Blog Writing Costs: How Much Should You Really Spend?

"THAT much for writing a blog post?"

It's a reaction I often see from business owners when they start getting quotes for professional content.

And it's understandable. When you're running an e-commerce business, you're weighing up content costs against new inventory, Google ads, or that warehouse software you've been putting off. So when you see blog writing advertised for NZ$50 on Fiverr, or you watch AI churn out articles in seconds, spending NZ$350 on a single blog post feels excessive.

What makes one blog post worth more than another isn't always clear from the outside. So let me show you what's really happening when you choose different approaches to blog content, and give you a way to think through what's right for your business.

Why you may be hesitant to hire a blog writer (and why that makes sense)

First, let's address the elephant in the room. The reasons you're questioning blog writing investment probably look like:

• "AI can write blog posts for free." True. ChatGPT will happily churn out 1,000 words on any topic you fancy. The monthly subscription costs less than your weekend takeaway.

• "I can find writers for NZ$50 on Fiverr." Also true. Search "blog writer" and you'll find hundreds of people promising SEO-optimised content for rock-bottom prices.

• "Nobody reads blogs anymore — it's all TikTok and Instagram." Fair point. Visual content is quick, engaging, and everywhere.

• "Everyone's fighting for the same traffic." The internet is crowded. Your competitors are blogging too. It feels like shouting into the void.

• "I'm not sure it actually drives sales." When ROI is unclear, every dollar spent feels risky.

I understand these concerns. Even as someone who makes a living from blog writing, I see why business owners hesitate.

But here's what I've learned from working with dozens of e-commerce stores: the businesses that treat content as an expense rather than an investment often end up spending more money for worse results.

Let me show you what I mean.

The true cost of NZ$50 blog posts

Yes, you can get a blog post for NZ$50. You can also get a logo for NZ$5 and a website for NZ$99. The question isn't whether these options exist — it's whether they actually save you money.

Think about what NZ$50 buys in terms of time. Well, minimum wage in New Zealand (2025) is $23.50 per hour, and that's for a paid employee where holidays, pension, tax, ACC levies etc are all taken into consideration. In the UK, it's £12.21 per hour. So if you're getting quoted £25 for a blog post, you're facing the same issue.

A freelancer needs to charge more than minimum wage just to break even. Which means when someone quotes NZ$50 for a blog post, you're looking at roughly two hours of work maximum.

Now consider what goes into a good blog post:

• Researching your business, products, and industry specifics (Even if they write regularly for you, they need to be checking and refreshing their knowledge in relation to the topic)

• Understanding your brand voice and customer needs

• Keyword research and SEO planning

• Structuring content and determining visual aspects (images, infographics, video clips)

• Writing the actual post

• Editing, editing again, and editing again

• Internal linking to your products and other content

• Formatting for readability

• Creating page titles and meta descriptions

• Final proofread

That's easily 6-8 hours of skilled work. More, if it's a complex topic or you're building comprehensive guides.

So when someone quotes NZ$50, ask yourself: what's getting skipped?

They're not doing 8 hours of work for NZ$50. That's less than NZ$6.50 an hour. They're either using AI and doing a quick edit, recycling content they've written before, or rushing through without the research that makes content valuable.

Now, I will say there is a caveat to all this. You might get someone who is just starting out as a blog writer and will do you an absolutely fantastic blog post for NZ$50 for the experience and testimonial. Or you might equally get a brilliant writer who hasn’t quite cottoned on to the industry rates, so will inadvertently low-ball you. Those situations are rare though, and even talented beginners can't sustainably work for those rates long-term.

Most cheap blog posts end up costing more in the long run: in missed opportunities, wasted time, and the need to redo everything properly later.

The hidden damage of a blog full of weak content

Here's the part that's harder to quantify but equally important: your blog is only as strong as its weakest post.

You might get lucky with one piece of content that performs well, but if the rest of your blog is filled with generic, rushed posts, you're undermining your entire content strategy.

Consider what happens when someone lands on weak content:

When a potential customer finds a blog post that could have been written by AI about any business in your industry, what happens? They get their answer and leave. There's nothing that makes them think "these people really know their stuff" or "I should browse their products." The content hasn't created any connection between their problem and your specific expertise.

The compound effect gets worse over time too:

• Search engines notice. Google's algorithm will always favour helpful, authoritative content because it's a search engine that's built to serve its users. A blog full of thin, generic posts signals that your site isn't a valuable resource, so Google won't confidently recommend it to people searching.

• Customers lose trust. If they can get the same information from ChatGPT or your competitor's site, why would they return to yours?

• Your brand positioning suffers. Generic content about "winter skincare tips" or "how to choose running shoes" doesn't differentiate you from the hundreds of other stores selling similar products.

• Internal linking opportunities vanish. Weak content can't effectively guide people to your products because it doesn't establish expertise or create natural connection points.

Over time, a blog full of weak content sends a clear message: this business doesn't invest in quality. And if they don't invest in their content, what else are they cutting corners on?

What you're getting with professional blog writing

So let's say you decide not to go with the cheapest option.

You've seen what gets cut when someone charges NZ$50, and you're willing to invest more to get something that actually works for your business. What does that extra money get you?

When you invest in quality blog content from a professional writer, you're buying the whole package:

1. Strategic thinking. Every post serves a purpose in your customer journey. A blog writer doesn't just write about "winter skincare" — they create content that guides someone from problem awareness through to your specific products.

2. Industry expertise. We research your market, understand your customers' pain points, and know how to position your products as solutions.

3. SEO knowledge. We understand keyword research, search intent, and how to optimise content without making it sound robotic.

4. Brand voice consistency. Your blog posts sound like they come from the same business as your product descriptions and About page.

5. Conversion focus. Every piece of content naturally guides readers toward your products while providing genuine value.

6. Long-term assets. Unlike ads that stop working when you stop paying, blog posts keep attracting traffic and generating sales for years.

Which then leads us onto...

The real ROI of blog content for businesses

NZ$350 per post adds up quickly if you're publishing regularly. There's no denying that. It's a business cost, and so, naturally, it needs to give you a return.

When you publish a blog post on your site, you want to see things like:

• Traffic from search engines to your site

• Click throughs to products/collections, to get direct sales

• Email signups from people who want to read more of your content

• Social shares that bring in new customers

Because when you can trace a clear line from blog post to sales - like publishing about winter jackets and then selling more winter jackets - the maths makes sense.

But what I want you to start doing is thinking beyond the direct sales. Because a return on your blog writing investment can bring you heaps of other benefits:

Content multiplication effect:

• Social content that writes itself — You've got ready-made posts for Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn without starting from scratch every time

• Email newsletter material — Customer education content that keeps your list engaged between sales campaigns

• Marketing campaigns with built-in stories — Your seasonal promotions feel more substantial when you can link to helpful guides

Brand positioning benefits:

• Search credibility — When people see you in search results, they click because they trust what you're telling them

• Expert positioning — Customers start thinking "I'll check [your store]'s site because they know their stuff"

• Competitive differentiation — Your expertise becomes visible and difficult for competitors to replicate quickly

Customer experience improvements:

• Longer site visits — Customers spend time reading, not just browsing, which signals to Google that your site is valuable

• Customer education that reduces returns — People buy with confidence because they understand what they're getting

• Reduced support queries — Blog posts answer common questions before customers need to contact you

And this all brings me to what I think is the most valuable benefit of professional blog writing: it creates a content ecosystem where everything on your site works together.

Creating a content ecosystem with your business blog

A content ecosystem means your blog posts don't exist in isolation. They work as part of four connected layers: getting found through search, building trust in your expertise, making purchasing decisions easier, and keeping customers engaged after they buy.

When done strategically, your blog post about "winter jackets" doesn't just attract search traffic - it builds trust by showing you know fabrics inside out, links naturally to your size guides and jacket care products, and encourages email signups for seasonal product drop reminders.

What this creates for your business:

• Customers move smoothly from problem to solution without hitting dead ends or confusion

• You stop losing sales to hesitation because information flows naturally from discovery to purchase

• Your expertise becomes visible across every touchpoint, not just buried in an About page

• Content works harder over time because each piece supports and amplifies the others

• You build authority that's difficult for competitors to replicate quickly

Most e-commerce stores treat their blog as an afterthought — a collection of random posts that might help with SEO. But when your content works as an ecosystem, it becomes one of your strongest competitive advantages.

How to decide if professional blog writing is worth it for your business

So you understand the value, you've seen what cheap content costs you, and you know what a content ecosystem can do. But how do you actually decide if investing in professional blog writing makes sense for your store right now?

Here are the key questions to ask yourself:

1. Are your customers asking the same questions repeatedly? If your customer service team is answering the same queries about sizing, care instructions, or how to choose between products, you're sitting on ready-made blog content. Each frequently asked question is a blog post that could reduce support emails and help customers buy with confidence.

2. Do your products need explanation or education? If you're selling anything more complex than basic items - skincare with specific ingredients, outdoor gear with technical features, home goods that require assembly - blog content becomes essential. Customers need to understand what they're buying before they'll commit to purchasing.

3. Can you afford to wait 3-6 months for results? Blog content is a long-term strategy. If you need immediate sales this month, put your money into ads instead. But if you can invest in content that builds value over time, blog writing starts paying dividends that compound.

4. Is NZ$350-500 per month a stretch or a strategic investment? Be honest about your budget. If that amount would stress your cash flow, focus on getting your basic business operations stable first. But if you're spending more than that on ads each month, shifting some budget to content makes sense.

5. Do you have time to brief a writer properly? Working with a professional blog writer requires input from you - sharing product knowledge, brand voice, and customer insights. If you can't spare a few hours a month for this collaboration, the content won't be as effective.

If you answered yes to most of these questions, professional blog writing is likely worth the investment for your business. If not, that's okay too — timing matters, and there's nothing wrong in waiting until you're ready to do it properly.

Final thoughts: Investment vs expense

Here's what I want you to remember when you're weighing up blog writing costs:

• Professional blog writing creates value beyond direct sales — through content ecosystems, brand positioning, social media content, customer education, and long-term search credibility.

• The real cost of cheap content isn't just the upfront price. It's the missed opportunities, the time spent redoing work, and the potential damage to your brand's authority.

• Content ecosystems give you a competitive advantage that compounds over time and becomes increasingly difficult for competitors to replicate.

• The investment makes sense when you can commit to the collaboration, consistency, and long-term approach that makes content successful.

• Strategic blog content becomes a business asset that works for years, not just a monthly expense that disappears when you stop paying.

The businesses I work with that see the best results from blog content are the ones that understand this distinction: they're not buying blog posts, they're building a content library that supports every aspect of their customer journey.

If you're ready to create blog content that genuinely supports your business goals, I specialise in blog writing for e-commerce stores and content strategies that build long-term value.

Want to discuss how this could work for your store? Get in touch to chat about your content goals.