A common question I get as a freelance writer is about my niches. I am a general business content writer, so I try to write in many niches regularly. However, I’ve found over the years that I do have niches where I am more experienced and have a higher level of enjoyment. This brings us to today’s topic: is specializing in niches a good idea as a freelancer? Let’s dive in and find out!

What is a niche in freelance writing?

As you may have already known or guessed, a niche is a fancy word for a topic area. Let’s say the niche is mental health. If you are in the mental health niche, it means you are experienced in various mental health topics. You would also know how to write effectively for the target audience.  

The critical aspect of a freelance niche is that you should have an authentic interest in writing in that niche and for that target audience. You would care about the topics and care even more about the client that you are writing for.  

Should you have a niche?

When I first started, I wrote about every topic that crossed my desk, from air filter whitepapers to ball-bearing product descriptions to long-form articles about different types of coffee. Over the years, I’ve dabbled in many niches! Here are my thoughts:

• Niches can help you show your professionalism: One huge benefit, especially since there are so many freelancers, is that niche specialization helps you show how experienced and professional you are. It shows you have lots of education in your niche area and a portfolio of niche-specific projects. This is a vital starting point for professionals looking to hire professional freelancers for well-paying, long-term contracts.

• Specializing in niches can give you excellent quality of life: My favourite feature of choosing niches is that I get to write about things I’m passionate about. When looking up freelance niche ideas, I thought I had to specialize in the most popular niches, but this isn’t the case. Picking a freelance niche is about what motivates you to do your best work for deserving clients and readers. It makes each day exciting and motivating, and this shines through in your content.

• It’s not all or nothing: Another perk is specializing in one topic area doesn’t mean that’s all you get to write about. For example, my niches include pet behaviour and health and nutrition. But I still get to write about “new” topics, such as those coffee articles I mentioned. This helps keep my mind and writing skills sharp, too.

Learn how to find your freelance niche

I’m writing a mini book on how to find your freelance niche. If you’re interested, you can sign up for updates on the book to grab a copy when it’s published. As a professional writer, I’d say that niche specialization is an excellent idea if you are looking to settle into freelancing full-time, but it isn’t required. It depends on what a freelance niche means to you and how you want to find clients and freelance jobs.  

Does any other freelancer want to chime in? Please feel free to do so below!