A few years ago, I saw a lucrative job post on Facebook, that I was skilled and capable of delivering.
In fact, I had just closed business with a client in that same freelance writing niche. Like every other freelance writer, I applied and waited for the outcome. Unfortunately, I missed the position but a friend who’d applied was selected, interviewed, and hired!
Can you imagine what this felt like? Sad, demoralizing, and even discouraging. I sought to understand how she pitched the client and trust me, she presented herself as an expert in that niche and provided relevant samples.
And the pay was great, by all standards.
Thinking about this over the years, niching is important. Well-paying clients want experts who can deliver exceptional results and increase the company’s ROI.
That said, let’s look at what is a profitable freelance writing niche, how to choose one and a few tips to get you started.
Why is Choosing your Freelance Writing Niche Important?
Imagine for a moment, you have a successful fashion brand and you’re looking to bring in a writer.
You get proposals from three writers and this is their websites’ tagline:
- I help fashion brands grow their audience
- I help fashion brands create quality content that resonates with the target audience for higher conversions and increased organic traffic
- I help businesses increase their return on investment
Which of the writers would you select? The second one of course! Besides being a fashion writer, they tell you how their writing will help your business. And this presents them as experts.
When you define your freelance writing niche, you will realize higher pay, more long-term clients, and more growth opportunities.
Perhaps one of your concerns is that you’ll miss out on business opportunities since you can only pitch a few businesses and leave out opportunities to make more money. May I surprise you?
You only need a maximum of 5-10 high-paying clients to make enough income to take care of your needs, wants and live your dream life!
Unless the niche does not have clients who need content, you don’t have to worry about not getting work. Also, as an expert, you’ll be paid premium fees and you’ll start getting referrals. With that, you only need to work part-time.
So, don’t shy away from picking a niche.
So, How do you Choose the Best Niche for You?
Selecting a profitable niche needs 3 things – PEP
- Passion
- Expertise or Experience
- Profitable
1. Passion
Writing is demanding and if you will offer quality content, it should be something you enjoy researching and writing about.
Also, it could be something you’re interested in and you would love to delve deeper to understand the field.
2. Expertise/ Experience
Choose a freelance writing niche in something you have experience or expertise in. Having a degree is not the only measure of expertise.
For example, you could write about parenting topics because of your experience as a mom or learning and researching.
If you don’t have experience or expertise in a given niche, you should at least be willing to immerse yourself and learn.
3. Profitability
Besides passion and experience, be sure to choose a niche with brands and individuals willing to pay for content.
It makes no financial sense, to be passionate and experienced in a niche if no financial return, unless you are doing it just as a hobby.
List of Niches for Freelance Writing
Here’s a list of the main freelance writing niches
| Most Profitable | Profitable | Least Profitable |
| Cryptocurrency | Lifestyle | Books and |
| Finance | Fashion | Music |
| SaaS | Beauty | Charities and NGOs |
| B2B (Business to Business) | Pets | Mom blogging/ Parenting |
| Health | Luxury travels | Gardening |
| Cannabis | Food and dining blogs | Solo businesses |
| eCommerce | Medical | Startups |
| Real estate | Fitness | Cooking |
| Pharmaceutical | Education | |
| Technology/IT | Language learning |
Disclaimer – While the above is a list of niches from the lowest paid, the list isn’t exhaustive and you can still get high-paying clients in the niche categorized as low paying.
All you need is to position yourself as an expert and reach out with an irresistible offer to a client who has a budget.
Expert Tips on How to Find Your Freelance Writing Niche
With a long list of niches for freelance writing, it can feel overwhelming to know which one to choose. I have been there. One time you feel you want to write for XYZ, tomorrow you find a job post and think you made a wrong choice and you need to reconsider. But without a niche, you cannot find an effective content marketing strategy.
Therefore, to avoid any confusion, I share a few tips that helped me navigate the journey.
1. Don’t Overthink
This is not a matter of life and death matter. You can always change your freelance writing niche in the future.
Instead of taking months on end in indecision, take one niche, create a great writer’s portfolio, and pitch your ideal clients.
2. Give Yourself Time Before Evaluation
Sometimes we give up too fast. You want to pick a niche, pitch clients, and land high-paying gigs within a few weeks. Unfortunately, that’s highly unlikely.
Most people start seeing results between 3-6 months. So, after choosing your niche, get a 3 months strategy, pitch consistently, and evaluate then your progress.
3. High Pay Vs Passionate
The temptation to pick a high-paying niche although you’re not interested in it is there. But don’t fall for it. You need greater motivation besides money to deliver exceptional results.
Passion makes you go the extra mile, research deeper and get more insights when writing a topic. Clients can feel the passion and confidence you exude when pitching.
And something more exciting, if you want to start a business in that niche, it will be much easier. So, don’t sacrifice what you love! After all, life would be so boring to wake up daily to do something you don’t enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best content writing niches for beginners?
The best content writing niches for beginners are the non-technical ones unless you’ve some techie experience. Also, start from the known to the unknown – any niche that you’ve some experience in, no matter how little.
What are some of the best-paying freelance writing niches?
The niches you’re more likely to get high-paying niches include finance, technology, Saas, e-Commerce, and B2B.
How do you pick a profitable freelance writing niche?
To pick a profitable freelance writing niche, you’ll need to choose one that you’re passionate about, have experience/expertise/are willing to learn about and freelance writing opportunities exist.
