Writing tips
5 Signs You’re Ready for a Writing Niche
Why it took me 5 years to finally settle on a niche
One of the first (and arguably one of the most important) pieces of advice you get when you become a freelancer is choosing a niche. People who’ve been freelancing for a lot longer say it’s the fastest and easiest way to become the expert in your field, get referred more, and ultimately earn more money.
When I first heard that, I thought, Makes sense.
At the time, I had previously worked as a social media manager for various wellness events, a yoga studio, an incredibly delightful agency *cough, cue sarcasm* where I wrote about things like horizontal boring mills, and Sears Canada. You could say I had been around quite a few industries…Then I jumped into SaaS and B2B tech, ’cause you know, that’s where the money is apparently.
And I thought I made it…I thought I chose a niche. But the truth is: I took on anything I could get my hands on.
It wasn’t until late into 2020 that I realized I finally chose a niche, the niche I’d wanted to be in all along: e-commerce email copywriting (particularly for businesses who had sustainability in mind.)
You Don’t Niche Until You Say “No”
I don’t know what it feels like for others when they finally settle on a niche, but it felt like finding “the one” for me. Okay, maybe not in the way Ted Mosby from HIMYM says it.
It was more like a cross between a sigh of relief and slicing a rare avocado.
How do you get there, though? How do you get to that point where you can confidently say what you specialize in as if you’re one of the experts in your field?
You only become an expert at something when you say “No” to everything that doesn’t align with who you want to be.
And you don’t realize how powerful the word “No” can be until you’ve taken on so many projects that you don’t have the time to focus on the work you actually believe in. I finally understood this in the Fall of 2020 when I kept getting referred projects by people who knew me from the B2B tech world.
I would say “Yes,” because it was easy to say yes to people who referred me! And I’d get plenty of praise, but it never made me feel the way writing for sustainable e-commerce companies made me feel.
It was akin to me buying more non-toxic cleaning products and organic cotton apparel while my grandma would gift me with $10 polyester sweaters she got at Costco. One step forward, two steps back (for the planet and for who I wanted to be).
So I finally closed the door on B2B tech.
Why is it so Important to Choose a Specialty Anyway?
If you don’t know your identity, then how do you expect others to know?
When people don’t know what you stand for, it becomes a lot harder for them to think of you when it comes to a project, podcast, or any other opportunity. And that’s what marketing is all about — staying top of mind.
When you choose a specialty, it also becomes a lot easier for you. For example, I usually have the same questions for kickoff calls, the same writing process for emails, and an expectation for how quickly I’ll get things done because I’ve done those things hundreds of times. Even writing authority content becomes a lot easier; you understand your audience better, you’re in the same trenches every day, and you’re not thinking in terms of an extensive net.
How Do You Know When It’s Time to Specialize?
Just because I chose to specialize, it doesn’t mean you should too. Having said that, if you’ve been thinking about going *gasp* monogamous, then here are five signs that could help you figure out if you’re ready to put a metaphorical ring on it.
When You Want to Start Getting More Inbound Leads Than Outbound Leads
Cold emailing, cold messaging, and cold calling is hard. I respect anyone who’s done it consistently. After a while, though, it gets exhausting.
When you’re at the point when you have steady work, but you know you’re going to have to cold email again soon, that’s when you need to choose a specialty. Why?
1) It takes a long time to build up your authority, so like investing, the best time to start is yesterday. And like I mentioned, it’s a lot harder to gain authority when you have no specialty.
2) While you’re building your authority with content based on your new niche, you need to continue to get leads through outbound methods. But this time, you’ll have a higher success rate ’cause you’re not just any ol’ freelancer!
3) You can tell your past and current clients that you’re now specializing. Even though you’ll be saying “No” to certain things, it might open up a load of other opportunities you had no idea about. For example, your clients could have friends who’ve been looking for someone with the niche you just chose.
When You Keep Saying “No” to the Work From Your Referrals
Maybe you get plenty of referrals…but they don’t do you any good because lately, you’re not feelin’ any of the work your colleagues are throwing your way.
If you feel meh every time you hear one of those projects, then it’s time to set your mind straight and focus on one niche.
When Your Referrals Dry Up
Uh oh. No more referrals, no matter how many different past clients you ask? It might be because they don’t know what to refer you for…so it’s time to tell them!
When You Don’t Enjoy Getting Up in the Morning
This is a big one. At first, I thought I didn’t enjoy getting up in the morning because I was overworked. It turns out it was because I was overworked with work that I didn’t like.
The other reason was that I was always checking my work emails when I was still horizontal in my bed. Yup, I didn’t even get semi-vertical yet!
So if you’re taking on multiple projects in different industries and multiple mediums, then my #1 piece of advice would be to take care of your mental health. That includes setting up boundaries likes business hours and business areas around the house where you can work. If you’ve set up boundaries and getting up in the morning still feels like trying to get out of an oily ball pit, then you know it’s time to choose a specialty you love.
When You Can Afford to Say “No” to Every Project
A big reason why I didn’t choose a specialty for five years was that I felt like I couldn’t afford to say no. I thought I had to take every opportunity that came my way because of a student loan, bills, etc. But once I set up a savings account, I quickly figured out that even if my earnings dipped for a few months, it would feel a lot better in the long run (it’s certainly paying off already).
If you’ve run into one or more of these situations, then it might be time to start specializing, whether it’s in a writing medium, industry, or both. Let me know in the comments if you have questions!
