How do you talk about pricing in your marketing? If you’re a solo business owner and struggle to decide what to charge, you’re not alone. When I was a solicitor, the Court and my bosses set the fee structure, and I never had to discuss it with anyone. As a one-person business, it’s much more difficult, and it took me a long time to summon the courage to charge what my services are worth.
I won’t delve into pricing strategy in this post, but I will provide you with a few ways to talk about pricing in your marketing. The approach you take depends on your audience and how your pricing works.
Be upfront
You might worry that being upfront about your prices will scare people away. Well, sometimes that’s a good thing. If you create products that your customers can buy online without speaking to you, telling them the price is an obvious choice. Otherwise, they’ll look at your product listing, become annoyed because they don’t know the cost, and leave without buying.
If you have a fixed hourly or daily rate, telling people what it is helps them gauge whether it’s a good fit for their budget. It also saves you time on calls or back-and-forth emails with people who were never going to work with you anyway.
Share a minimum price
You may not be able to give a fixed price because the cost depends on what your customers need. There are also many services where an hourly rate isn’t suitable. For example, some copywriters work more quickly than others, but the overall value they provide to clients is the same. That’s why most creatives quote by project or monthly retainer rather than by the hour.
If that applies to you, consider sharing a minimum price or price range to give potential customers an idea of what they can expect to spend. Then, when you understand what they need, you can provide a more accurate quote. My monthly retainers start from £250 because that lets me give your business the time and attention it deserves. Beyond that, I tailor everything to your needs.
Emphasise the value
If you offer a high-end product or service, there will always be people who’ll tell you it’s too expensive. They are not your customers. If you’ve done the research to determine what you need to charge and establish your market position, stick to it.
Use your marketing to help your customers understand what they’re getting for their money. It could be a higher-quality product or a more personalised, tailored service. Focus on the difference working with you will make to their lives, because the need to make a change will often overcome concerns about the cost.
Explain price differences
If new customers find you while researching their options, they’ll likely have seen higher or lower prices elsewhere and want to understand the difference. Explaining the value your product or service offers is a big part of that, but there are other factors at play. Someone might charge less than you because they can afford to. Their business might be a hobby because they have a full-time job, and the money isn’t that important to them. Bigger businesses can often get a better deal on materials because they can buy in bulk or invest in machinery that increases their output.
You might charge more than someone else because you invest in tools and training to keep your knowledge up to date, and they don’t. These differences will often benefit your customers, so don’t be afraid to share them.
Ready for a chat?
If you need to find the best way to show your customers the value you offer and talk about pricing, I can help. When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business, and write content that sounds like the best version of you and that your audience will love. That could be monthly blog posts or articles, social media posts, emails or pretty much anything else you can think of!
Please email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call to find out more.
Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook with fifty (yes, 50) topic ideas for your marketing as a thank you. It also includes hints and tips to help you structure your posts if you’re currently writing your content yourself.