3 Reasons You Need to Find Your Freelance Writing Niche
If you’re starting a career as a freelance writer, choosing a niche to specialize in can help you find work, target clients, and raise your rates.
Read on to find out what a freelance writing niche is, why you should have one, and how to choose it.
What Is a Freelance Writing Niche?
A niche is a particular genre, area, or style that a freelance writer specializes in. Specializing means that a writer offers work in, and targets clients of, that particular niche.
A freelance writing niche might be a specific subject, for example:
- The tech industry
- Travel
- Education
- Personal finance
- Film and TV
- B2B or B2C marketing
- Healthcare
Or it could be a particular format, such as:
- Book writing or ghostwriting
- Blog posts
- Technical writing
- Marketing copy
- Press releases
- White papers
Some freelance writers may choose to specialize further by combining a particular niche genre with a format or offering a particular style of writing within those categories.
For example, a highly specialized writer might offer their services as a persuasive B2C marketing copywriter producing ebooks within the elearning sector.
If you’re just starting out as a freelance writer, though, you don’t have to be too specific with your niche. If you start by writing in a few styles or genres, you can later specialize further as your career develops.
Why Should You Choose a Niche?
Choosing a niche as a freelance writer comes with all sorts of benefits that will help you develop and grow your business.
1. Develop Your Marketing Strategy
For freelancers, finding work depends on how well you market yourself.
Having a niche means you can narrow down your marketing strategy and focus on who you will advertise your services to – and how you will do so. For example, if you choose to specialize in writing web copy for small businesses, you will know to target small business owners.
Your chosen niche is something you should mention:
- On your website
- In your service descriptions
- In cold emails
- When looking for opportunities on job boards or freelance marketplaces
Having a niche also makes it easier to identify what keywords to use in your marketing materials so that your ideal clients will be able to find you.
2. Build a Client Base
By choosing a niche, you will also be choosing a distinct target client market. These are the individuals and businesses that are seeking the services you offer.
Clients who work in the same industry tend to network with each other. This means that, by specializing in an area, you could gain many more clients through recommendations, testimonials, and word of mouth.
As you build credibility in your niche your client base will continue to grow, and you may even develop client relationships that result in long-term projects.
3. Increase Your Rates
Specializing in a niche allows you to hone your skills. As you write, you improve your ability to communicate through the specific form, style, or genre of your niche.
And as your career progresses, you will develop a portfolio of work that demonstrates your knowledge and experience in your chosen area.
You can then market yourself as an expert in your field, and charge higher rates as a result.
How to Pick a Freelance Writing Niche
1. Consider Your Interests
Whatever niche you choose as a freelance writer, you can expect to spend a lot of time researching and writing about it.
If there are topics that you are already passionate about or interested in, these might be good candidates for you to specialize in. Try putting together a list of your interests and hobbies, then identify any that offer scope for writing work.
If you’re enthusiastic about the niche you choose, you will find it easier to focus on your work. Your passion can also translate on the page to high-quality content, and help your clients achieve their goals.
2. Assess Your Skills and Experience
Of course, passion isn’t everything when it comes to choosing your niche. Some will be easier to specialize in than others, and some are only available to those with a specific background or training.
Science communication writing, for example, will usually require a writer to possess a relevant scientific degree.
So, when choosing a niche, it’s important to consider:
- Your qualifications
- Your hard and soft skills
- Your previous work experience
- Other life experiences
Thoroughly assess your current skills and experience to determine which niches would suit you and which to avoid.
3. Do Your Research
Researching potential freelance writing niches will help you narrow down your options.
Find out:
- The average rates freelance writers are paid within that niche
- How oversaturated a niche is (i.e., are there lots of freelancers offering the same service?)
- What the demand for a certain niche is like (i.e., do lots of job posts or trending topics mention the same service?)
- If you need any additional skills and experience to work in that niche
It can help to put together a list or table comparing different niches using these guidelines.
4. Get Practicing
If you’re still struggling to choose a niche, putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) can help you explore a few options and see what sticks.
Put together writing samples for several themes that you’re interested in. When you’re done writing, ask yourself:
- Did I find it easy to focus?
- Did I enjoy what I was writing about?
- Did I understand what I was writing about?
- Did I find enough relevant information and sources?
The answers to these questions can help you decide whether that niche is a good fit for you.
5. Take an Online Course
Online courses can provide background information, training, and practical experience in different freelance writing niches.
Our Becoming A Freelance Writer course, for example, covers blog and article writing in depth across a range of potential topics. Sign up for a free trial today!
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