April 17, 2022
In a previous freelance writing post on freelance writing niches, I addressed whether freelancers should specialize in a certain niche. I addressed four positives I see from writing for a niche market, such as whether you can make more money and if you’ll find that clients come to you because you’re a specialized writer.
But how niche is too niche? Sure, being known as one of the top technical writers in a certain market — like these highest-paying freelance niches of 2022–will probably get you steady work, but there could be some downsides. Here, I’ll explore the potential negatives to writing for niche markets. (Check out these article pitch examples to find out how to score jobs in a niche.)
When you write about the same things over and over, and perhaps your industry doesn’t have a lot of new updates from research, sciences and trends, you might get bored with writing in the freelance niche. That could lead to a lack of enthusiasm for what you’re writing and boring copy. Chances are when you’re not giving it 100 percent anymore, your clients and readers will notice. (Here’s how to write great content every time.)
While it’s great to get assigned weight loss and nutrition topics by editors who come to me because they know I’ve been writing about that topic for nearly 15 years if that was the only content I wrote I’d be So. Freaking. Bored. I enjoy learning about new topics, whether that’s in the health care arena, sleep, or something totally different, like emergency services, firefighting, and travel. To come up with fresh ways to write for different markets, I’d challenge any writer who’s working in a niche and writing a story to flesh out new angles for the piece. I share more details on this freelance writing exercise in the blog “Fun Ways to Come Up with New Article Ideas.” (These freelance writing tips will show you how to seriously improve your business.)
This is one of the biggest problems I see with a writer who only covers one freelance writing niche topic for the duration of their career. If you only write about fashion trends, your name might not come mind as a writer who can churn out a great fitness feature, someone who knows a lot about a certain travel destination, or a writer who can cover beauty topics. But if those other topics interest you, I suggest getting a few clips in those areas. (This freelance writing course will show you how to build up a writer’s portfolio.) You’ll have fun writing about new topics and you’ll show editors that you can broaden your writing style and range. (P.S. here’s how to write an article pitch.)
Freelance Niche Writing Tip Exercise
One way to build up articles in a new niche is to look for ways to combine your current niche with a new one. In the example above, you could address fashion trends in the fitness industry. Then you could possibly interview athletes or fitness influencers about fashion for a different article. Soon, you’ll have a few clips that could be categorized as a new niche.
The bottom line on freelance niche writing?
Personally, I enjoy writing for the weight loss, fitness, and health spaces and it’s been a lucrative niche for me to work in. But I know I need to occasionally cover other topics to stay on my toes, meet new sources, and show editors that I can cover a range of topics. Lately, I’ve enjoyed writing career pieces, like these “12 Career-Killing Mistakes to Avoid On a Work Call” for ReadersDigest.com, pet health topics, like these “7 Winter Safety Tips for Dogs” for MensFitness.com, a book project for the FDNY Foundation on “The Bravest Women,” and travel pieces like this article on “Why Caribbean Lovers Should Visit Curacao” for Agent @ Home magazine.
Want to learn how to write for profitable niches? Enroll in my Freelance Writing Online Course today and I’ll show you how.
Tags: content strategy, freelance, freelance rates, freelance writer, freelance writing, freelance writing niche, freelance writing tips, freelancer, niche, niche writing, online course, productivity, six figure income, time management, writing tips
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