So you’ve decided on freelance writing as your side hustle. Or, you’ve already started and you’re looking to take your gigs to the next level. One way to do that is by selecting a niche for yourself, a writing specialization.
Choosing a niche can help you build a specialized track record that makes it easier to get clients. You’ll also avoid the trap of being unfocused and applying to too many projects.
By working within a niche, you’ll be working towards achieving expert status. Every project you complete will be directly related to the next type of project you want to land.
As you evolve into a known specialist, you can take on more high-gigs and increase your rates and income. Now each project will strengthen your brand, and before you know it, clients will be reaching out to you!
That being said, all niches are not created equal. If you’re going to pick a specialization, you want to make sure it’ll pay off.
Page Contents
So, what makes a profitable niche?
There are two main factors at play. First, there has to be a high demand for the type of writing, it has to be in need. It helps if the supply is low relative to the demand, but it’s not required.
The second factor is that the compensation is higher for this type of writing. Certain industries are better for finding clients that consistently pay well. Some of these include B2B businesses, universities, and financial institutions.
Keep reading to figure out what the top profitable writing niches are.
Finance
Finance companies have a lot of money for a reason. Almost every time people spend or save money there is a finance product involved. It could be as small as personal credit cards or as large as small-business loans.
However, finance products can be difficult to understand. Hence, the high demand for writers who can simplify the value and features of these products.
For this type of writing, you need to be able to take complex ideas and distill them into simple concepts. Your work needs to be accurate and informational but also personable. Ideally, you can create assets that sales prospects use to self-educate. This helps speed up the sales process once a sales rep gets involved.
There are plenty of topics in finance, so pick one or two that interest you the most and start there.
Popular topics include personal finance, debt management, retirement, investing, taxes, accounting, and insurance.
Cryptocurrency
Yes, this was mentioned as a subtopic under finance. But, the demand for cryptocurrency writing is growing so fast, it deserves its own section. Since the field is new, there are also currently fewer experts in the field. Now, cryptocurrency hit the scene with a bang, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a trend.
According to Forbes, we have a long way to go before we see the full power of blockchain technology. Experts predict it will take decades before we fully understand it.
There will be more cryptocurrency products developed, which means more writing opportunities. It’s also being touted as a high-impact skill for millennials to learn, so expect more educational demand as well.
Specific topics here include blockchain technology and products, crypto asset management, bitcoin mining, investing in bitcoin, and best websites for buying and managing bitcoin.
Long-Form B2B Articles
Unlike B2C (business-to-consumer) companies that sell products and services to individuals, B2B (business-to-business) companies sell to businesses. Their contract values range from hundreds of dollars to millions of dollars. So, they’re often willing to spend more money to get a customer in the first place.
B2B marketing strategies rely heavily on content marketing to educate their prospects. This is how B2B brands build relationships and establish brand value.
Another reason why B2B companies seek out long-form content is to improve overall SEO. So, it wouldn’t hurt to have SEO experience or certifications under your belt.
For this writing, you need to understand common business problems and goals. You also need the ability to become an expert in their target customers’ industries.
Who are the decision-makers, users, and influencers of the product or service? What external environmental factors affect their business? How do they make money and what are their top expenses? Some good examples of B2B blogs include Hubspot, Intel, and General Electric.
You can continue specializing within this niche by working primarily with one business function (sales, marketing, management, etc.) or one industry (technology, manufacturing, etc.)
Popular topics within B2B include sales training, marketing technology, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and hiring.
Digital Marketing
Digital marketing affects both B2C and B2B businesses. It’s a wide umbrella that includes any form of marketing that happens online. The impact of digital marketing has skyrocketed as more people research and buy online. It’s still a relatively new form of marketing, and it’s constantly changing.
To stay competitive, marketers and businesses need to stay on top of new trends and technologies. This has created a massive demand for experts in digital marketing.
If you want to be a specialist in digital marketing, you need to prove that you can keep up with and predict trends. This niche is perfect for people who like to always be learning new things and teaching others.
Popular topics include SEO/SEM, social media marketing, email marketing, mobile marketing, and content marketing.
Technical Writing
One of the biggest challenges of freelance writing is that work can be unpredictable. If you like the idea of consistent availability of projects, try technical writing.
The demand for this niche is consistently high. The work is also more straightforward. The voice should be concise, authoritative, and impersonal. This type of writing is more formulaic and doesn’t require thinking of a new angle for every project.
Technical writing industry jobs also pay more than traditional article writing positions. Salaried writers make as much as $70,000 per year, and individual projects range from $500 – $5000.
So what exactly is technical writing? It’s the process of taking a technical source document and turning it into another type of asset.
There are common types of assets created including science and medical papers, user help guides, technical books, white papers, case studies, and professional reports and reviews.
Education
If you have a teaching background, education writing could be perfect for you. If you don’t have teaching experience, you should have a good understanding of the schooling system and educational approaches.
There are three common types of educational writers. They include education reporters, communication officers, and curriculum specialists. Education reporters require the least amount of experience. Jobs include covering trends and news related to education. Communication officers act as the PR department for educational institutions. Both of these roles typically involve research and coordinating and conducting interviews.
Curriculum specialists usually need teaching experience. They are responsible for developing teaching plans and classroom activities.
Popular topics within education include curriculum changes, teaching techniques, school bullying/violence, special needs, and teacher profiles.
Book writing/Ghostwriting
If you prefer to work on longer projects rather than always finding new work, then you may want to consider ghostwriting books. Ghostwriters take no credit for their writing. Instead, the client will receive all the writing credit. These types of jobs are larger and typically pay upfront. You can be a ghostwriter for almost anything, but one of the most common projects is book writing.
Since books are larger projects you may only have the capacity to work on one at a time. Most take between three and six months to complete. But, you’ll be compensated well for your time. Book writing contracts can pay up to (or more than) $25,000 per project. To become a ghostwriter, it’s important to have a solid portfolio.
You may want to have a book or two written under your name (even if you self-publish e-books). Otherwise, you can focus on getting website copy jobs or other business projects.
Finding book writing jobs can be different than the other work on this list. Well-paying book projects aren’t usually on freelance websites. You’ll benefit from networking within a certain niche and getting to know the big players there.
Common ghostwriting topics include biographies/autobiographies, academic writing, and fiction novels.
Video script writing
Script-writing is another high-paying job that you can specialize in as a freelancer. Screenwriting can include dialogue, movement, actions, and expressions, or just dialogue.
According to Hubspot, in 2019, video was the number one format used in content marketing strategies. The popularity of video with consumers is only increasing, as a majority of people want to see more. Video is now used widely for both entertainment and informational purposes.
Many companies have written assets they want to turn into video content. And, as we’ve seen with Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, the value of owned and operated video content is also on the rise.
So, if you have a way with spoken words, then video writing might be the perfect niche for you.
Popular topics include sales videos, webinar scripts, comedy sketches, video game scripts, and non-English video scripts.
Email Writing
According to 99firms, 80% of marketers still consider email to be the best channel for customer acquisition. As an email writer, you’ll be creating email copy that can be used by sales, marketing, and customer success teams. This can include newsletters, templates, and drip campaigns of several emails in succession.
Businesses rely on email marketing at every step of the buyer’s journey. Both B2B and B2C companies are in need of email writers. You’ll be able to find clients that pay well because email is a big part of sales. As you continue to specialize, you can expand your offering to include template design, CRM management, and drip campaigns.
These roles may require CRM knowledge. Some popular CRMs include Hubspot, ActiveCampaign, Zoho, Salesforce, and Zendesk.
If email writing sounds right up your alley, look for jobs under “email marketing manager” or “marketing specialist”.
Popular email writing jobs include newsletters, email sales funnels, email campaigns, onboarding sequences, and re-engagement sequences.
In conclusion
Selecting a niche can help you grow a personal brand faster and become more profitable as a freelance writer. In order to find a profitable niche, look at the demand and going rates for those projects. Oftentimes, these jobs require specific experience or the ability to simplify complex ideas.
If you’re ready to up your freelance writing game, learn how to create a professional website that gets you more clients.
Whether you like to write creatively or follow known formulas, you can find a niche that fits you. Once you have, your body of work becomes focused. Every project you do helps you land the next client. And when you have a strong portfolio, you can spend less time searching for clients and more time getting paid to do what you do best.
Get the free 5-page business plan template for freelancers here.