The No-BS Guide to Affordable Copywriting for Small Businesses

I'm going to say something that might surprise you: good copywriting is more accessible for small businesses than you think.

I'm also going to say something that won't surprise you at all: a lot of "affordable" copywriting is garbage.

Both things are true. The trick is knowing the difference.

Cheap copy and affordable copy are not the same thing

Cheap copy costs you less today and costs you more later. In time, in revisions, in the clients you didn't book because your website sounded like a robot wrote it. 

Affordable copy gets you a return. That's the whole distinction.

A $500 homepage rewrite that lands you two new clients? Affordable. A $75 blog post that sits on your website collecting dust for three years, confusing your ideal clients and doing nothing for your SEO? Not actually a deal.

Stop asking "what's the lowest price?" and start asking "what's going to pay me back?"

So what are you actually paying for?

Copywriters aren't expensive because they have a fancy portfolio page and a waiting list (though some of us do). They're expensive because they know things — how people actually read websites, what makes someone hit a contact button instead of bouncing, how to take everything you've been trying to say about your business and make it land.

That knowledge doesn't disappear at a lower price point. It just means the person charging less probably isn't carrying a lot of overhead. There’s no big team, no flashy agency office, no account manager who schedules a call to talk about scheduling a call.

Freelancers and boutique agencies are the sweet spot for most small businesses. Fewer cooks, lower rates, someone who actually gives a damn whether your copy converts. You're also a lot more likely to be working directly with the person doing the writing, which matters more than people realize.

Put your money where your (big)mouth is

If your budget is limited, here's the order I'd go in as you prioritize writing projects:

Your website. Your homepage, services page, and about page are working around the clock. They're usually the first impression someone has of your business, and they either make the sale or kill it. This is where copy matters most and where bad copy does the most damage.

Email sequences. A welcome series or sales sequence gets written once and runs forever. The ROI is hard to beat, and unlike social media, you own your email list. Nobody's algorithm can take it from you.

Blogs. Slow burn. But a consistent, strategic blog builds organic traffic that compounds over time — traffic you're not paying for every month. If you've been meaning to start one and keep putting it off, that's what we're here for.

Social media captions. Lower stakes than your website, but if you're posting anyway, the words should actually do something. A good caption drives action. Generic captions scroll right by (I can’t give away all my punchy rhymes for free, okay?). LinkedIn is having a renaissance right now; if you’re a service provider, this is the platform I recommend the most.

How to spot quality copywriters (timesave: we’re right here)

Ask around. Someone in your network hired a copywriter she loved and would shout her name from the rooftops. Find that person.

Then read the work. Does it sound like a human? Does it have a point of view? Does it make you actually want to keep reading, or does it make you want to close the tab? Trust your gut on this.

Also, look at their own website. If their copy is flat, generic, and full of phrases like "I help entrepreneurs unlock their potential" — run. That is a preview of what they will do to yours. A copywriter who can't sell herself is not going to sell you.

(We'd also just say reach out to us, but we're biased…ah fuck it, reach out to us. We’re the best in the biz.)