Content marketing contract template

This agreement is made on [Date] between [Your Name / Business Name] (the "Contractor") and [Client Name / Company] (the "Client").

The Contractor is an independent contractor, not an employee of the Client.

The Contractor will run the Client's content program: strategy upkeep, a rolling editorial calendar, [number] pieces per month (written and published), and distribution of each piece via [channels].

Paid amplification budgets, technical SEO beyond on-page basics, and video filming are not included unless listed here: [list].

Drafts are submitted for review with [1] revision round included per piece. If no feedback arrives within [5] business days, a piece is deemed approved and may be published per the calendar.

The program depends on agreed Client inputs: [subject-matter expert time, product information, approval turnaround]. Where inputs stall for more than [15] days, the Contractor may substitute calendar topics to keep the cadence, and fees continue.

The total fee for the work is [Amount]. A non-refundable deposit of [Amount or %] is due before work begins, and the balance is due [on delivery / per the schedule below].

Invoices are payable within [14] days. Late payments may incur a fee of [1.5%] per month on the outstanding balance.

Any expenses (stock assets, plugins, printing, travel) are billed to the Client at cost and agreed in advance.

Work outside the scope described above is not included. If the Client requests additional work, the Contractor will provide a written estimate, and that work begins once the Client approves it in writing.

The Client will provide all content, access, feedback, and approvals needed to complete the work, in a timely manner.

If the project is delayed by more than [30] days due to a lack of Client response or materials, the Contractor may pause the project and invoice for work completed to date.

Content becomes the Client's property once the month it was delivered in is paid for. The strategy document and calendar are the Client's on exit.

Content marketing compounds over months and depends on factors beyond either party's control. The Contractor commits to the agreed volume, quality, and honest reporting, not to specific traffic or lead numbers by specific dates.

The Contractor may reference the program and byline work in a portfolio unless the Client requests otherwise in writing.

Each party will keep the other's confidential information private and use it only to carry out this agreement.

The Contractor may show the finished work in a portfolio or case study unless the Client asks in writing to keep it private.

Either party may end this agreement with [14] days written notice. If the Client cancels, the deposit is non-refundable and the Client pays for all work completed up to the cancellation date.

If the Contractor cancels, any pre-paid amount for work not yet delivered is refunded.

The Contractor's total liability under this agreement is limited to the total fees paid by the Client. Neither party is liable for indirect or consequential losses.

The work is provided without warranties beyond those stated here.

The Contractor controls how and when the work is done, uses their own tools, and is responsible for their own taxes and insurance. Nothing here creates an employment, partnership, or agency relationship.

This agreement is governed by the laws of [Your State / Country]. Any dispute will be handled in the courts of that location.

Contractor: ______________________________ Date: ____________

Client: __________________________________ Date: ____________