A common consideration for freelancers (and a question I get asked all the time) is the value of identifying and serving a niche. My advice, as outlined in the accompanying video, is always to niche down as quickly as possible because it offers an opportunity for you to get really good at what you do, and in turn, helps you deliver a great experience for your clients.
By ‘niching down’, you would be choosing to focus on a specific client type, industry or project. For a freelance writer, this could involve narrowing your focus to only blog writing or writing for law firms. For a virtual assistant, it might be email or social media marketing.
One of the first steps in establishing your niche is to think about the skills and expertise you already possess and to consider the types of tasks or projects you are passionate about.
To help you through the process of identifying your niche, I have designed a comprehensive FREE course about becoming a freelance writer and determining your freelance writing niche.
To access ‘How to Find Your Freelance Writing Niche’, click here.
Transcript
Hello everybody!
It’s time for me to answer a popular freelance writing question. This week, I am addressing the question: do I need a freelance writing niche? I get asked this one a lot, especially by people who are just starting out in their virtual assistant or freelance writing career, and aren’t really sure whether or not they need to have a particular niche to focus on.
I recommend niching down as soon as possible; it really helps your business, and it also helps you deliver a better experience for your clients.
Niching by project
So, what do I mean by niching down? It’s simple – it means choosing to focus on a particular type of client, industry or even project. Project niching is extremely common with writers and virtual assistants. For example, a writer might choose to only do white papers, blogs or e-books. A virtual assistant might choose to do email newsletters or social media.
Niching by industry
You can also niche by industry. For instance, my freelance writing niche is law firms; I focus exclusively on working with law firms and insurance agencies. A virtual assistant might also choose to work solely with bloggers, online entrepreneurs, or Etsy shop owners. There are so many different ways you can niche.
Do you need a freelance writing niche? I recommend specifying one as soon as possible. You might start out and have no idea what you want to focus on, and that’s okay, because you’re going to get practice in the process and determine the things you do and don’t like writing about.
How to establish your writing niche
One of the best steps you can take when starting your new freelance writing business is to think about the background you already have and the things you’re passionate about. I have a free comprehensive course about becoming a freelance writer and determining your freelance writing niche, so I’ve pulled that freelance writing niche part out of the paid course and you can access it by clicking on the link below. This will help you identify your freelance writing niche; there’s a workbook that goes with it as well to assist you in that process.
Identifying a niche allows you to become the go-to expert in a particular field, demand higher rates, and ultimately deliver a better experience for the clients that you work with, simply because you really know what you’re talking about.
It might take you a while to find your freelance writing niche – and that’s okay. What we’re going for is practice and an experience that will guide you in the right direction.
Click on the link below to learn all about how to identify your freelance writing niche.