If you’ve ever tried to put a price on content strategy, you know it’s not as simple as saying, “I charge $30 per blog post.” Strategy is messier. It’s research-heavy, it’s about connecting dots across teams, and honestly.

It’s the difference between a company churning out random blog posts and one that actually drives the pipeline.

The tricky part?

Most content strategists underprice it because they don’t know market rates or how to package their scope. I’ve been there. I once charged a few hundred bucks for what was basically a keyword list and calendar.

Well then, how much to charge for content strategy​? Well,

I’ve seen solo consultants charging $4k–$20k for a content strategy project, agencies running $6k–$60k+/mo retainers, and consultants billing $50–$300/hour depending on seniority.

The spread is wild, right? But it makes sense once you unpack what drives the price.

Key takeaways:

• Most content strategy projects land between $4k–$20k, and retainers often run $2.5k–$8k/month.
• Use a simple calculator to ensure your pricing feels grounded, not arbitrary.
• Package things clearly so clients know exactly what they’re paying for.
  Sell the results, not just the hours. Especially now that AI is changing how fast we can execute.

What Is A Content Strategy?

A content strategy is basically a plan for how content will help a business hit its goals. It’s not just “let’s write blogs”. It’s figuring out what to create, who it’s for, where it’ll live, and how it’ll actually drive results like leads, sales, or brand trust.

It’s like the blueprint before you build the house. Without it, you’re just throwing content out there and hoping something sticks. With it, you have a roadmap that guides every blog, video, social post, saas, or email, ensuring they all work together toward the same outcome.

But the meaning can changed depending on niches.

How Much To Charge For Content Strategy​?

If you’re working as a solo consultant, most strategy projects land somewhere between $4k and $20k. Yep, that’s a big range cause it’s not like other types of content writing. However, it depends on how deeply you delve into audits, buyer personas, messaging frameworks, and content calendars; all of these factors add up.

Ongoing retainers typically range from $2.5k to $8k/month, depending on the scope of work, which includes roadmap updates, governance, and reporting. 

And if you’re billing by the clock, the average hovers between $50–$300/hour (or up to about $2,400/day if you’re packaging it as a day rate).

Now, if we zoom out to agencies, things get even bigger.

Agencies often run content marketing retainers in the $6k to $60k+ per month range, and if it’s strategy-only work. Think full audits, customer research, messaging, and calendars you’re usually looking at $10k+ just to get started.

So, if you’re charging $1,500 for a “full” content strategy right now… you’re almost definitely underpricing yourself. I’ve been there, and it’s painful to realize how much you might be leaving on the table.

Content Strategy Pricing Models

There are three main ways people charge for strategy. I’ve used all three as a content strategist. And each works best in different situations.

1. Project-based pricing (my go-to for strategy)

Think of this as a 6–10 week sprint. You do a deep-dive audit, create personas, map keywords, build the calendar, and hand over a roadmap. The client pays a fixed fee. Cause it’s not like the 3-second rule.

Why it works:

Clients like knowing the price upfront, and you can scope tightly. Just be super clear on what’s included. Because “can you just add one more persona” can easily turn into an extra 10–15 hours of work.

2. Retainers (for ongoing governance & refreshes)

Strategy isn’t one-and-done markets shift, competitors pivot, and AI tools change the game every quarter. Retainers make sense if you’re updating the roadmap, running monthly reports, and maintaining governance.

I usually frame this as: “We’ll refresh the strategy quarterly, run 2–4 briefs a month, and report on performance.” Typical SaaS retainers sit $3k–$8k/month.

3. Hourly or day rates (rarely ideal)

Some consultants opt for this approach, especially when conducting advisory work or workshops. You’ll see benchmarks of $50–$300/hr or $800–$2,400/day. It’s fine for ad-hoc gigs, but if you want to build a predictable income? Retainers or projects are the way to go.

The Content Strategy Pricing Calculator

So how do you actually put numbers to all this without just pulling them out of thin air? Here’s the simple framework I use when I’m scoping projects:

Price = (Estimated hours × Your hourly rate) × Risk buffer × Scope extras

Sounds fancy, but let me break it down.

• Hourly rate baseline: Figure out what you actually need to earn. Example: you want to take home $120k a year, you’ve got about 1,200 billable hours → that’s roughly $100/hr. That becomes your baseline.
  
• Risk buffer: Projects always take longer than you think, so I add a 10–30% buffer (call it the “stuff I didn’t plan for” tax).
  
• Scope extras: This is where the real pricing finesse comes in. A few common add-ons I use:
  
  • Extra personas: +$750–$1,500 each
  • Multi-region keyword maps: +20–40%
  • Highly regulated industries (finance, health, legal): +15–25%
  • Analytics/dashboard setup: +$1,500–$3,000
    

That’s it. It’s not rocket science, but it makes your pricing a lot more grounded — and a lot easier to justify when a client asks, “Why does this cost so much?”

Example:

SaaS company needs: audit (20 hrs), 2 personas (20 hrs), messaging (10 hrs), keyword map (20 hrs), calendar (15 hrs), governance (15 hrs), measurement (10 hrs).

That’s ~110 hours. At $100/hr = $11,000. Apply 1.2 risk factor = $13,200. Add analytics setup = +$2,000.

Final quote: $15,200.

Now compare that to market ranges totally aligned.

Real-World Packages You Can Copy

Want to make it easy for clients? Package it. Here’s what I offer (and what works well):

Package 1: Strategy Sprint (6 weeks) – $7,500–$12,500

• Audit
• 2 personas
• Messaging framework
• Keyword map (200–400 terms)
• 90-day editorial calendar
• 6 SEO content briefs
  

Package 2: Ops + Governance Setup – $4,000–$8,000

• Workflow setup (Asana/Notion)
• RACI + approval process
• QA checklist
• Analytics dashboard
  

Package 3: Ongoing Retainer – $3,000–$8,000/month

• Quarterly roadmap refresh
• 2–4 briefs per month
• Monthly reporting & stakeholder sync
  

And yes, clients do pay for this. In fact, brands are already spending $6k–$60k/month on content marketing. So pitching $3k–$8k for ongoing strategic support is totally reasonable. You’re not outside market norms.

Content Strategy Pricing in the AI Era: From Hours to Outcomes

Here’s where it gets interesting. AI has significantly reduced the time it takes to perform certain tasks, such as keyword research, drafting briefs, and even creating some initial content. But instead of lowering your price because “it only takes me 20 minutes now,” think about outcomes.

Clients don’t care how many hours you spent in Semrush. They care that you:

• Built a roadmap that aligns content with pipeline.
• Found competitive gaps they’re missing.
• Set up a system that runs smoothly.
  

That’s outcome-based pricing. And it’s where things are going. According to a Content Marketing Institute survey, 67% of marketers say AI is impacting their content workflows in 2025. But clients still pay for clarity and results.

So don’t charge less. Reframe your value.

FAQs

Do you include content briefs in strategy?
I usually include 4–6 briefs as part of the handoff. Enough to give them a head start.

What if a client only wants a calendar?
Price it separately, but explain the risk. A calendar without an audit or keyword map is just guessing.

How often should a strategy be updated?
Quarterly refreshes are ideal, especially in SaaS/tech. Yearly at minimum.

When should I raise my rates?
Every 12–18 months, or when you’re consistently booked out. Additionally, if you’re adding deliverables (such as governance or dashboards), that’s a natural price increase.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, you’re not selling a keyword list or a pretty content calendar. You’re selling clarity, alignment, and a repeatable system that keeps companies from throwing spaghetti at the wall.

And honestly?

That’s worth a lot more than just the time it takes you to put it together.