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3
Ways to Find Your Niche as a Freelance
Writer |
by:
Nick
Usborne |
To make
a six-figure income as a freelance writer,
to need to be an expert. You need your name
to jump to people's lips when a particular
job or challenge comes up.
"Direct mail for software? You should get
in touch with Bob. That's what he does."
Insert your own name and specialty where
appropriate.
You can't get that kind of awareness or
referral if you're someone who just writes
about anything in any medium. Nobody is
going to believe that you are a trusted
expert in absolutely everything.
So how do you determine a viable 'niche'?
You have three choices...
1. Niche by industry...
That is to say, work within a particular
industry. For years I worked with pharmaceutical
clients. All my clients were drug companies.
I wrote direct mail, brochures, sales aids,
video scripts. I wrote anything, so long
as it was about pharmaceuticals. That was
my niche. And my clients knew that I was
knowledgeable in that area. So they came
to me.
2. Niche by medium...
In this scenario, you make a particular
medium your specialty. After my years with
the pharmaceutical industry, I decided to
specialize as a direct mail copywriter.
And for that period, about 15 years, I ONLY
write direct mail and associated media...like
inserts, fliers, postcards etc. I was a
direct response specialist. And I wrote
for all kinds of different industries -
financial, cable TV, magazine publishers
and more.
My specialty, my niche, was as a direct
response copywriter. Other writers have
built their careers around writing annual
reports, radio scripts, white papers etc.
3. 'Double-Niche'
When you double-niche you are making a specialty
of serving a single industry through a single
medium. For instance, writing direct response
for the financial industry. And ONLY writing
direct response for the financial industry.
In conclusion...
As I said at the beginning, you can't be
an expert at everything...not within every
industry, not with every medium. So you
need to take some steps to find your niche.
How do you choose? First, know yourself.
Know what you are good at. Know what you
like.
Also, be smart. Create your niche where
the money is. Find your niche where there
is a strong market.
And be smart about the size of your niche.
Don't go so narrow that you're forever starved
of work. Don't go so broad that people view
you as a Jack or Jill of all trades, a generalist.
About the Author
Nick Usborne is a freelance writer, author
and speaker. For more articles and resources
on making money as a freelance writer,
visit his site, www.FreelanceWritingSuccess.com. |
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