DAY RATES: HOW TO KNOW IF THEY’RE RIGHT FOR YOU

VIP DAYS, DAY INTEnsIVES, DAY RATES… HOW TO KNOW IF THEY’RE RIGHT FOR YOU.

5 things to consider if you’re toying with the idea of VIP days and day rates.

If you’re a service provider on Instagram, then you’ve probably seen day rates.

What started as a novel idea just a few years ago, has become one of the most common services offered among designers and copywriters today. 

They may be packaged differently… VIP Days, Day Intensives, Copy / Design in a Day… but essentially they all mean the same thing.

A final product delivered quick-smart. 

There are some definite advantages to day rates for both parties… The client gets the job done quickly, and the service provider doesn’t have to go back and forth for weeks with revisions.  And I have to admit, from a personal perspective, it feels pretty damn good to get a whole project done in a day, and get comments like this from happy clients as you go…

But, as they say… All that glitters is not (always) gold, and whether or not offering a daILy rate is a good option for you as a service provider takes some solid self-awareness and a realistic idea about what you can actually get done. 

And not just get done, but get done well.  

We’re not talking about offering a sub-par product just because it's convenient. We’re talking about providing a premium product but in a much shorter time frame. 

Interested in starting VIP days or day rates? Here are a few things to consider…. Try and take off your rose-colored glasses. After all, honesty is important in assessing whether this is right for you.

1/ you have to be a super quick worker.

It’s obvious, isn’t it? If you are not the sort of person who can work quickly, then VIP Days are not for you. Some writers spend a lot of time mulling over every word, sentence and paragraph… workshopping, writing, editing, rewriting, and finessing. Some designers will play around with a single concept for days or even weeks before moving on.  If this is how you work best, stick with your regular packages. 

Having spent nearly 10 years in the media, I come from a background where we weren’t afforded the luxury of time. This is probably why I always raise an eyebrow when people say that ‘masterpieces take time.’ That’s sometimes true, but certainly not always. 

As any broadcast journalist knows, the deadlines are nearly ALWAYS less than one day. We would research, write, edit and produce multiple same-day stories. You'd go out, do your interviews, write the script and package it all up within a matter of hours. In radio news, you'd be expected to pull together stories within the hour (in fact, often within minutes).

This background proved to be a fantastic training ground for me to be able to work quickly and effectively, regardless of how motivated or creative I feel in the moment.

I’m a big believer that if you don't have a choice, you’ll get it done.  

I only write when I’m inspired, so I see to it that I’m inspired every morning at nine o’clock.”
- PETER DE VRIES

I would also argue that not only should you be ABLE to work quickly, but you should be someone who actually thrives under tight deadlines. VIP days give me an adrenaline rush. I start the day pumped and end the day feeling accomplished. 

If you think you would start the day panicked and end the day feeling stressed, then this service is not for you. 

2/ You have to have an extremely clear process in place…

AND A VIP DAY STRUCTURE IS DIFFERENT FROM YOUR REGULAR PROCESS.

In a regular web copy package, It’s pretty standard for any good copywriter to spend hours, if not days or weeks researching the industry, the competition, the audience, SEO keywords etc. 

With a VIP day, the research phase is limited to around an hour… two tops. Copywriting traditionalists will say this isn’t enough, and in a normal situation, I agree.

But let’s be clear, your client knows what they are getting. 

You’re not skimping out on this fundamental research and pretending you’ve spent days getting across the landscape (God, please don’t ever do that). 

My VIP Day process is clear. Prep work is done prior to the day. This includes all calls, the client questionnaire, wireframing etc. The actual VIP Day then looks a little something like this: 

• Research: 1-2 hours

• Writing: 4-5 hours

• Editing 1-2 hours 

That’s why VIP days are only suitable for certain projects, where extensive research or rework just isn’t necessary and SEO isn’t required.

If my client needs any of these things, then they’ll need to opt for the full website package.

3/ YOU LIKE TO BE FOCUSED ON ONE THING AT A TIME. 

My style is a little unique, in that even for my regular copy projects, I usually only ever book one client at a time and block out time for that one project. This allows me to really dive deep and immerse myself in the client and their brand, with no distraction. Some service providers love juggling multiple projects at once, and work better when swapping between tasks to stay inspired. 

If you struggle to stay focused on one project for a whole day, then naturally, VIP days might not be for you. It does require some serious self-discipline to power on for an entire 7-8 hour block.

4/ YOU BOOK OUT A LONG WAY IN ADVANCE

If you typically book out a couple of months in advance and have a turnaround time of several weeks, then offering a VIP Day gives clients an opportunity to get in with you much quicker. 

Not all clients have the luxury of time, and some are wanting to get up and running, like, yesterday. 

Think of it like a fast-track pass at the amusement park. Sure, they pay a little more for a day, but they’ll get what they need without the long ass wait in the line with the sun on their face (we’ve all been there).

5/ YOU'RE COMFORTABLE OFFERING VALUE-BASED PRICING

If your day rate was your hourly rate x 8 hours, the client would be getting the steal of the century. Day rates are often (and in my opinion, should be) based on VALUE RECEIVED. Most of my Day rates are websites. Am I going to provide full website copy for my hourly rate x hours worked in the day? No. That would be a steal for the client and doesn’t shed light on the value they’re receiving. 

Never forget the old saying… ‘If I do a job in 30 minutes it's because I spent 10 years learning how to do that in 30 minutes. You owe me for the years, not the minutes.’

So, if you can work quickly, have a clear process in place, like being focused on one key task, often book out a long way in advance and are comfortable offering value-based pricing, then a day rate might be for you. 

Interested in a copywriting VIP day?

VIP Days are now my main service offering. I book one or two a week at a price of $ 2000 USD per day. I’ve got my process down pat, and am yet to have a client that is less than over the moon with their day of deliverables.

If you’d like some guidance on how to start, contact me to book a one-hour consultation call to deep dive into the nitty gritty.