33 Freelance Content Writer Success Stories & Examples [2024]
Content writing involves writing, editing, and publishing content in a digital format. Examples of content include a blog post, product description, and podcast script—eBooks, press releases, or landing page content.
Becoming a content writer allows you to work as your boss. Therefore, you choose whatever working schedule suits you and take a manageable workload. Moreover, content writing helps you develop essential skills you may not obtain from regular writing.
Content writing is a highly-on-demand service, as companies compete for the online audience who often begin their shopping journey by searching for relevant and educative content online. Therefore, a content writing company is an excellent source of passive income.
To start a content writing company, research the market and choose a suitable niche. Sketch a proper business plan and create a website. Hire a pool of talented writers and leverage modern technology to streamline operations.
In this list, you'll find real-world content writing company success stories and very profitable examples of starting a content writing company that makes money.
1. Qnary ($6.6M/year)
Bant Breen, the Founder of Qnary, came up with the idea for his business while working as the CEO of a paid search and social media agency. He noticed that there were no tools available to help individual executives optimize their online presence, so he set out to create a platform specifically tailored to their needs. Since its launch in 2012, Qnary has grown to have thousands of clients and offices in New York, Barcelona, and Sydney.
How much money it makes: $6.6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.2M
How many people on the team: 25
Qnary founder Bant Breen built and grew the executive reputation management and talent branding solutions company, now with thousands of clients globally, with a monthly revenue of $550k by developing a tech-enabled solution that optimizes an executive’s online presence, generates thought-leadership content, and grows followers and engagement.
2. Flying V Group ($3M/year)
Flying V Group was founded by Robb Fahrion and his brother based on an opportunity they identified in the market. After helping a mentor with his website and seeing the demand for digital help, they decided to start a marketing services firm. They focused on serving professional service industries and used SEO and content marketing to establish their clients as industry experts online. The company has since grown to employ 12 people, worked with over 300 clients, and is on track to double its revenue for the second year in a row.
How much money it makes: $3M/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 16
Flying V Group, a digital marketing agency co-founded by Robb and Tyler Fahrion, has experienced explosive growth and profitability through their focus on SEO and content marketing, generating 540% more traffic in 2020 compared to the previous year, and increasing revenue YoY, all while operating debt-free and cash-positive.
3. BrandBurp Digital ($1.2M/year)
Anshul Sharma, the founder of BrandBurp, was working at a corporate firm when he realized his true passion was entrepreneurship. He started BrandBurp in 2015 with the vision to revolutionize the functioning of websites, mobile applications, and brands. Since then, the company has grown into one of the fastest-growing digital marketing agencies, leveraging over 2,000 brands and generating over 1,000 leads and 3 billion USD ROI globally.
How much money it makes: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 175
BrandBurp, a digital marketing company founded in 2015, has leveraged over 2,000 brands to strategically market their business and boost their revenue, generating over 1,000 leads and 3 billion USD ROI globally and working with big names such as Coca-Cola and Supreme.
4. Draft.dev ($1.08M/year)
Karl started his business, Draft, after feeling bored in his previous job. Combining his skills as a software engineer and his passion for writing, he decided to offer technical content to software engineering blogs on a subscription basis. With a focus on building trust and leveraging his network, Karl quickly found success with his business, on track to bring in $10,000 in recurring revenue in just his third month.
How much money it makes: $1.08M/year
How much did it cost to start: $600
How many people on the team: 6
Draft founder, Karl, built a productized service for technical content, generating $10k in (mostly) recurring revenue in just three months of running the business, showing the success of skill-stacking and the impact of word of mouth and maintaining a strong network in a service business.
5. Content Refined ($996K/year)
Narcis became the CEO and Manager of Content Refined after the business was already established. However, he was able to optimize procedures and increase clientele, leading to significant revenue growth of 76% over 3 years. With a focus on delivering high-quality content and helping site owners rank for target keywords organically, Content Refined has become a fully managed content writing service that attracts and retains customers through word of mouth and referrals.
How much money it makes: $996K/year
How many people on the team: 0
Content Refined's CEO Narcis shares how they grew their fully-managed content writing service to double their revenue, with 76% growth, and expand their clientele while keeping profit margins healthy - all within the past 3 years - by remaining focused on delivering quality and performance, leveraging referrals, and implementing AI procedures.
6. Express Writers ($840K/year)
Julia McCoy dropped out of college at 19 to pursue her passion for writing and started her content writing agency, Express Writers, with just $75. Through a combination of content marketing and exceptional writing talent, McCoy grew her agency to surpass $80k in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) by the age of 27, serving a large number of clients and attracting over 100,000 organic visitors to her website each month. Despite starting with limited resources, McCoy's hard work and dedication have led to her agency's remarkable success.
How much money it makes: $840K/year
How much did it cost to start: $75
How many people on the team: 2
Express Writers, a content writing agency, grew from a $75 investment to surpassing $80k MRR within seven years through content marketing, client focus, and steady growth with a debt-free business model.
7. Content-Whale Private Limited ($750K/year)
Vaibhav Kishnani, an engineer turned writer, came up with the idea for Content-Whale after noticing the unprofessional conduct in the Indian content market. With just Rs. 2,500 ($35) in capital, he started the content agency which now generates a revenue turnover of Rs. 4 crores ($514,000) and serves clients like Quikr and The Boston Consulting Group.
How much money it makes: $750K/year
How much did it cost to start: $35
How many people on the team: 30
Content-Whale, a content curation agency, has achieved a Rs. 4 crore ($514k/year) turnover 4-5 years after being started with just Rs. 2500 ($35), and has a pool of more than 500 writers, aiming to become a market leader in the global content market.
8. The Happy Beavers ($480K/year)
The founder of The Happy Beavers initially started as a freelance translator, but after experiencing success with SEO-focused content creation, they transitioned into building a company. They utilized platforms like Upwork to gain clients and focused on personalizing their sales approach to stand out from the competition. They are now scaling their business growth and working on developing an AI that can analyze the quality of written content.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 10
The Happy Beavers is a content creation company specialized in SEO investments through content creation, with a team of 10 full-time employees and around 150 freelancers, boasting an excellent track record, which they build up through Upwork.
9. CopySmiths ($480K/year)
Katrina McKinnon came up with the idea for CopySmiths after noticing the significant impact that blogging had on organic traffic and sales for her clients. She closed her 20-year-old agency and started CopySmiths, offering a productized service of high-quality blog articles for eCommerce stores and affiliate sites. Since its launch in 2020, CopySmiths has grown to over 100 clients and 40 writers.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $8K
How many people on the team: 7
CopySmiths, a content shop that specializes in writing blog articles for eCommerce stores and affiliate sites, has grown from 2 clients and 4 writers in 2020 to now over 100 clients and 40+ writers by using a business operating system inspired by the book "Work the System" by Sam Carpenter and focusing on product-market fit and referrals as their primary drivers of growth.
10. Influence Podium ($480K/year)
Marti Sanchez, the CEO of Influence Podium, came up with the idea for his business after ghostwriting papers for B2B CEOs in college. He realized the power of personal branding and content, and eventually launched Influence Podium to help B2B CEOs grow their personal brands and create content at scale. Now in its 3rd year, Influence Podium has crossed $30k MRR and aims to hit seven figures by the end of the year.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 6
Influence Podium CEO Marti Sanchez started his content service for B2B CEOs three years ago, which now helps get CEOs of companies on podcasts and repurposes those episodes. They have crossed $30k MRR and their next goal is to hit seven figures by the end of the year, while completely self-funded.
11. Scribly ($444K/year)
After freelancing for a few months, Dani decided to launch Scribly.io, a productized copywriting service. Seeing the need for quick and reliable copy for startups and small businesses running growth experiments, she created Scribly to provide high-quality copy at a lower cost than hiring in-house. With monthly revenue reaching $14K, Scribly has become Dani's full-time job with ambitious plans for growth.
How much money it makes: $444K/year
How many people on the team: 3
Scribly.io, a subscription-based copywriting service providing high quality content that helps businesses scale at roughly 50% of the cost of hiring in-house, created by Dani, a first-time entrepreneur who started with just a few hundred dollars worth of projects and with the help of three other writers; as of last month, Scribly.io topped $14K monthly revenue.
12. PodReacher ($420K/year)
Jaclyn Schiff, the founder of PodReacher, came up with the idea for her business after noticing podcast creators asking to turn episodes into articles. She saw an opportunity to repurpose recorded content into valuable marketing materials, and after pitching the service to potential customers and receiving positive feedback, she knew she had a viable business on her hands. Since launching in 2018, PodReacher has worked with over 250 customers and generates $30,000 to $40,000 in revenue per month.
How much money it makes: $420K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2.5K
How many people on the team: 1
Jaclyn Schiff founded PodReacher, a niche Content Transformation agency that repurposes recorded webinars, virtual events, podcasts, and videos into written content, which generates $30,000 to $40,000 per month, offering a valuable marketing solution to B2B SaaS or tech companies, resulting in a 2-3x increase in revenue each year.
13. With Content ($360K/year)
Daniel Tay, co-founder of With Content, initially discovered his passion for content marketing while studying political science. After gaining experience as a journalist and content marketer in the tech industry, he realized the need for high-quality content marketing in Singapore and Southeast Asia. With a strong network and growing demand, Daniel launched With Content, offering specialized content marketing services for B2B tech companies. Through strategic content creation, transparent pricing, and targeted marketing efforts, With Content quickly gained traction and became a go-to agency in the region, generating $1 million in revenue to date.
How much money it makes: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
How many people on the team: 8
A Singapore-based content marketing agency, With Content, co-founded by Daniel Tay, generates a monthly revenue of $30k and recently crossed the million-dollar mark in total revenue, thanks to its focus on narrow content marketing services, transparency in pricing, and expanding the marketing funnel through various content marketing channels.
14. Apna Writer ($360K/year)
Sravani, the founder of Apna Writer, began her entrepreneurial journey after feeling unsatisfied as a freelance writer. Recognizing a need for a platform that could connect skilled writers and publishers, she launched a market platform but struggled to guarantee the quality of the content. From this experience, she decided to pivot and create Apna Writer, focusing on finding skilled writers who could deliver high-quality content. Through organic growth and word of mouth, Apna Writer has been successful in retaining over 95% of its clients and is now looking to expand through online marketing strategies.
How much money it makes: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 10
Apna Writer is a content writing service that has seen exponential growth from 1-2 new clients a month to at least 20 new clients a month, all due to providing reliable and quality content writing services that help clients achieve their business goals.
15. Paper Box SEO ($336K/year)
Russell Michelson, the founder of Paper Box SEO, originally began as a freelance web designer. However, after clients consistently asked him for help with driving traffic to their websites, he transitioned into the world of SEO. Through teaching himself about digital marketing and experimenting with different methods, he developed a passion for SEO and eventually started his own boutique SEO agency, Paper Box SEO. Today, the company brings in $20k/month in revenue and focuses solely on providing comprehensive SEO services to small to medium-sized businesses.
How much money it makes: $336K/year
How many people on the team: 2
This case study describes the journey of Russell Michelson who, after leaving his corporate job, turned his WordPress skills into a thriving boutique SEO agency earning $20k/month, thanks to client referrals and Upwork.
16. Write Right ($300K/year)
Bhavik Sarkhedi, the founder of Write Right, stumbled upon content writing as a career after a failed attempt at self-publishing a book drained his savings. With a passion for writing and determination, Bhavik started his own content writing agency, which has now completed over 1200 projects and earned a revenue of $25k per month. Through hard work and self-promotion, Bhavik gained recognition as one of the best content writers in the world, attracting clients from across the globe.
How much money it makes: $300K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 12
Content writing agency, Write Right, caters to B2B and B2C for all types of content, completing 1200+ projects and having a revenue of over $25k per month with 125 recurring clients, and achieving Google Knowledge Panel for their website, all since its inception in May 2016.
17. The Content Direction Agency ($288K/year)
Lacy, the founder of The Content Direction Agency, came up with the idea for her business when she realized she could offer her expertise as a blogger and content strategist to other businesses. After starting out as a freelance writer, she transitioned into long-term retainers and built a team of writers to serve her clients. Today, her business generates over $300k annually and continues to grow through word-of-mouth referrals and joint venture partnerships.
How much money it makes: $288K/year
How much did it cost to start: $50
How many people on the team: 1
Content strategist Lacy Boggs leveraged her love of blogging and desire for a more flexible schedule to grow her business from a solo "Ghost Blogger" to a full agency with four writers and a cabal of contractors that helps businesses create bespoke content strategies and consistent traffic, yielding over a ($300k) year in revenue.
18. Gun Made ($180K/year)
Hello, meet Brady Kirkpatrick, the Founder of Gun Made. Brady started Gun Made as a blog about guns, ammo, accessories, and more, and it has now become a media business with 1.5-2 million readers per year. The business generates $15k per month in recurring revenue, mainly from affiliate marketing, and is on track to become a seven-figure business in a few years. Brady's next big project is creating an E-commerce platform that integrates pricing from hundreds of retailers to help consumers find the lowest-priced firearms. Impressive, right?
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $70K
How many people on the team: 1
Gun Made, a media business founded by Brady Kirkpatrick, started as a COVID side project and now generates about $15k per month in recurring revenue from affiliate marketing, with plans to help retailers generate over $2.5M in sales in 2022 through their new e-commerce platform that aggregates pricing from hundreds of retailers.
19. Sauce Writing ($150K/year)
He realized the potential of writing when he landed his first job in Marketing. His mission was to learn everything he could about copywriting. In parallel, he created a personal blog and built a decent following. People loved his writing, so he decided to launch a writing school.
How much money it makes: $150K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
How many people on the team: 0
Sauce Writing's Valentin Decker started an online writing school just before the pandemic, helping over 100 students last year and aiming for up to €150,000 in revenue in 2023 with an emailing list of 5K people.
20. Stack Against ($144K/year)
Federico Jorge, founder of Stack Against, came up with the idea for his business when his clients kept asking him to create comparison pages for their SaaS products. Recognizing the demand and his expertise in writing and designing these pages, Federico decided to package this service and create Stack Against, specializing in comparison pages for SaaS companies. Through networking and sharing his idea in SaaS groups on Facebook, Federico gained initial clients and validation for his business.
How much money it makes: $144K/year
How much did it cost to start: $300
How many people on the team: 1
Stack Against is a comparison page writing and design service for SaaS companies that helps separate them from competitors, and after only launching in 2021, is now making $12,000 a month in sales and is planning to add new recurring services to its offer.
21. Ethos Copywriting ($144K/year)
Matt Flowers, the founder of Ethos Copywriting, came up with the idea for his business while working as an educational assistant and freelance writer. Realizing the abundance of content in various industries, Matt saw an opportunity to provide professional copywriting services. He landed his first client serendipitously and started his business from there, eventually growing it to generate $130,000 in annual revenue.
How much money it makes: $144K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 2
Content marketing agency Ethos Copywriting, founded by Matt Flowers, generates $130,000 annually through meticulous attention to quality and the creation of entertaining, high-value content, all without paying for ads, and advises startups to invest wisely and ensure their businesses enable them to pursue other opportunities.
22. Information Guide Africa ($120K/year)
Igbo Clifford Chimaizuobi, along with his twin brother Igbo Stanford Onyemaizuchi, launched Information Guide Africa to provide a platform for writers to earn together. Starting with a general niche blog, they embraced multi-niche content and monetized through ad networks, affiliate marketing, and sponsored posts, growing their monthly readership to over 200,000. They are now expanding into movie making and plan to launch apps for their blogs and movies.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $300
How many people on the team: 4
Twin brothers from Nigeria launched multi-niche website, Information Guide Africa, which now attracts over 200k unique visitors per month and generates $60k annually through ad networks, affiliate marketing, and sponsored posts.
23. heylexi ($120K/year)
Milly Barker-DeStefano, founder of heylexi, came up with the idea for her business after experiencing the frustrations of hiring freelance writers for her projects. She noticed a lack of reliable, high-quality writing services and decided to create heylexi, a productized service offering publish-ready copy and content. Since its launch in November 2022, heylexi has been doing around $10k per month in revenue.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 0
Heylexi, a productized service offering publish-ready copy and content, was launched in November 2022 and is already doing around $10k per month, providing an alternative to the low-quality expensive freelance writing market.
24. Socialbuzzhive ($96K/year)
Emily Standley, a single mother with a passion for digital marketing, started her blog Socialbuzzhive to provide expert resources for entrepreneurs looking to grow their business online. With a community of over 4 million, Emily earns over $8,000 monthly through a combination of affiliate marketing, advertising, digital courses, and product reviews. Her blog serves as a go-to resource for those seeking work-life balance and financial success in the digital age.
How much money it makes: $96K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 1
South Florida-based digital marketing strategist turned blogger grows her online business from zero to over 4 million followers, using a combination of affiliate marketing, advertising, digital courses, and product reviews, earning over $8,000 monthly.
25. The Web Factory ($90K/year)
The founder of The Web Factory came up with the idea after seeing numerous businesses fail due to a lack of knowledge and operational capabilities. They saw a gap in the market for a digital services company that could provide logo creation, web design, brand design, creative writing, and digital marketing, and set out to fulfill those needs. With a focus on client satisfaction and a team of specialized individuals, The Web Factory has become a leading digital firm with impressive monthly online sales of $5,000 and a large portfolio of clientele.
How much money it makes: $90K/year
How many people on the team: 19
The Web Factory is a successful digital services business that has been operating for 10 years and has served over 500 clients, with a focus on logo and web design, achieved through unparalleled digital strategies and client satisfaction.
26. The Wee Writer ($72K/year)
Emma Sloan, founder of The Wee Writer, came up with the idea for her content writing business while she was still in university. She realized that many businesses struggled with crafting compelling marketing content and saw an opportunity to provide done-for-you writing services. With a focus on writing, editing, and social media calendar creation, The Wee Writer has grown its client base by over 40% since 2020 and aims to break $100k in revenue by 2024.
How much money it makes: $72K/year
How much did it cost to start: $300
How many people on the team: 0
The Wee Writer is a successful content writing business with over 100 happy customers, offering writing, editing, and social media calendar creation services, which grew its consistent client base by over 40% since 2020 and expects to break $100k by 2024.
27. Ghana Talks Business ($60K/year)
Amma Antwi, the owner and Managing Editor of Ghana Talks Business, came up with the idea to fill the gap in knowledge-based content on business management and personal finance in Ghana. As management consultants with a passion for writing, they realized the need for a platform to publish their content and reach a wider audience. With a unique approach to simplifying business topics and conducting webinars, Ghana Talks Business has attracted a loyal audience and seen steady revenue growth.
How much money it makes: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 4
Ghana Talks Business is a successful niche business content platform, earning between $3000 and $5000 monthly through expert knowledge-based content on business management and personal finance catered towards business professionals, entrepreneurs, and students.
28. 411Writers ($60K/year)
Constantin Coutun, the manager of 411Writers, came up with the idea for the business while working at 411 Locals as a blog writer. After realizing the potential of his writing team was being limited to the company's clients, Coutun decided to create 411Writers to help his department and provide a platform for writers and editors to express their creativity. Through strategic marketing efforts and the launch of new services, such as targeting app developers and offering a Guru content plan, they were able to attract and retain customers.
How much money it makes: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 65
Content writing company 411Writers started with $13.99 and now generates over $50,000 revenue per month, providing clients with unique website content for both search engines and human readers.
29. Daniel Waldman Writing ($42K/year)
Daniel Waldman, a freelance writer with over 15 years of experience in marketing and PR, started his own writing business after experiencing burnout from running his own agency. With a strong network and referrals from Fiverr's Pro program, Daniel brings in around $3500/month offering a variety of writing and editing services, including blogging, article writing, website copy, and video script writing. He is now exploring producing events in addition to his freelance writing work.
How much money it makes: $42K/year
How many people on the team: 1
Daniel Waldman started his freelance writing business over three years ago and has since earned an average of $3,500 per month, mostly through referrals and Fiverr - offering blogging, article writing, website copywriting and editing services.
30. Critical Path Action ($36K/year)
Mike McRitchie, the founder of a resume writing and web marketing content business, came up with the idea after realizing he had a large network of LinkedIn connections in the telecom industry. He decided to leverage his expertise and offer resume writing services to his connections, which quickly converted 50% into paid clients. Through consistent blogging and strategic marketing efforts, Mike was able to grow his side hustle and double his income to over $30,000 in just two years.
How much money it makes: $36K/year
How many people on the team: 0
This case study follows a business owner who doubled his income from side hustles in two years, earning over $30,000 annually by writing resumes and LinkedIn copy, blogging weekly, and increasing rates as he attracted more clients from online platforms like Craigslist and LinkedIn.
31. Merrative ($24K/year)
Harshala Chavan, the founder of Merrative, came up with the idea for her business after noticing a lack of dedicated spaces for people to discuss literature. After attending a book club meetup, where she had a great discussion with others who had read the same book, she wondered if she could bring this experience online at scale. She validated her concept through participating in BPlans and growing her Instagram page, which eventually led to the launch of Merrative as a community-led marketplace for publishing talent.
How much money it makes: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 0
Merrative, a community-driven marketplace for publishing talent, generates an average of $1,500 per month in marketplace transactions from their 5,000+ strong community of readers, writers, journalists, and scholars.
32. Startupily ($18K/year)
Safwan Khan, founder of Startupily, came up with the idea for his blog when he was struggling to find a job and needed to earn an income. Inspired by the trend of blogging for side income, he started interviewing entrepreneurs and publishing their interviews on Startupily. Over time, he expanded the blog by adding business articles, templates, and documents, attracting traffic and positive response from entrepreneurs worldwide.
How much money it makes: $18K/year
How much did it cost to start: $50
How many people on the team: 0
Founder Safwan Khan started Startupily, a blog for entrepreneurs seeking business articles and resources, after being inspired by Pat Flynn's podcast and networking app DUST, providing free PR services for small business owners, before expanding into publishing business articles and selling business plan templates and documents, resulting in partnerships with global sites Influencive and Thrive Global.
33. Content Spotlight ($12K/year)
Somnath, the founder of Content Spotlight, started the business after mastering SEO techniques through his travel blog. Seeing the potential in the digital space, he decided to become an SEO consultant and launch his own venture. With their clear goals, focus on organic traffic, and a high client satisfaction rate, Content Spotlight is expanding and looking to hire new team members.
How much money it makes: $12K/year
How many people on the team: 2
Content Spotlight, a Kolkata-based SEO company, averaging $1k per month and counting, discusses their innovative strategies for attracting and retaining customers and their plans for future growth.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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