strategy. Here’s a summary of what they shared:
How much does content marketing cost per month?
Content marketing costs $5001 – $10,000 per month in 2024 on average(58% of respondents). However, this is just an average number, and the amount you will spend on content marketing can vary depending on a few factors, like what types of content you want to create. Agencies and freelancers can also charge different rates.
[Summary] Content marketing pricing
You may choose to tackle your content marketing strategy with a freelancer or agency partnership. Both offer unique advantages for your strategy and can often come with different costs.
Many content marketing freelancers offer specific copywriter services, like writing blog posts. Content marketing agencies like WebFX, on the other hand, have a team filled with multiple content marketing specialists and in-house copywriters and editors to support with multiple areas of your strategy while also helping you expand and implement new forms of content optimized for search engines and users.
What determines the cost of content marketing?
There are lots of variables that can determine how much you’ll pay for content marketing. After all, your business is unique, and so are your content marketing needs.
Factors like how many and what types of content you want to create and whether you decide to tackle content marketing in-house or with an agency, can all influence your cost.
Expert insights from
Emily C.WebFX Content Delivery Lead
“Content marketing costs vary depending on the type and volume of content assets you create, as well as your choice to work in-house or with an agency. Remember that content marketing is a long-term investment, and with regular refreshes, it can continue driving value for your business for years.”
Data roundup
Type of content companies invest in
59%
Blog post
Source: WebFX
76%
Social media content
Source: WebFX
57%
Website content
Source: WebFX
29%
Content audit
Source: WebFX
47%
Content update/refresh
Source: WebFX
35%
Email content
Source: WebFX
What percentage of your overall marketing budget should you allocate to content marketing?
Businesses typically allocate 11% – 50% of their overall marketing budget to content marketing on average (55% of respondents). Your company may allocate more or less of your budget to content marketing, depending on your unique goals and the return you receive from your strategy.
Yes, content marketing is worth the cost! In fact, 77% of businesses say they are satisfied with the ROI they receive from their content marketing strategy.
With an effective campaign and high-quality content that reaches and engages your audience, you can boost your online visibility, paint your business as an expert in your field, and effectively drive continuous traffic and conversions.
A question we often hear is, “Should I invest in a content marketing package or pay per-piece for website pages?”
We’re glad you asked.
If you’re looking to write a few pages for your site, paying per-piece may be a good option for you. However, it’s often wise to invest in a comprehensive marketing plan. Why?
Content requires continual monitoring and updates to maintain your rankings.
Often, agencies include this cost as part of their content marketing packages. However, if you pay someone per-piece, you’re responsible for monitoring and updating the content once it’s live on your site — a big task for busy SMBs.
When you invest in content marketing packages from a full-service agency, you’ll also receive access to SEO and social media experts who can help you maximize the impact of your content. Again, SEO and social media promotion are often included as part of comprehensive content services.
While it’s tempting to pay for each piece of content, investing in a content package often offers the biggest bang for your buck.
In 2024, you can expect to pay $2000 to $12,000 per month for a comprehensive content marketing package. For that price, make sure the package you choose includes research, website copywriting and SEO implementation, and social media content.
You’ll also want to ensure that you’re working with a reputable, full-service agency that has experience in numerous areas of digital marketing, from content to SEO and more.
Content marketing pricing models
How much you pay for content marketing can depend on your chosen pricing model, like partnering with an agency, hiring a freelancer, or implementing your strategy in-house.
On average, businesses typically pay content marketing freelancers $1000 – $10,000 per month (58% of respondents). It’s also important to note that 12% of business pay less than $1000 per month while 5% spend more than $100,000 per month.
Freelancers or independent contractors can provide single pages of content or complete ongoing projects. Depending on the freelancer you use, they may charge by the word or a set price for a project.
Some freelancers may specialize in a particular content type, like blog posts or articles.
While freelancers may seem appealing, it’s often difficult to find the right one for your project. You’ll want to be wary of freelancers who offer “cheap” writing services, as they often lack the expertise needed for your projects. You may also need to hire multiple freelancers to fully support your content marketing needs and goals.
You also have the option to create content in-house. However, this means that you’ll need to pay someone (or a team of content writers) a fully yearly salary, plus employee benefits, like PTO, health benefits, and more. For most SMBs, it’s not worth the price to create content in-house.
If you want to create more content, you’ll need to hire more writers — a steep investment if you work with in-house writers. You’ll also have to invest in training to ensure that your in-house writers stay up-to-date with industry updates and have the technical knowledge needed to write content for your site. You’ll also need the manpower and support to monitor your content strategy and make ongoing updates and optimizations to ensure you consistently drive the best results for your business.
On average, businesses typically pay a content marketing agency $5001 – $10,000 per month (20% of respondents). However, these costs can vary depending on the agency. For example, 18% of businesses pay $20,001 – $50,000 per month while 9% of businesses pay less than $1000 per month.
Most agencies charge a monthly fee, and agencies like WebFX offer numerous options and custom plans to fit your budget and goals.
The best content marketing agencies take the time to get to know your business and industry. They work as an extension of your internal team to produce content that drives the best results for your company.
The WebFX team is made up of more than 500 subject matter experts in digital marketing, SEO, web design and web development, social media, and more. Together, they’ve helped WebFX’s clients earn more than $6 billion in revenue from the web — and that’s just in the past five years.
“WebFX has always worked hard to make sure that we’re getting what we need out of the partnership, not just what may seem like the best result.”
HydroWorx
What to look for when researching the cost of content marketing
When researching the cost of content marketing, you’ll need to keep in mind that several factors can impact the cost of your project.
Expert insights from
Emily C.WebFX Content Delivery Lead
“When considering content marketing options and pricing, look for providers that have experience in your niche. You want content that’s both valuable for readers and ranks well in search results. Your provider should have a proven history of creating a variety of content assets that drive rankings, leads, and conversions.”
How much content do you want to create?
As we mentioned above, you can expect to pay more based on the scope of your project. If you only need to create 10 pages of content, you’ll pay less than if you need 100 pages.
That being said, you need to create enough content to ensure you rank at the top of search results for high-impact keywords in your industry. If you’re an ecommerce site, you’ll also want to create custom pages for your product offerings and keep them updated with the latest information and prices.
When you work with a content agency, they’ll help you create a game plan for the amount and type of content you’ll need to create to achieve the best results.
What type of content do you want to create?
Do you want article pages, blog posts, or social media content for your business?
The type and length of content also impacts the price you’ll pay. A well-rounded content strategy includes website articles, blog posts, visuals, and social media content.
You might also wonder how long content needs to be to rank in search results. The answer? It depends on the type of content.
Informational articles: Between 1500 and 2000 words
Blog posts: Around 1000 words
10x content: At least 2500 words
Instead of focusing only on one type of content, you’ll want to create content of various types and lengths as part of a robust content marketing strategy.
Are you interested in other services?
While some agencies combine other services, like SEO and social media marketing, into the price of their content plans, others may require you to pay extra for additional services.
For more information about what you can expect to pay for other digital services, check out these pages:
It’s important to remember that your company is unique — and you deserve to be treated as such. Steer clear of companies that offer “one size fits all” content marketing packages.
Your business has a unique budget and needs, and you should choose a content plan tailored to your goals.
What do content plans include?
Depending on the agency you work with and plan you choose, you will receive a number of content assets including:
plan from WebFX can take your blog from zero to hero and help you connect with more customers.
In addition to sprucing up your blog, content plans focus on optimizing your site content to rank higher in search results and provide more valuable information to searchers. Not only does this help you expand your reach online, it also boosts your chances of closing more deals. A win-win situation for your business.
Speaking of expanding your reach — effective content plans should also include social media monitoring to help you reach even more customers. When you create custom content, sharing it on social media will boost brand awareness and allow your business to earn more connections.
Your followers can also share your content with friends and family members who might be interested in your products or services. If people have questions about what you offer, you can easily respond on social media and develop relationships that encourage more purchases.
In addition to written content, you’ll want to include visuals, like infographics and motion graphics, to engage your audience and make your content more memorable.
Infographics help break down complex processes and make information easier to digest. This is extremely beneficial if you want to explain how your products or services work — especially if you offer complex products or services.
When people understand your business, products, and services, they can make more informed decisions and feel more comfortable in choosing your company.
Customers are 10 times more likely to interact with a video than a block of text. So, if you’re looking to boost engagement and interaction with your brand, you’ll want to make sure your content plan includes video.
Video is extremely important since you’re 53 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google results when you use videos on your website.
In addition to creating custom videos for your site, a content marketing agency like WebFX can help you film videos for your social media ads, emails, and more.
Not convinced? Including videos on landing pages can increase conversions by 80%. If you want to get more from your content plan, make sure it includes video marketing.
The WebFX team is made up of more than 500 subject matter experts in digital marketing, SEO, web design and web development, social media, and more. Together, they’ve helped WebFX’s clients earn more than $6 billion in revenue from the web — and that’s just in the past five years.
A content audit costs $100 – $700 on average (53% of respondents). When you get a content audit, a content marketing experts will take a look at all areas of your content strategy. They will identify areas of your strategy that are working well and that you could optimize and double-down on to achieve even better results. Audits can also help you identify areas of your strategy that need improvement and give direction to your content strategy.
Website content costs $501 – $1000 per month on average (22% of respondents). For that cost, 11% of businesses receive 7-15 new pages, while 8% receive 1-2 pages. Like the name suggests, website content is the content on your website! It includes the copy on your homepage, the videos on your pages, your product or services pages, location pages, your “about us” page, and more!
Blog content costs $501 – $1000 per month on average (23% of respondents). For that monthly cost, 10% of businesses receive 5 – 10 blog posts while 9% receive 11 – 20 blog posts. Blog content is extremely helpful for answering user questions and giving your website additional opportunities to rank in relevant search results so you can drive more site traffic and leads.
Social media content costs $1001 – $3000 per month on average (31% of businesses). For that monthly cost, 9% of businesses receive 16-25 social media posts or pieces of content, while 8% of businesses receive 3-7 posts or pieces of content.
Social media platforms are extremely popular, with many people choosing to spend their free time scrolling through news feeds and updates. Social media content helps you get your brand in front of your audience where they spend their time, boosting your brand awareness and visibility.
Content updates and refreshes cost $501 – $1000 per month on average (27% of respondents). For that monthly cost, 16% of businesses receive 5 – 15 updated or refreshed pages per month, while 8% receive 1 – 4 updated or refreshed pages per month.
Content updates and refreshes keep your content up-to-date and accurate. Updates can also help you better answer user questions, make optimizations to continue to rank in a changing search result landscape, and provide users with accurate and helpful information.
