There I was: deciding between air conditioners. I lived in a small apartment, so I figured the lower cost one would do. What a mistake: it didn’t generate the power I needed, and then it simply konked out. I sweated it out until I could get a new one installed. So I paid two times for units, as well as for the handyman’s installation.
Had I made a more careful decision, not only would I have avoided sleepless nights, my bank account would also be ahead.
You likely have your own experiences of opting for a lower cost option—whether an appliance, car, internet provider, or software—thinking there wouldn’t be a big difference in performance for your needs, only to sweat it out during the most crucial, time-sensitive moments and also feel like you’re bleeding money.
With over 13 years in the copywriting and content development business, at MarketSmiths we’re used to hearing: how much difference can writing make? Why not just go with the cheaper option? Because, as we outline here, what may seem cheaper at first can actually cost you more in both outright cost and lost opportunities.
Low hourly rates often come with high hourly counts
A low hourly rate can look attractive at first. What you don’t see is that the copywriter or agency is making up for revenue by charging for a lot of hours. There’s no incentive to be efficient. It’s like an open-ended checkbook, the bane of your company’s procurement team, which is tasked with minimizing cost risk. That low hourly rate can very quickly add up and, before you know it, you’re facing a bill much higher than you anticipated.
Per project pricing can become a bottleneck.
Also known as a scoped project, per project pricing is a common option for deliverables that may be considered one-and-done: website copy, a video script, a piece of collateral, a set of emails or social media posts. But is that how your business really works? Marketing is a continuous process, with each piece building off each other. When you rely on per project pricing, you’re inviting both costly delays and extra work for you and your procurement team every time you need to generate a new SOW—overhead costs that sink to your bottom line and slow timing.
Staffing models can drag down efficiency.
Freelancers come and go. When they’re out, there’s no one to work on your material. Or another client can take priority over you. Low cost agencies pay writers quite little so there’s no loyalty and high churn. Both of these models create an endless cycle of bringing writer(s) up to speed on your brand and your offerings. How much does a delay in sourcing talent cost you? How much does every briefing cost you? How much do revisions cost you? If you’re hearing cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching, that’s all these costs adding up.
Quality can vary.
Say you hire a freelancer to write your copy or content. Who’s reviewing their initial draft? You are. Reviewing a draft when there hasn’t been another set of eyes on it costs you time and energy as you incur multiple rounds of revisions. If you hire on an hourly basis, those rounds end up costing you more than if you went with a quality writing partner from the outset.
Or let’s say you go with an agency whose value prop is low cost. How do they keep their cost low? First, their writers aren’t very experienced, lacking the specialized skills to write for businesses. And second, there’s no one reviewing their work—so there’s no quality control. Price is a reflection of quality; organizations need a reliable writing partner who gets it right on the first pass, and doesn’t require an excessive amount of time from you.
Buy once, buy right.
At MarketSmiths, quality control is baked into our process. We’re built for business and our writers and content strategists work as a team so that information, tone, and style all meet client standards from the very first draft. Better quality means less work for you, consistent adherence to deadlines, stronger output, and more value for your investment.
Furthermore, our replenishment accounts can work on a monthly or open-ended basis. In essence, you use as much as you need in your account for whatever you need. One SOW covers your organization so you don’t lose time when you need to keep business moving—earning the appreciation of your sales and marketing teams, and also procurement who isn’t constantly having to process SOWs and invoices. You gain time while keeping overhead costs to a minimum.
Finally, MarketSmiths’ writers and content strategists are employees who are career business writers. Our dedicated team approach means you’re always covered by skilled professionals immersed in your brand.
Commitment is in, churn out. Consistent quality in, varying results out.
In the end, cheaper writing isn’t cheaper.
That low cost model, it’s all an illusion. A coordinated outsourced copywriting model with baked-in quality actually nets out to lower total cost:
- Fewer revisions
- No delays
- Higher efficiency
- No hidden overhead costs
Get real value for your content investment. With MarketSmiths’ built-in strategy and quality control, you can achieve genuine impact, a stronger bottom line, and enhanced ROI. No sweat. Just one call.
