How Much Does Content Marketing Cost in 2024? (A Real Talk Guide)

As a marketing agency, you’re always looking for ways to create compelling content for your clients while maximizing budgets. But figuring out the true cost of content marketing can get a little tricky. There are a lot of moving parts — from hiring writers and building a content strategy to old-school outreach and promotions.

Whether you’re running an agency or consulting for clients, you’ve probably wondered: should you invest in training an in-house content team, outsource to freelancers, or just automate everything? With the arrival of artificial intelligence, content marketing platforms like BrandWell have totally changed the game — dramatically reducing costs while increasing productivity.

As someone who’s seen both sides of the coin — managing a 100-person human writing agency for 10+ years and totally embracing AI today — I can help break down exactly what goes into the cost of content marketing so you can figure out which option makes the most sense for your agency’s bottom line.

So, just how much does content marketing cost in 2024? Let’s jump in!

Table Of Contents:

• How Much Does Content Marketing Cost?
• Factors Influencing Content Marketing Pricing
• How Much Does Content Creation Cost?
• BrandWell: Revolutionizing Agency Workflow
• Get Quality Results Without The Overhead

How Much Does Content Marketing Cost?

Startup agencies often ask, “What’s the magic number for content marketing?”.

To help you estimate how much does content marketing cost, let’s dive into the specifics of a content marketing campaign.

How Much Does a Blog Post Cost?

Your clients are investing in your content marketing services to drive brand growth and generate leads. And one of the most important pieces of content you can provide them is the long-form blog post.

A blog post that delivers great results can take around $1,500 to create.

Some key elements that impact the price tag are:

• Content Complexity and Length: A 500-word blog post will naturally cost less than an in-depth, 2,000-word article requiring extensive research and interviews.
• Content Format and Visuals: Is your client looking for a text-only blog post, or do they need engaging visuals like custom graphics and embedded videos? High-quality visuals enhance engagement but also increase production costs. Learn how to elevate your content with blog post images.
• Writer Expertise: An experienced writer with specialized industry knowledge will command higher rates than a generalist writer.
• SEO Optimization: Effective SEO involves keyword research, on-page content optimization, and link building – all of which add to the overall cost.

How Much Does Infographic Design Cost?

Creating high-quality infographics involves two key components, each requiring specialized expertise:

• In-depth research: This means identifying reliable sources and collecting and analyzing data. This phase ensures your infographic is not only visually appealing but also factually sound and insightful.
• Professional design: A visually stunning infographic goes beyond simply presenting information. It demands a keen eye for design, typography, color palettes, and data visualization techniques to transform raw data into an easily digestible and memorable format.

Skimping on either of these aspects can undermine the effectiveness of your content marketing efforts. Just like crafting compelling blog content, a well-designed infographic requires a strategic investment.

While costs can vary depending on the project scope, complexity, and the level of expertise required, your client should expect to budget around $3,000 to $4,000 for a well-researched and professionally designed infographic.

Do You Need Original Photography for Your Content Marketing?

While there are stock photos available on the Internet, I would definitely recommend creating your own photos to elevate your blog content, social media posts, and more.

However, custom photography comes with a heavy price tag. Instead of just paying $1,500 for a blog post, incorporating original photography into the mix could increase that price to $4,000 to $6,000, sometimes more.

Why is it so expensive? Because when you work with a professional photographer to create custom images, you’re investing in their expertise, time, and creative vision.

Original photography for content marketing campaigns often involves:

• Concept development
• Location scouting and permits
• Professional equipment
• Photoshoot setup and execution
• Image editing and retouching

All of these components are essential for creating visually stunning imagery that captures attention, resonates with your target audience, and effectively communicates your brand message.

💡Pro tip: One way you can save money when creating original photos is to use AI. Just enter a prompt describing how you want your photo to look and an image generator like DALL-E or Midjourney will get the job done.

Here’s an image I asked DALL-E to create for a new golfing website:

To learn more, check out our guide on how to generate images with AI art prompts.

How Much Does Video Content Cost?

Video content marketing has exploded in recent years because it’s engaging, versatile, and incredibly effective. But producing high-quality video content doesn’t come cheap. Basic videos can cost around $3,500 per minute while a 2-minute video that’s done really well can be in the $7,000 range.

Like most things in the content marketing world, video production costs vary widely.

Some key factors influencing video production costs are:

• Video Length: Obviously, longer videos cost more to produce. More footage means more filming, editing, and potentially more talent.
• Video Style and Complexity: Do you need a simple talking-head video shot on a smartphone or a high-production-value mini-documentary with animation and special effects? The more complex the video, the higher the cost.
• Production Crew and Equipment: Do you need to hire a full-fledged production company with a crew, or can you get away with a freelancer and some basic gear? Your choices here will impact your budget.
• Location, Location, Location: Shooting in a studio is generally more cost-effective than on location. Location shoots often involve travel expenses, permits, and additional logistical challenges, all of which can drive up the cost.
• Talent: Are you featuring actors, voiceover artists, or subject matter experts? The rates for talent can vary wildly, depending on their experience and the scope of the project.
• Post-Production: Editing, sound mixing, color correction, and adding special effects all factor into the final cost. Don’t underestimate the time and expertise involved in post-production.

Thanks to AI, you can now create videos on the fly without hiring professionals. Find the best AI video generators in this comprehensive guide.

Do You Want to Add Interactives to Your Content?

Interactive content is a powerful tool for agencies and marketers looking to create engaging experiences for their target audiences. Unlike static content, interactive content encourages users to actively participate, leading to higher engagement, increased brand recall, and improved conversion rates.

However, this elevated level of engagement often comes with a higher price tag. On average, an interactive framework from an experienced UX designer could cost you around $10,000 in 2024.

Several factors influence the cost of interactive content, including:

• Complexity: A simple quiz will cost significantly less than a sophisticated interactive infographic or a 3D product configurator.
• Development Time: Interactive content requires specialized skills and expertise, meaning more development hours and higher costs.
• Technology Stack: The tools and technologies used to build the interactive experience (e.g., JavaScript frameworks and animation libraries) can impact the overall cost.
• Design Requirements: High-fidelity designs with custom illustrations and animations will naturally be more expensive than simpler designs.

While studies show that interactive content can be highly effective in grabbing attention and enhancing retention of brand messaging, it’s essential to weigh the benefits against your budget. Sometimes, a well-crafted static infographic or video might be a more cost-effective option.

How Much Does Content Outreach Cost?

Experienced agencies typically charge between $90 and $110 an hour for a solid content marketing outreach.

When it comes to promoting a piece of content, I recommend putting in about 16-20 hours of effort to hit a nice balance — getting your content in front of an engaged audience without overdoing it and burning through prospects who might only be somewhat interested.

With all of that in mind, the cost of promoting a well-executed blog post typically lands in the $3,200 to $5,500 range. That covers the 20 to 60 hours it usually takes for cold outreach, Reddit distribution, social communities, and more.

That said, manual outreach is becoming less of a necessity for many businesses these days, thanks to AI, so there are other ways to manage distribution without burning tons of time.

So How Much Does a Full Campaign Cost?

When you factor in everything that goes into a solid content marketing campaign —writing, design, editing, interactivity, and promotion — it’s clear that great execution doesn’t come cheap.

Medium-sized businesses are expected to spend around $10,000 to $20,000 for a content marketing package. In a highly competitive industry, going up against the big players with deep pockets, that number can easily jump to $30,000, $50,000, or even $60,000 a month.

Here’s the thing: content marketing isn’t expensive. Bad content marketing is expensive. Do it right, and it’ll be one of the best investments any business can make.

Factors Influencing Content Marketing Pricing

Think of your content marketing budget like a bespoke suit – it’s tailored to your specific needs and goals. Here’s a breakdown of the key factors that influence the cost:

• Business Size: A small business with a limited target audience won’t require the same content marketing firepower as a large enterprise with a global reach. For example, a bustling Shopify site with a vast product catalog needs a different content engine than a local bakery with a smaller target audience.
• Content Type: Blog posts, sleek infographics, engaging videos — each type of content demands unique resources, skills, and budgets. For instance, producing a high-quality video series demands a larger investment than publishing a series of blog posts.
• Number of Campaigns: Are we talking about a single product launch or a year-long, multi-channel extravaganza? The more campaigns you run simultaneously, the greater the resource allocation.
• Industry/Niche: Highly competitive industries often require a more aggressive content marketing strategy to stand out. This could involve investing in premium tools, in-depth research, and high-frequency publishing, all of which contribute to the cost. For example, the financial sector requires highly specialized content, which could command higher costs than, say, a lifestyle brand. Some industries have higher content creation costs due to factors such as regulatory compliance and technical complexity.
• Promotion Channels: Organic reach is awesome, but paid ads and influencer collaborations often require an extra budget. The choice of promotional channels significantly impacts content marketing pricing.

Instead of fixating on a fixed cost, think of content marketing as an investment with a sliding scale. It’s about striking a balance between agency growth and client goals.

How Much Does Content Creation Cost?

Now, let’s talk about resources. How do you plan to execute your content marketing strategy?

There are three different approaches to content creation: maintaining an in-house content team, outsourcing, and automation. Let’s see how they measure up cost-wise:

• In-house Team: Building an in-house content team offers greater control and brand consistency. However, it involves significant upfront costs, including salaries, benefits, and training. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a Content Marketing Manager in the United States is around $81,211 to $96,661 per year.
• Freelancers: The hourly rate of a freelance content marketing manager can vary depending on their experience level, skills, reputation, and the country they work in. Entry-level freelance content marketers typically charge $25 to $50 per hour, while senior-level marketers charge $120 to $250 per hour.
• Automation: Marketing automation tools are gaining traction for their ability to streamline repetitive tasks and improve efficiency. For example, for just $249 per month, an AI-driven platform like BrandWell can generate up to 100 long-form blog posts in one go (with minimal human intervention), plus an unlimited number of social media posts, sales emails, ad copy, product descriptions, landing pages, YouTube video scripts, and other types of short-form content.

Find out how you can write high-quality articles in three easy steps:

In-House Content Teams: Full Control Over Quality

Assembling a dedicated in-house content marketing team provides the most control over your content — you can handpick talent aligning with your agency’s style and values. It can also lead to higher-quality content, faster turnaround times, and greater brand consistency.

However, maintaining an in-house content team comes with significant costs.

• Salaries and Benefits: Salaries alone rack up fast. In the US, the average base salary for an in-house content strategist is $92,213, content writers command around $58,918, and marketing designers around $84,411 — and that doesn’t even account for paid time off, health insurance, retirement plans, and bonuses.
• Recruitment and Training: Finding and attracting top talent can be expensive. Recruitment fees, advertising, and the time spent interviewing candidates all contribute to the overall cost. Ongoing training and development are essential to keep your team’s skills sharp, adding to your expenses.
• Software and Tools: Content marketing teams rely on various software and tools for content creation, SEO optimization, project management, analytics, social media management, email marketing, and more. Subscription fees for multiple tools can quickly add up.
• Office Space and Overhead: If you have an in-house team, you’ll need office space to accommodate them. Costs include rent, utilities, internet, office supplies, and other overhead expenses.

If you factor in recruitment costs, training, software subscriptions, taxes, and benefits, the cost of content marketing can spiral quickly. This approach is usually more viable for larger agencies with the budget to support a dedicated team.

Freelancers: Flexibility with Tradeoffs

Hiring freelancers is a popular option for agencies looking for flexibility and cost savings. Agencies can scale teams to match specific project needs by tapping into a global pool of talent. Freelancers also bring specialized skills to the table, allowing you to handle various content marketing tasks.

Freelancers typically charge per hour or project, with rates varying widely depending on factors like experience, specialization, and location.

Take blog posts, for example. These are the average freelance costs associated with different tiers of blog post quality:

Remember these costs are solely for writing. They do not include strategic planning, keyword research, graphic design, editing, or promotion. Agencies often require additional freelancers or team members to handle these aspects of content marketing, further adding to the overall costs.

This begs the question: What if there was a way to drastically simplify these cost structures?

Automation: The Future of Content Creation

Let’s be real — automation is no longer a futuristic fantasy. The evolution of AI allows agencies to create high-quality content at scale without breaking the bank, making them a viable alternative to traditional in-house teams and freelancers.

AI content creation tools like BrandWell use machine learning algorithms to generate various forms of content such as blog posts, social media updates, website copy, and more. AI can analyze data, research keywords, and create content briefs, saving you valuable time and resources.

Let’s look at how AI content creation tools can help your agency save on costs:

• Reduced Labor Costs: AI tools can automate many repetitive content creation tasks, reducing the need for a large team of writers or freelancers. This can lead to significant savings on salaries, benefits, and other employment-related expenses. Discover how BrandWell helped an agency save $10,000+ a month in content marketing costs.
• Increased Content Production: AI tools can generate content much faster than humans, allowing you to scale your content marketing efforts without hiring additional staff. This can lead to increased website traffic, leads, and brand awareness. Find out how you can 25x your production with BrandWell.
• Improved Content Quality: Many AI tools are designed to produce high-quality, SEO-friendly content that aligns with best practices. This can help you attract more organic traffic, improve search engine rankings, and drive better results from your content marketing efforts. Learn the secrets to getting your clients to Page One while adding 6 figures in revenue.
• Data-Driven Insights: AI tools can analyze large datasets to identify content trends, audience preferences, and keyword opportunities. Instead of relying solely on human intuition, AI delivers data-backed insights to inform your every decision, from keyword research to audience targeting. This way you’ll spend less on costly mistakes and more time on what matters.

By freeing time usually devoted to mundane tasks, you can offer a higher caliber of client care and build strong relationships that fuel agency growth.

BrandWell: Revolutionizing Agency Workflow

I’ve worn several hats during my agency ownership — freelance writer, content manager, SEO strategist, and even chief cheerleader. While these individual tasks have their price tag, the REAL cost isn’t about money; it’s about TIME.

Each freelancer you vet, article you edit, infographic you brief a designer for … it’s time chipped away from what really grows your agency: cultivating amazing relationships with happy clients.

Here’s the deal; I put all my eggs in the AI basket because I saw a future where agencies could effortlessly deliver on every client’s need at scale. No more juggling freelancers on tight deadlines or breaking the bank for in-house expertise — BrandWell is your entire in-house content team, your freelancer marketplace, and your AI content wizard rolled into one.

BrandWell allows your team to dedicate their time and creative energy towards what humans do best — relationship building and creative strategy. This potent mix gives your agency the power to attract and keep clients through compelling content, paving the path toward a thriving and sustainable business model.

But that’s not all.

BrandWell allows your agency to scale without compromising quality. Launching a client campaign requiring 50 blog posts a month, written in your own voice, and propels your brand to the top of the SERPs? Plus hundreds of social media posts tailored to each channel? That’s just Tuesday morning with BrandWell at the helm.

All those costs associated with hiring, training, and subscribing to countless tools … gone. Imagine those cost savings reinvested into creating memorable brand activations, landing dream clients with data-driven proposals, and attending that industry-leading conference.

Get Quality Results Without The Overhead

At the end of the day, content marketing doesn’t have to be tough on your wallet — especially if you’re smart about how you approach it. Instead of pouring resources into training an in-house team or managing a roster of freelancers, choose one powerful tool that streamlines your entire content creation process.

Why spend more when you can automate and scale smarter? It’s time to rethink how you approach content marketing — and BrandWell might just be the key to unlocking your agency’s full potential.