How much does content marketing cost in 2022?

Content marketing can do a lot for your business.

A successful content marketing strategy can increase your visibility in search results, enhance your customer relationships and generate more revenue for your business.

(We said it could do a lot, didn’t we?)

Utilising content marketing is a no-brainer for the majority of e-commerce businesses.

But before you fire up your content production line, it’s important to consider the costs involved. 

Good content doesn’t grow on trees. 

Which is a shame, because that would be very convenient. 

Let’s run through the content marketing costs in 2022, to help you understand the best way to spend your money. 

What does content marketing involve?

At its core, content marketing is all about producing online content that’s genuinely useful for your target audience.

Sounds simple. But there’s a little bit more to it.

Quality content encourages potential customers to engage with your business and familiarise themselves with your offering. 

It also positions you as a trusted authority in the market.

However, content marketing can also improve your website ranking in search engine results.  That’s an excellent way to reach more prospects, increase website traffic and boost your conversions. 

Several different assets can be created as part of your content marketing strategy, including everything from blog posts to long-form articles and social media content.

How does all this content help my e-commerce business? 

If your target audience discovers high-quality content on your website, this is obviously a good thing for your business. 

These users will trust the credibility of your brand, which in turn increases consideration and the likelihood of a future purchase. 

But that’s not all. 

Some cracking online content, combined with an efficient SEO strategy, will skyrocket your ranking on search platforms like Google. 

And that’s exactly where bundles of potential customers are searching for new products to buy. 

Great content marketing increases website engagement and encourages users to share your material. This helps to fuel SEO, which help you get more traffic, which drives conversions – and the cycle continues. 

How much does content marketing cost?

Enough about the purpose of content marketing. Let’s tackle the big question. 

How much is content marketing going to cost? 

Well, the amount you’ll pay depends on a few different factors. 

You’ll pay varying amounts based on the type of content produced, the amount being delivered, and the individual creating it. 

Let’s take a look at some average prices for different content services to give you a better idea of content marketing costs.

Content Audit 

Before you start commissioning new work, it’s a sensible idea to conduct an audit of your existing website content. 

By examining your current content, you can:

• Identify any gaps in your approach
• Evaluate what has worked in the past
• Make informed strategic decisions 

The price of a content audit can vary wildly depending on how much content you already have. You can expect to pay anything from £100 to £20,000 for a full review. 

(Don’t panic – those eye-watering amounts tend to be reserved for global corporations.) 

An audit can provide you with useful insights if you’re already producing regular content. If you’re just starting your content marketing journey, you might not gain much from the process. 

Website Content

Creating website content (e.g. product pages, product guides, infographics) can cost anywhere between £1,500 and £8,000 a month. 

Some writers and agencies will charge for a monthly package, while others may charge on a per-word basis. The best option all depends on your business requirements.

Good website content needs to align with your brand tone-of-voice while also attracting more customers and improving SEO performance. 

Website content needs to deliver strong returns, but it also needs to be genuinely enjoyable to read. 

Blog Content

Creating blog content (e.g. blog posts and long-form articles) can cost anywhere between £75 and £1,500 for a 2,000-word blog post.

The cost of a blog post will change depending on the word count, but that doesn’t mean that shorter posts are always the way to go. 

Research indicates that a blog post around 2,100-2,400 words delivers optimal results, but not every piece needs to be a mammoth undertaking for your writer. 

Shorter pieces can still generate great returns if they’re crafted properly. Plus, over time you’ll be able to establish your own ideal word count.

Social Media Content

Social media content creation (e.g. posts optimised for social channels, new social posts) can cost anywhere between £750 and £3,800 a month.

However, a lot of different services can fall under the ‘social media content’ umbrella, and this will influence the final price.

The number of social channels being used, and the frequency of content being posted, will change the overall cost. 

Some agencies will also offer additional services (such as campaign monitoring and content optimisation) that will incur additional charges. 

Content Updates 

Regularly optimising and updating your website content can cost anywhere between £1,500 and £8,000 a month. Many agencies will incorporate this cost into a monthly package. 

The world of SEO is constantly changing, which is why updated content is key to staying ahead of the competition.

The Google algorithm will adjust its criteria, new forms of content will become more popular and different industry trends will inevitably come and go. 

As a result, it’s important to regularly refresh your website landing pages and online content to ensure that you’re maintaining a positive ranking in search results. 

Your monthly content marketing costs will change depending on your output. As a rough guide, most SMBs invest between £1,500 and £8,000 a month in content production. 

But it’s always important to focus on quality rather than price. 

A good content creator will inevitably be more expensive than a poor content creator. But the potential for increased traffic and revenue makes this a worthwhile investment. 

The key is to find a reliable writer or content marketing agency that will deliver consistent results for you. 

Who can create my content?

Wondering who is best suited to create some cracking content for your website?

You have a few options available.

Freelance writer

Freelancers can provide your business with individual pieces of content (e.g. blog posts, website pages) but they can also work on regular projects.

They’ll usually charge on a fixed per-word basis. 

If you find a reliable freelancer who can consistently deliver quality work, this can be a solid option. Freelancers offer a level of flexibility that can benefit both parties.

However, be cautious about freelancers offering cheap rates.

A good freelancer knows their worth, and you know the old saying – if you hire a cheap freelancer, you’ll probably get substandard content. It’s something like that, right? 

In-house team 

If you’re keen to keep everything under one roof, you can also look into creating your own in-house team of content creators.

Hiring your own writers can be an effective way to produce high-quality written content regularly since the team is working exclusively for your business. 

However, hiring a new team will undoubtedly be very expensive. After all, you’ll have salaries to pay! 

You’ll also need to invest in training for new writers and team members. As a result, the in-house approach isn’t feasible for most e-commerce businesses. 

Content marketing agency (…like us)

Many e-commerce businesses choose to work alongside a specialist agency for their content needs.

Agencies often charge a flat monthly fee for an agreed scope of work – but their services can usually be adjusted based on your content needs. 

Many agencies will also have in-depth experience with content production for different types of brands, so they can utilise this experience to produce effective work. 

The key is finding an agency that genuinely understands your business, and tailors content to your specific needs. 

Making the most of your content marketing budget

It’s important to be strategic with your content marketing budget.

You need to spend your hard-earned cash on the right types of content that will deliver the best results for your business.

Select the right content package

If you’re working with an agency or freelancer, there’s no point paying that precious content marketing budget on content that you’re not currently interested in. That’s why you need to select the right package for your brand.

Let’s say that you’re just beginning your content marketing process. 

You might want to focus primarily on creating high-quality website pages before you eventually progress into posting regular social media content. 

As a result, you shouldn’t be investing in an agency package that includes the cost of social media management. Make sure that you understand the services that you’re paying for!

Scope out your content needs

It’s also important to understand how much content you need to create to achieve your desired results.

You don’t want to produce insufficient content to boost your search ranking, but you also don’t want to overpay for unnecessary work.

This is where a content agency can make a big difference.

An experienced agency team will be able to create a rock-solid content plan for your business, generating the ideal amount of content to deliver results.

Pick the right types of content 

A well-rounded content strategy is crucial for increasing engagement and improving search rankings.

But it can be tricky to know where to start. 

If you’re unsure of the content that you need to prioritise, you can always ask an agency for their recommendation. 

Agencies won’t just be able to identify the best types of content for your business. They’ll also be able to suggest the optimal word count for each piece and help to shape your overall content strategy. 

The main thing to concentrate on is the results that you’re seeing from content marketing. If your results justify the cost of content production, then you’re on the right track.