Niche down, niche down, niche down. It’s one of the most common pieces of advice given to freelance copywriters. It’s also a term that brings up a whole lot of questions.

What does “niche down” mean, anyway?

IS niching down a good idea for everyone? 

If you don’t niche, are you relegating yourself to low-paying projects and less-than-ideal clients for the rest of your career?

These are all valid and common questions to ask as a freelance copywriter. You deserve the straight answer, and in this article, I’m going to give it to you.

The truth is, there’s more than one way to narrow the focus inside your business so you can dial in on your expertise as a freelance copywriter, and in this article I’ll be covering:

➡️ The difference between niching and specialization and why you want to choose one

➡️ How to know when you should niche and when you should specialize

➡️ Why it’s not a bad idea to take on a variety of projects when you’re just getting started

➡️ What can happen when you don’t narrow the focus inside your business

To Niche or Not to Niche

This might surprise you, but I don’t recommend niching for every freelance copywriter. It’s just not necessary in all cases, and I’ll reveal why in a moment. I do, however, recommend narrowing the focus of your business and services in some way.

There are two main ways a freelance copywriter can narrow the focus of their business – niching down or specialization. People often use these terms interchangeably, but in reality, they are very different. Let’s break down what the differences are, then cover why you want to choose one or the other.

What does it mean to niche down?

Let’s talk about niching – or “niching down” as it’s sometimes called – and what it really is in the freelance copywriting world. When people talk about niching down as a freelance copywriter, they’re referring to choosing a specific industry to serve. For example you might choose to write for dental clinics or fitness centers or online professional coaches.

You’ll probably offer a variety of copywriting services to clients in the industry you choose, but you tend to keep your clientele within that industry. A lot of freelance copywriters do this, and it can be an effective way to attract a specific type of client.

What does it mean to specialize?

Niching isn’t the only option. You may also choose to specialize. When you specialize, you narrow your focus to offering certain types of copywriting services. If you’re a specialist, you’ll write for multiple industries, but you’ll offer a narrower range of services for them.

I’m a specialist, and my specialty is in direct response copy for launches. I only write sales copy for clients who market their products and services through digital marketing campaigns. I serve several different industries, but I only write funnels, ad copy, sales scripts, and email remarketing sequences. If this appeals to you but you’re not into sales, you could also choose to specialize in website copy or blogging or social media captions.

A lot of freelance copywriters choose to specialize, and it’s a great way to narrow the focus in your business.

Why should I narrow the focus of my business?

I’m convinced that narrowing the focus in your business by either niching down or specializing is important. Why? Because helps you stand out from the competition and allows you the time and freedom to grow expertise in your chosen areas.

When you grow expertise, you’ll be able to get expert-level results.

When you can get expert-level results, you can get paid high ticket rates.

See the progression? The bottom line is, it’s really hard to gain a level of expertise when you offer everything to everyone. 

How do I decide?

So how do you know whether you should niche down or specialize? You can dial in on it by asking yourself a few questions.

• Do I have knowledge of an industry from past work or life experience?
• Do my hobbies, interests and passions tend to all point towards a certain industry?
• Have I been able to get better results for certain types of businesses than others?

If you said yes to these questions, then you might want to consider niching down.

But niching isn’t for everyone. You might be a good fit to specialize if you answer yes to any of these questions:

• You enjoy change and writing for a variety of industries
• You love providing certain types of writing services more than others
• You get better results writing certain types of copy than others

What if you’re still not sure? Do you have to choose something right now?

No, you don’t. If you’re new and you’re just getting your feet wet as a freelance copywriter, you may not know yet whether you want to niche down or specialize. and that’s okay.

If that’s the stage that you’re in, it’s a good idea to try things out. Write for a variety of clients in different industries. Create different types of copywriting projects. The only way to know if something will be a good fit is to do it. Choose something today to take action on and see what happens.

Remember, even if today you feel like you’re a good fit for one or the other, you’re under no obligation to chain yourself to a niche or a specialty forever. This is your business. You should be able to do what you want. Not only should you be ABLE to, but your business will thrive and you’ll be happier when you do what you love.

What if I don’t WANT to narrow my focus?

What if you don’t want to narrow your focus? What happens if you don’t?

If you don’t choose to narrow the focus of your business in some way, you’re setting yourself for stress and burnout by trying to serve everyone and offer too many services. You know what they say, “A jack of all trades is the master of none.” You don’t want to be a jack of all trades.

If you choose to say yes to every client in every industry with every type of copywriting service, you’ll likely get stuck dealing with low-paying clients and having to take on way more projects than you’d like just to pay the bills. You won’t have time to get good at what you’re doing so you can raise your rates. This leads to burnout and frustration, and I don’t want that for you.

Not only does choosing to niche down or specialize help you attract the right kind of clients because you can be more specific in your marketing, it can help you stand out from the competition. You can become known as the dental practice copywriter or the sales letter queen, and that gives your business a unique identifier. 

Conclusion

Whatever you decide, I’ve got your back! Want more tips and freebies for freelance copywriting moms? Head over to my free group, the Wordy Mama Freelance Copywriting Moms Community on Facebook. Inside you’ll meet more than a thousand mamas just like you who are encouraging and supporting each other on their journeys to making money from anywhere doing something they love in a way that doesn’t require them to sacrifice their families or their freedom.