Why Offer Copywriting Services on Retainer?

Offering website copywriting services on a monthly retainer provides significant advantages over solely relying on project-based work for both you and your clients.

For Your Business:

• Predictable Revenue: Retainers smooth out cash flow fluctuations, making financial planning easier.
• Increased Client Lifetime Value (CLTV): Long-term relationships mean more revenue from each client over time.
• Reduced Sales Overhead: Less time spent constantly chasing new projects and onboarding new clients.
• Deeper Client Relationships: You become a trusted, integrated part of your client’s marketing efforts.
• Easier Planning: Predictable workload allows for better resource allocation and scheduling.

For Your Clients:

• Consistent Support: Access to ongoing copywriting expertise without needing to initiate new contracts for each task.
• Faster Turnaround: Retainer clients often get priority or faster service within their allocated scope.
• Budget Predictability: Clients know their monthly cost for ongoing copywriting needs.
• Strategic Partnership: You gain a deeper understanding of their business, leading to more effective copy over time.

Understanding Common Copywriting Retainer Pricing Models

While project-based pricing is often calculated per page or per word, copywriting retainer pricing typically falls into a few core models:

• Package-Based Retainers: This is one of the most popular models. You define specific deliverables or a block of work included in a monthly fee. Examples: “Basic Blog Package (4 posts/month, 800 words each)” or “Website Refresh Retainer (updates to 5 pages per month, up to 1000 words per page)”.

  • Pros: Clear scope for both parties, easier to scale, simplifies client understanding.
  • Cons: Requires careful scope definition to avoid overselling or underselling.

• Time-Based Retainers: You allocate a specific number of hours per month for a fixed fee. Examples: “10 Hours of Copywriting Support per Month” or “20 Hours of Content Creation & Strategy”.

  • Pros: Simple to track internally, flexible in terms of tasks performed within the time block.
  • Cons: Can lead to clients focusing on hours rather than value; less predictable results if tasks vary significantly in time required; potential for ‘use it or lose it’ pressure.

• Value-Based Retainers: Pricing is based on the perceived or actual value the copywriting delivers (e.g., increased conversions, improved SEO rankings, leads generated) rather than hours or simple deliverables. This is harder to implement but can command higher prices.

  • Pros: Aligns your success with the client’s, potentially much higher profitability.
  • Cons: Requires strong client relationships, clear metrics, and confidence in your ability to deliver measurable results.

Many businesses use a hybrid approach, often starting with package-based retainers that imply a certain level of effort (time) while focusing communication on the deliverables and value.

Determining Your Copywriting Retainer Scope and Deliverables

What specific tasks or deliverables make sense for a monthly copywriting retainer? It depends heavily on your niche and client needs, but common examples include:

• Blog Post Writing: A set number of posts per month, including research and light SEO optimization.
• Website Page Updates/Rewrites: Refreshing existing content on key pages.
• Landing Page Creation: Developing new landing pages for specific campaigns.
• Email Newsletter Copy: Writing regular newsletters.
• Case Study Writing: Documenting client successes.
• Sales Page Optimization: A/B testing copy on existing sales pages.
• Copy Strategy & Consulting: Dedicated time for planning and advising.

When structuring packages, think about typical client needs and bundle related services. For example:

• Bronze Retainer: 2 Blog Posts + 1 Email Newsletter/month
• Silver Retainer: 4 Blog Posts + 2 Email Newsletters + 1 Landing Page Revision/month
• Gold Retainer: 6 Blog Posts + 4 Email Newsletters + 2 New Landing Pages + Quarterly Strategy Call/month

Clearly define what is included and, just as importantly, what is excluded from the retainer to manage expectations and prevent scope creep.

Setting Your Copywriting Retainer Pricing Levels

Calculating your copywriting retainer pricing requires careful consideration beyond just counting words or hours. Here’s a process:

1. Calculate Your Costs: Understand your overhead (software, marketing, rent, etc.) and desired salary/profit margin. Determine your effective hourly rate needed to be profitable, even if you don’t price by the hour.
2. Estimate Time per Deliverable: Based on your experience, how long does it typically take you or your team to complete each type of deliverable (blog post, landing page, etc.)? Factor in research, outlining, writing, editing, and client communication time.
3. Assess Market Rates: Research what other copywriting businesses in your niche and region are charging for similar retainer packages. Websites, industry reports, and professional networks can help.
4. Determine Perceived Value: How much is this retainer worth to the client in terms of their business goals (leads, sales, authority)? Pricing solely on your time/cost ignores the potential ROI for the client.
5. Structure Tiers: Offer 2-4 distinct retainer packages (e.g., Bronze, Silver, Gold) with increasing levels of deliverables and value. This uses pricing psychology (anchoring and tiering) to help clients self-select and can make the middle tier look most appealing.

Example Pricing (Illustrative Only):

• Bronze Package: (e.g., 4 Blog Posts/month) - Estimated 10-15 hours of work. Could be priced from $1,500 - $2,500+/month depending on expertise, niche, and value.
• Silver Package: (e.g., 8 Blog Posts + 2 Landing Page Reviews/month) - Estimated 20-30 hours. Could be priced from $3,000 - $5,000+/month.
• Gold Package: (e.g., Comprehensive content mix) - Estimated 40+ hours. Could be priced $6,000 - $10,000+/month.

Remember to factor in your desired profit margin on top of costs and consider the value delivered. A retainer generating $10,000 in new business for a client is worth more than one generating $1,000, even if your time investment is similar.

Structuring Your Copywriting Retainer Agreements

A solid contract is essential for any copywriting retainer. Key elements to include:

• Scope of Work: Explicitly list included deliverables, quantities, and any limitations (e.g., number of revisions per piece).
• Duration: Specify the contract length (e.g., 3-month minimum, month-to-month after initial term). Clearly state termination clauses and required notice periods.
• Payment Terms: Detail the fixed monthly fee, due date, and accepted payment methods. Consider requiring payment upfront for the month’s services.
• Renewal Terms: How does the retainer renew? Automatically or requires opt-in?
• Communication Protocol: How often will you communicate? What is the expected response time?
• Ownership: Clarify who owns the final copy upon payment.
• Performance Metrics (Optional but Recommended): Agree on how the success of the copywriting will be measured (e.g., traffic, time on page, conversion rates) if doing value-based or hybrid pricing.
• Scope Creep Clause: Define how additional work outside the retainer scope will be handled and priced (e.g., at a specific hourly rate or mini-project fee).

Presenting Copywriting Retainer Options to Clients Effectively

How you present your copywriting retainer pricing can significantly impact your close rate and client satisfaction. Avoid overwhelming clients with spreadsheets or static PDFs that are hard to navigate.

Focus on presenting clear options, highlighting the value and outcomes of each tier rather than just a list of tasks and a price. Use framing to emphasize the benefits of the retainer model (predictability, ongoing support) compared to one-off projects.

Consider using a tool that allows for interactive pricing presentation. Static quotes can be confusing, especially with multiple retainer tiers and potential add-on services. A tool like PricingLink (https://pricinglink.com) is specifically designed to create shareable links where clients can see different retainer packages side-by-side, select options, and instantly see the total monthly investment. This provides a modern, transparent, and interactive experience.

While PricingLink excels at the pricing presentation and initial lead qualification phase, it’s important to note it does not handle full proposal generation, e-signatures, contracts, invoicing, or project management. If you need a comprehensive solution that includes these features alongside pricing, you might look at tools like PandaDoc (https://www.pandadoc.com) or Proposify (https://www.proposify.com). However, if your primary goal is to streamline and modernize how clients interact with and select your complex pricing options, PricingLink’s dedicated focus offers a powerful and affordable solution.