5 Top Reasons to Find a Freelance Writing Niche

When I returned from my maternity leave as a second-time mom, things had changed. With an infant and a toddler, my hands were full. But I still needed to work and earn a living. 

I wasn’t as young as I was 7 years ago when I started freelance writing! 

And I had to accept my body was already overworking to provide enough milk for my little princess and carry around more weight than I needed. 

Anyway, it was time to make drastic changes in my freelance writing career if I had to remain sane and take care of all my responsibilities without burning out. 

The answer was one – quality over quantity. 

In any case, I didn’t have so much time at my disposal to commit to freelance writing. 

The worst part, the bills had gone higher, especially with a newborn. 

So it was time to do something I had objected, postponed, and denied for over 4 years – finding my freelance writing niche.

Here, I share my experience, findings, and tips for those who may be where I was and would love something better. 

So What’s a Freelance Writing Niche?  

A freelance writing niche is a specialized form of writing by content type or topic.

A content type is ‘the how’ you write. For example, you can niche down as an email marketing writer or social media marketing writer. Other content types you can narrow down to include: 

• Blog posts 
• Marketing copies 
• Landing pages 
• Newsletters
• Sales pages  
• Case studies 

The content type you choose could be limited to an industry or not. For example, you can brand yourself as an email marketing writer for Digital Marketing Companies or just an email marketing writer. How narrow you go depends on you. 

When it comes to topics, it’s ‘the what’ you write about. For example, you could choose fitness, finance, or health. You can narrow further within a niche – from a finance writer to a personal finance writer. This means you only handle content related to finance. You could even go further and state you only write personal finance blog posts. 

And why would you love to niche down while you are a freelance writer? Simple. You want to be an expert and know the ins and outs of your niche so well that you provide value that brings an ROI. 

If you spread yourself too wide, you’ll be a master of none and all you can expect are mediocre rates, feast and famine, and mostly, clients who don’t know what they want. 

Should New Content Writers Niche Down? 

New freelance writers have one primary goal – to learn, master the craft and get their first client. And when this is done well, then the discussion of niching down can arise. 

You can start out as a generalist, explore the freelance writing industry, and know what you love and what you don’t. As you build your skill set, research various fields, types of content, and major topics. 

When you focus on the pay, you may be discouraged and take a little longer to learn. If you can get someone willing to pay you, take the task, handle it and continue perfecting. Take note of things you love writing about, and keep exploring. 

In a few months or a year, you’ll know the kind of content you resonate with better and start niching down. 

Let the process be fun. After all, you can always change your niches. 

Why Should you Niche Down as a Freelance Writer?

Before providing you with the reasons for niching down, let’s look at a hypothetical situation. Shall we? 

You are a successful businesswoman owning several boutiques. You have a budget for a copywriter to write landing pages for your new website. Would you pick an academic writer who’s also a content writer and a copywriter or a copywriter who specializes in the fashion niche? 

The answer is obvious. 

Why would you pick a fashion copywriter? They know their craft, and you’re sure they’ll use the best strategies to bring a return on your investment. 

That’s exactly what happens. 

If you niche down and brand yourself that in all your socials – Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc., it’s a matter of time before you’ll get good clients willing to pay for your expertise. 

In a nutshell, these are the benefits of niching down 

1. Less Time Working on a Project

With a freelance writing niche, you’ll know where to get resources, and this will save time. Since you know the right terms, jargon, and structure, crafting a masterpiece won’t be so hard. 

This means earning money to take care of your bills and wants while working part-time hours. For example, committing just 4 hours a day and you hit your income goals. 

2. High-paying Clients want Experts 

The best clients have clear content goals and a budget since they expect a return on their investment. They want content that will rank well on search engines and increase conversions.

They also appreciate your skills and the value you’ll bring and will compensate you accordingly.

You can get clients willing to pay even $200 -$500 for a 1,500w article! Yes, that’s what niching down affords you. 

3. Fun Writing Something you Love for Better Health

When niching down, it’s important to choose what you are passionate about. With this, you’ll enjoy the writing process and produce fluff-free content that will add value to the readers. 

Burning out, writer’s block, and ghosting a client because you got stuck in the middle will be minimal. All these are good for your mental and financial health. 

4. Results and Portfolio 

Since you are an expert in that niche, you’ll produce the desired results. And this is what clients pay for. When sending proposals, you’ll have relevant samples, and this gives you a competitive edge. 

With results and published samples bearing your name, you’re a step closer to landing your dream clients. 

If you are on Upwork, you’ll send your proposal sooner, and when you wow the client with a killer pitch, you’re more likely to get hired. 

5. You can use the Expertise to Build a Succesful Business

Suppose your niche is motherhood & pregnancy. You write informative posts and product reviews. If you want to grow your income streams, you can start a business within the same niche and take care of the content. 

You’ll know the best content marketing strategies to grow your business through meeting the searcher’s intent, having visually appealing content, or a clear call to action. This way, you’ll easily optimize your content and grow your business. 

Amazing, right? 

Frequently Asked Questions