Choosing a Freelance Writing Niche: Your Three Options
You may know by now that choosing a freelance writing niche is important for branding yourself and focusing your job search. When you’re deciding how to “niche” yourself as a writer, you have three main options:
Taking on a writing role (blogger, copywriter, etc.)
Focusing on one industry
Focusing on one content type
While it’s more common for new writers to pick a niche by choosing a writing role and/or an industry, some writers choose to specialize in one content type only. A niche by content type makes sense for writers who already have experience writing one specific kind of content, or for people who have a lot of exposure to one content type from a past work experience.
When Should You Niche By Content Type?
Freelance writers generally write a variety of content types.
But, niching down to one content type is practical if you are drawn to creating content that is really specific and requires a lot of insider knowledge. For example:
Resume writer
Grant writer
Scriptwriter (for radio, TV, podcasts, film)
Press release writer
Crowdfunding campaign writer
White paper writer (sometimes, although copywriters and B2B writers also do these)
In the examples above, the content has such specific style, structure, language, etc. that a client would likely want to hire a specialist in that content type. In this case, niching by content type is a great strategy!
And sometimes, these content types can dovetail with your past experience. Examples: you used to do fundraising and want to be a grant writer; you have written or directed films/plays/etc and want to be a scriptwriter; you were a career coach and want to become a resume writer.
You would come in with a lot of knowledge most other freelance writers don’t have. I probably wouldn’t feel comfortable writing a grant or a commercial script, but you might, because you’ve already been exposed to those industries, and you have a leg up on learning how to write them.
I'll say it again: most new writers create a niche by industry or writing role. I’ve created some posts to help you explore those other options too:
55 Industries Where You Can Be Paid to Write
5 Perfect Freelance Writing Roles for Newbies
But, if you have unique experience that would allow you to choose a single content type to focus on, that gives you a third option for finding your niche. And, you’re likely to find less competition in these really specific, content-type niches. When you can do something others can’t, that’s when you start to find the highest quality work. Win for you!
More Things to Read
What's it Like Being a Location-Independent Freelance Writer?
How Do You Build a Freelance Writing Portfolio Without Experience? Just Write.
Why Become a Freelance Writer?