Many people find working from home appealing due to the flexibility it offers. Although this aspect is attractive, it also requires self-discipline, dedication, and marketing to be successful. Having a special skill makes it easier to find remote employment. However, building experience is necessary, and starting as a freelance contractor may be a good option. Budding entrepreneurs can take this path to find a writing niche and make a name for themselves.
Understand Your Passions
The first step in starting a writing career as a freelance writer is understanding your passions. Having a clear understanding of yourself, your interests, and your expertise will naturally lead you toward a writing niche that readers trust. The following steps are crucial to better insight into who you are.
- Self-reflection: Make a list of your interests and hobbies, which can be showcased in your “about me” section. Consider what subjects you have expertise in, or uncommon knowledge that others would be interested in. What are things you love doing in your free time? Do you have shows or conferences you enjoy attending?
- Assess Your Skills: What style of writing do you excel at? Writing niches not only include topics but also presentation types. Spend some time reading other blogs and web content to understand where your interests lie.
- Create a Niche: If you have several passions, look for a way to combine them into a niche that stands out from the rest. Passions often intertwine, which is what makes you unique from someone else.
For me, I enjoy gaming, technology, and creative writing. Finding a niche requires me to take what I know and present it to others. I have discovered that my natural passions include:
- Assisting small business owners
- Counseling others interested in freelance work
- Writing tutorials
- Learning about new technology
- Working from home
This has led me to build a business that encompasses creative writing, virtual assistance, and working from home. It is a unique niche that utilizes my experience, passions, and education.
Research Potential Writing Niches
Researching takes time but is a necessary step to successful writing. After you know your passions and interests, you are ready to start looking at a potential writing niche. The first step is to look at other blogs and companies already in the industries you are passionate about. Use Google Analytics to determine keywords and market demands. Social media makes the hunt easier by offering a convenient way to follow companies and influencers. Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok are all very popular sites to glean ideas from.
I went through my list and began following people on LinkedIn. I also stored ideas on Pinterest. When I started my writing career, I was a social media influencer so it helped fine tune my niche. While I have opted out of Instagram and TikTok, I can still be found on Twitter and LinkedIn. I use Pinterest minimally and changed Facebook to personal. While this is not ideal for straight bloggers, it works better for me to stay focused on my work. I found social media to be too much of a distraction.
Assess Your Skills and Expertise
Knowing about a topic does not necessarily make you an expert. When you dive into a writing niche, you want to ensure your readers that you have a full understanding of the subject. They will be coming to you for current information that is accurate and helpful. Taking the time to attend courses to improve your writing skills and grammar is vital to success. In addition, remain current with SEO best practices. Finally, showcase why readers should trust your content.
Over the last decade, I have attended conferences and online classes to improve my writing. I have kept my old blogs open (Living in Alphabet Soup and Birdcage Media) where you can see how I have shared the conferences I attended. As I moved into a smaller niche, I continued classes online through places such as Upskillest and Coursera. Building your expertise takes time and should always be an ongoing process.
Set Goals and Objectives
It is okay to have more than one niche, as you see that I have two that tie together and then one that can work with the other two. I will occasionally talk about other topics outside my niche, as long as it is something that I know a lot about. When you are looking at reaching out to companies to support your brand, a niche builds that trust. When people ask what I do for a living, my primary job title is a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant covers many areas, so I specialize in web design and content creation. I may also find myself performing data entry tasks or digital organization. Therefore, my blog can cover several topics. Setting goals and maintaining an objective is key to any writing niche. It is not important to let others know your goals, but the objective could be viewed the same as a slogan or tagline for your company.
When setting goals, remember the SMART guidelines:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-Based
Build Your Presence
Once you select a niche, you will be ready to start building your online presence. Your website should be the building block, but other platforms will assist in growing your audience. It is common to encounter challenges along the way, including feeling pigeonholed into a specific niche. Remember, time and effort is needed to get a community growing. Network with other bloggers and follow your analytics to determine if you need to fine-tune the niche you selected. Writing and freelance work are about adapting and overcoming these challenges. This guide gives you a great starting point, but much of a writing niche comes with time. What are things you have done to help uncover your passion and decide what to write about? If you’re considering being a blogger or building a business, what are the challenges you are currently facing?