Choosing a niche is not a new concept for many freelance writers trying to learn how to make money from home in Canada. However, with thousands of options, how does one select a niche?
It is a careful balance. You need to find a topic you are passionate enough to write about consistently, but with a large enough customer base that you will not run out of clients.
What is a writing niche?
First of all, let’s ensure everyone is on the same page regarding a writing niche. In short, a writing niche is what a freelance writer focuses on and what kind of writing they are known for. It can be defined based on the type of writing, such as blog posts, eBooks, technical pieces, webpages, or social posts, or it can be based on a specific topic, like sports, healthcare, or business and finance.
Many freelance writers define their niche based on the topic so they can offer various services for that niche. These niches have many subcategories; the more defined and refined the niche, the easier for a freelance writer to stand out. A writer with a well-defined niche specialization will also have an easier time identifying which potential clients they would work well with.
Why is finding a niche as a freelance writer important?
Not only does having a niche make it easier to find prospective clients, but it also makes it easier to land them. Often, clients want to work with freelance writers who have experience in their subject matter; that way, they do not have to train you in it or wait for you to build your knowledge before you can start successfully writing for them.
Freelance writers who specialize in a specific niche can write on the topic more efficiently and effectively, get to the meatier content, and avoid fluff that many generalist freelance writers often use due to their lack of knowledge.
This additional knowledge and specialization has the added bonus of the freelance writer being able to charge more and find higher-paying clients.
Some additional benefits of finding a niche and specializing in it are that it helps tie your personal interests into your work, making writing feel less like a job and more like expressing your passion. This, in turn, will make it easier to land more clients, as your enthusiasm for the subject will come across not only in your writing, but also when you speak to the clients, allowing you to write higher-quality content.
By writing higher-quality content, freelance writers will also be able to establish themselves as authority writers within the space and have a higher chance of finding and landing recurring clients. As they become more established within the niche, prospective clients may even reach out to them.
What are some of the best freelance writing niches?
There are several potential niches to consider for those trying to make money online in Canada. If you are trying to determine what kind of content niches to offer, some of the most profitable include ecommerce copy and sales pages.
Book writing, case studies, white papers, and short-form and long-form blog posts are lucrative writing forms. When paired with email marketing copy, social media, and video scripts, a freelance writer has the opportunity to sell their ability to help with writing whole campaigns, from landing pages and blog post copy to videos and social posts to drive traffic.
For those more inclined towards technical writing, press releases and technical writing might be opportunities to look into, especially if you have a background in a STEM field.
Regarding niche topics, some lucrative options include digital marketing, healthcare and medical, personal finance and cryptocurrency. Real estate and software as a service are also topics that many freelance writers have found success within.
Consider how often the industry changes and evolves when determining a niche topic. Is there a constant need for new content to be created? You want to select a topic with something new to discuss, as this will help drive the need for new content to be created.
How to choose your niche as a freelance writer
Choosing the right niche impacts whether you can make money from home in Canada.
Consider what topics you enjoy researching and have knowledge of and, more importantly, your passions. Then look into each of these. Do they fit into any previously mentioned categories? Do they have a thriving industry online with businesses actively trying to market or sell to them? If they do, there may be an opportunity to work as a freelance writer within the niche. You will probably need to try a couple of different niches to see where you can thrive and find the level of work you seek.
If you are still unsure which niche to look into further, check out this blog post on choosing a profitable writing niche.