ContentFly is a subscription-based writing service out of Canada. I discovered them shortly after their launch in 2018 and I was one of the first writers to join the platform. In the time since, ContentFly has evolved to offer writing services with the help of AI and Machine Learning. If you’re considering working with them as a customer, here’s what you should know.
ContentFly Features
ContentFly is one of the only writing platforms I know that is attempting to implement new technologies into the content production process. Their innovative approach may just be able to save you (and your writers) a great deal of time. However, their recent price increase could be hard to swallow for smaller businesses. Here are the details.
Powered by Machine Learning
When I first joined ContentFly, I distinctly remember them mentioning that AI (Artificial Intelligence) would play a role in the platform.
For the months that I wrote for them, I was under the impression that they were working on implementing AI to automatically assign projects to writers with relevant experience. I am not sure if that has been put into action.
However, I did find some new information. When researching for this piece, I found some use of ML (Machine Learning) described on their website:
“[W]e’ve built a set of internal tools that use machine learning to supplement our writers – much of the editing, researching & vetting process is automated.”
If this is true, it sounds like ContentFly has more features to offer than the average content production agency. Unfortunately, it’s unclear whether these services are available to all of ContentFly’s clients or if they are separate offerings…
Content Genie
ContentFly advertises “Content Genie,” a tool that automatically suggests article topics. Such a tool would certainly help minimize the amount of time you spend looking for viable keywords and ideas as ContentFly will do the keyword research for you to identify good opportunities.
Unfortunately, it looks like this tool may be a separate subscription from ContentFly’s writing services, which means you’ll end up paying more. It’s currently in beta and they said ideas are available starting at $5 while the tool is in beta testing. It looks like it will cost $50/month after that.
ResearchFly
ContentFly also advertises ResearchFly, which promises to be an automated “on-demand, graduate-level researcher.” I was very excited to see this being offered to customers until I realized it is only available for a separate fee of $50/month.
However, from my understanding, you can use ResearchFly independently. So, if you need help with content research, ResearchFly may be a good tool to explore as a standalone solution in the event that ContentFly’s pricing is too much for your budget. With that said, let’s break down how much ContentFly is charging for their basic writing services.
ContentFly Pricing
If you want to subscribe to ContentFly, you can opt to pay monthly or yearly with two out-of-the-box plan options (custom plans are also available).
- Starter Plan: $499/month or $3,999/year for 4,000 words of content each month.
- Business Plan: $2,499/month or $21,000/year for 20,000 words of content each month.
Unlimited revisions and royalty-free images are included with both plans. ContentFly also advertises their writing service as search engine optimized, so you’ll be able to incorporate keywords into your content.
Currently, ContentFly’s pricing averages a little over $0.12/word, which is about average for “turnkey” writing services of this nature. If you exceed your monthly allotment, you can purchase more content at $0.15/word.
I no longer write for ContentFly because I’ve shifted to working directly with brands to develop full-fledged content strategies. However, when I did write for ContentFly, they paid about $0.05/word — a rate that (sadly) has not gone up in the four years since I joined, which means quality has likely gone down.
How To Use Your Word Allotment
ContentFly advertises that they can produce all different types of content. This includes blog articles, pillar pages, email copy, ad copy, scripts, and more.
This variety is definitely necessary since the fee you pay each month isn’t partially refundable. For instance, those signed up for the Starter plan will pay $499 whether they end up ordering all 4,000 words in a month or no content at all. ContentFly explicitly states:
“The monthly word quota doesn’t roll over to a new month, and there are no refunds issued for unused quota (on either monthly or annual subscription) or for unused months while subscribed to the annual plan.”
That means you should have a content plan in place before signing up to make sure that you utilize all of the content you’re paying for each month. The good news is, there’s no limit on the number of projects you can request. That means you could request one 4,000-word eBook or 400 10-word captions and you’ll pay the same monthly rate.
What To Expect
As a previous writer for the platform, I can say that ContentFly is legitimate in the sense that they will deliver content if you pay for it. However, you’ll always want to double-check their latest policies to ensure you know what you’re signing up for.
Turnaround Time and Revisions
ContentFly estimates about 5 business days for 1,000 words of content, but it depends on the type of content you’re requesting. After you have submitted a content request in your dashboard, you’ll be able to see an estimated delivery date.
As far as revisions go, ContentFly promises free, unlimited revisions and revisions will not count against your monthly word allotment. That’s great news for buyers (although potentially abusive of a writer’s time).
Cancellation and Refund Policy
ContentFly says they offer a 14-day free trial, but it’s more of a 14-day money-back guarantee (in my opinion). If you join the platform and decide within 14 days that you aren’t happy, they’ll give you a full refund. However, this is void if you order more than 1,500 words of content within that timeframe.
As far as cancellation goes, you’ll be able to cancel your monthly plan at any time, but they do not offer a credit for any unused portion of your word allotment. If you cancel an annual subscription, your subscription will remain active until the end of the billing cycle. In other words, you can’t get a refund for future months that you’ve already paid for.
Is ContentFly Worth It?
Honestly, I was surprised to see that ContentFly has doubled their prices since I the last time I mentioned the platform. While $0.12/word isn’t outrageous for content, it’s certainly on the higher end of the spectrum.
The pricing is comparable to an enterprise-focused platform like Scripted, but if you’re a small business or individual, I say there’s no reason to spend that much when you could hire a freelance writer directly for half the price. After all, you’re paying these agencies to maintain a large pool of writers and the entire setup can actually be a disadvantage to SMBs and individuals.
So, the question of whether or not Contentfly is worth it really comes down to the features. I was excited to read about Content Genie, ResearchFly, and their other tools only to find that these appear to be services you have to pay for separately. I also noted that some of the “sign up” links for these tools were not working at the time of writing this piece, which demonstrates just how new the entire platform is on the market.
With all things considered, if ContentFly’s pricing is in your budget and you have a steady need for at least 4,000 words of content each month, I say get in touch with a representative and try it out for yourself. In the meantime, I’m excited to see how they continue innovating in this space.
