When hiring writers, many businesses prefer those who have a proven track record in their particular niche topics. If you’re new to freelance writing, you may be uncertain about how to choose the right niche.
Going from being a generic writer to a specialist can be overwhelming, but it’s a strategic decision that can significantly impact your success.
In this article, we will explore some of the best freelance writing niches, including some underserved ones that can be highly lucrative.
What is a Freelance Writing Niche?
A freelance writing niche is a specialized area or topic that freelance writers focus on in their writing careers. Instead of being generalist writers, freelance writers can choose to become health writers, or video script content writers, and the like — allowing them to leverage their unique interests and experiences.
There are tons of options out there, but only a few high-paying freelance writing niches.
Why Freelance Writers Should Choose a Niche?
Because this decision can be a bit overwhelming, it’s easy to think you can just skip it. However, I don’t recommend this at all. Profitable freelance writing niches can help you make more money by putting in the same amount of effort and time.
You can consider choosing a niche as a marketing strategy for your writing services.
1. Leverage Your Unique Interests and Expertise
Choosing a niche enables you to delve into your unique interests and expertise. Every writer has their own unique abilities and experiences. Leveraging them can help you stand out from the competition. Consider where your interests lie or where you may have unique experiences.
For instance, suppose you have a healthcare background or a profound interest in medical advancements. In that case, focusing on healthcare writing could be an excellent choice, as your inherent understanding of the industry and its nuances will come through in your content. You may provide insight that your average generalist writer can’t muster.
2. Market Your Writing Business Effectively
Imagine you’re a client looking for a freelance writer to create content for your technology startup. You have two options: a generalist SEO writer who dabbles in everything from gardening to artificial intelligence, or one who specializes in tech writing.
Which content writer would you choose? (Of course, the second one, having specialized writing skills for the technology niche).
Choosing a niche allows you to market your writing more effectively. You’ll know what clients to pursue and which to glance over. Therefore, you won’t be investing as much time pursuing clients in niches you don’t have experience for. When your niche aligns with your client, you’re instantly ahead of the competition.
3. Higher Earning Potential
In the freelance writing world, expertise often commands a premium. Clients are willing to pay more for writers who have a deep understanding of their niche. As a specialist, you bring not just words but valuable insights to the table.
Your client may be looking to hire a writer in a niche that they don’t have much personal experience in. In this case, they may feel most comfortable hiring a professional they feel confident in.
For instance, someone looking to market their new tax software may not have any experience writing white papers. Having expertise and samples in white papers would make you much more likely to get hired at a higher rate.
Moreover, as a specialist, you’re likely to work more efficiently. You’re familiar with the subject matter, which means less time spent on research and more time spent on crafting high-quality content. If you’ve already discussed the same topic before, the amount of research you need to do will be minimal.
9 Profitable Content Types You Can Choose As Your Freelance Writing Niche
There are many different kinds of niches you can choose from. One is based on the type of writing you do, such as blogging, white pages, or long form writing. Here are some profitable niches that revolve around the type of writing (not necessarily the topic):
1. Long Form Writing
Long form blog writing involves crafting articles for business blogs, typically to optimize for search engines. These posts delve into a specific topic and are a way for businesses to showcase their expertise. They’re often used to build trust with their audience or to increase their standing on Google.
This type of content is very common in businesses that rely on SEO, as it often performs well on Google.
2. Case Study Copywriting
Writing case studies can be very lucrative, as they often work as social proof for businesses. They’re designed to convince a customer to buy something. This form of writing tends to include fairly long copy, which means that you will get paid more per piece (typically).
A well-crafted case study will tell a story of how a product or service solves a common problem for a client. This testimonial helps build trust with potential customers. Often, writers in this niche have a knack for storytelling and enjoy working with statistics. Sometimes, case studies involve interviews, so skills in that sector can also be helpful.
Here’s a great example of an E-commerce case study.
3. Email Copywriting
Email is a crucial channel for customer engagement, so many companies are willing to pay well for this type of writing. You may create email sequences or autoresponders that send when customers perform a specific task. For instance, if a customer puts something in their cart but doesn’t pay, you may craft an email encouraging them to checkout.
Your role as an email copywriter is to not only write compelling content but also to understand the psychology of email marketing. You need to know how to nurture leads, build relationships through email communication, and ultimately convert subscribers into customers.
There is a lot more marketing knowledge required for this niche than others. But that also means clients are willing to pay more for it.
4. Business to Business (B2B) Writing
B2B writing involves writing for businesses that sell to other businesses. For instance, you may write for a gym software company that sells to gyms. This category has tons of different sub-niches, including B2B software and B2B finance. It’s hard to break into this niche, as many companies want samples. However, it can be very lucrative.
Often, it helps to have past business experience. Different industries tend to have their own language and terminology. Knowing how to talk in their language is vital for success in B2B writing.
5. Landing Page Copywriting
Landing pages persuade customers to purchase a particular product or service. This copy is very conversion-orientated and serves as an entry point for potential customers. If any niche is almost purely about marketing, it’s this one.
Because these pages directly lead to sales, companies often pay well for them. For instance, I’ve seen companies paying upwards of $600 for a single landing page. However, these pages are often longer and may require more editing.
Here’s a great landing page example.
6. SEO Writing
SEO writing helps pages perform well on Google, which is many companies’ main traffic source. You’ll need to learn how to write for the company’s audience and Google. You’ll be writing for both the company’s audience and search engines.
This niche changes a lot, as algorithm updates occur all the time. Therefore, you’ll need to stay updated on new SEO practices, which can be a full-time job itself.
However, companies are often willing to pay a lot for this niche because SEO drives so much traffic. It can also be overwhelming for many, so they’re more willing to pay someone else to do it.
7. Ghostwriting
Many times, public figures, experts, or industry leaders will hire ghostwriters to write content for them. Even though the writer’s name may not be credited on the published work, their words and expertise play a crucial role in creating the content.
You could be writing everything from books to speeches to blog posts. Often, these leaders and experts don’t have the time or writing experience to write themselves. However, they will often want you to use their ideas and voice to craft the content.
In many cases, ghostwriting involves interviewing the client and putting their words into the well-written copy.
8. Technical Writing
Technical writing is a niche that requires a knack for explaining complex concepts in a clear and concise manner. It often involves creating user manuals, technical documentation, product guides, and instructional materials.
Often, this writing can be fairly dry, reducing the competition. However, it is required by just about any company that sells a product. If you don’t mind writing how-to manuals, then technical writing can be very lucrative.
9. White Papers
White papers are very long form content that delves deep into specific topics. Often, white papers take the form of PDF downloads or ebooks. Because these are often several pages, the payout per job is very high.
Creating white papers requires thorough research, a deep understanding of the subject matter, and the ability to present information in a structured and persuasive manner. It often takes many hours to craft even shorter white papers. A company may even be willing to pay you a retainer that covers a month of your time if they want something particularly long or research-intensive.
Writers who enjoy focusing almost solely on one topic at a time will do well in this niche. However, research skills and the ability to distill complex topics simply are required.
9 High-Paying Freelance Writing Industries You May Also Pick From
You can also find a niche based on the topic. For instance, you may write about anything as long as it is about finance (or gardening or camping).
1. Finance
Finance is a lucrative niche. It typically involves helping people make more money. People are typically willing to pay more to make more money, which makes this niche very high-paying. There are also several sub-niches within this one, like personal finance, investing, fintech, or financial planning. All of these tend to pay quite a bit.
There is always a demand for financial advice, as well. Therefore, this isn’t a niche that tends to be sensitive to recessions or cultural shifts.
Here’s a finance blog for you to take a look at.
2. Cryptocurrency
Technically, cryptocurrency is a sub-niche under finance. However, it’s immensely popular. Therefore, it’s a great niche to dive into if you have the experience and expertise.
While cryptocurrency is becoming more popular, it is often a complex niche. Therefore, many freelance writers pass it over due to its complexity. If you already have experience in crypto trading or blockchain technology, you’ll have a huge leg up in this lucrative niche.
3. Digital marketing
Digital marketing encompasses several different niches. Content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and SEO all fall into this category. Once you have some samples, this niche can be very lucrative.
However, this niche is more competitive than others. Just about every freelance writer has some experience with digital marketing. Therefore, it can be challenging to stand out. Once you have a few niche-specific samples, though, you can begin charging a higher rate.
4. Software as a Service (SaaS)
The SaaS industry is booming, and software companies often require specialized content to market their products and educate their customers. However, the average generalist writer often doesn’t have enough expertise to write about SaaS products, which is where specialist writers come in.
Specializing in SaaS writing enables you to create content that speaks directly to software developers, IT professionals, and SaaS users. It helps to have some experience in this niche before you head into it. However, if you have a knack for research, you can craft a few dummy articles as samples.
Similarly to technical writing and cryptocurrency, many writers avoid this niche because it is very technical. Therefore, there is less competition and higher payouts.
5. Ecommerce
Ecommerce includes a lot of different sub-niches, such as only retail and dropshipping. Ecommerce may seem simple upfront, but the topics companies need to be written can be extremely technical. Many generalist writers don’t have the chops to tackle these topics, so companies almost exclusively hire specialists.
If you have any experience in Ecommerce, you can potentially thrive in this niche. There are tons of people looking to make money online, so there is a constant need for more writers.
6. Alternative Health
Alternative health and medicine can be a viable niche for writers with some health experience. Due to the Google algorithm, expertise plays a huge role in medical writing, including alternative health. Therefore, companies are often willing to pay big bucks for this expertise.
Of course, you can’t just invent expertise in the health field. Therefore, this niche isn’t for everyone. Furthermore, some FDA guidelines surround the creation of some health content, which you should keep in mind.
7. Real Estate
Many real estate agents have blogs. However, they often don’t have the time or writing skill sets to craft their own blog posts. Therefore, many will hire writers to do this for them. SEO writing and blog posts are often commonly found in the real estate niche, but you may do a white paper or two, too.
Unlike other lucrative niches, expertise isn’t a huge issue, as lots of real estate content is ghostwritten.
8. Education
Education is one of the biggest niches out there. People are willing to pay a lot for education and skill training for the same reason they’re willing to pay for financial advice. Theoretically, more education should help them make more money.
You can get a cut of this lucrative niche by specializing in education. You may write blog posts for educational websites, write textbook guides, or help universities with marketing emails.
9. Cannabis (CBD)
Cannabis is a growing industry, and all the cannabis businesses out there need someone to write their marketing materials. This niche tends to have a lot of terminology, such as the names of different strains. Therefore, it isn’t typically something that the average freelance writer can tackle without doing extensive research.
Surprisingly, I’ve also noticed a significant lack of freelance writers focusing on this niche. Therefore, there is a chance to get into this lucrative niche before more writers flock to it.
5 Underserved Freelance Writing Niches For 2024
The writing niches I’ve touched on thus far are lucrative, but they are also well-established. Many writers know they exist and are targeting them. It may be worth keeping an eye on these emerging markets:
1. Content Refresh
Digital marketing has been around for a while. There have been tons of articles made over the last decade. However, lots of that content is now old. Therefore, services for refreshing this content are in higher demand. In fact, this service will be increasingly important over the next few years.
2. Thought Leadership Content
Thought leadership content basically helps a company establish itself as a leader in its niche. Often, this is done through somewhat unconventional opinion articles. Personal stories and ideas are often shared, and this is where a freelance writer can really help.
In many cases, several experts within a company may contribute to one article. A writer can help bring all these opinions and thoughts together into an interesting, informative article.
Animalz (a marketing company) produces tons of great content on thought leadership that can help you get started.
3. Development Content Writing
The tech industry constantly needs content related to software development, coding, and programming. Often, this content matter is complex, so you need to have a little bit of expertise (or just be really good at faking it).
This niche has been around for awhile, but it is constantly underserved. Therefore, if you like researching complex topics, this can be a very lucrative niche for you.
4. Content Distribution
Creating content is just one part of the equation; distributing it effectively is equally crucial. Content distribution writers specialize in strategies and tactics for disseminating content across various platforms and channels, maximizing its reach and impact.
Instead of just writing content from scratch, you’ll be distributing the content across several channels optimally. How you share content on a blog is different from how you share it on Instagram, and you’ll need to know these differences.
5. Content Editing and Management
Content quality and consistency are vital for businesses striving to maintain a strong online presence. Specializing in content editing and management involves proofreading, editing, and overseeing content schedules to ensure the highest standards are met.
Eventually, freelance writers often become editors. Companies with two or more writers often hire editors and content writers. Therefore, if you’re more interested in content editing, you can try to move into this niche.
How to Find a Profitable Freelance Writing Niche?
There are hundreds of potential niches out there, and figuring out exactly which one you should try can be challenging. Here are some ways you can use the lists above to actually make a career decision:
1. Take Stock of Your Professional Experience and Expertise
Consider your past experience and see if you may have particular expertise that may make it easier to break into a niche. Some niches practically require real-world experience, such as healthcare niches.
If you worked in the healthcare industry, writing about healthcare topics may make the most sense. Your familiarity with medical terminology and industry trends can be a huge asset.
2. Note Down Your Passions and Interests
Your interests can also play a huge role in your chosen niche, even if you don’t have direct experience in that passion.
What do you enjoy reading and learning about in your free time? Writing about subjects you’re passionate about can make your work more enjoyable and authentic. Plus, you may have background knowledge that can reduce research times and help land your first client.
3. Scout Market Demand by Looking at Writing Gigs on Job Boards
In freelance writing, you need to follow the money. You may find a great niche that aligns with your experience and passions, but if no one is willing to pay you to write in that niche, you’ll be out of luck.
Look at job boards to determine what niches are the most common. Obviously, if many companies in one niche are looking for writers, you’re more likely to land a job. However, remember that most niches ebb and flow naturally. Just because no one has looked for a finance writer in the last month doesn’t mean the finance niche is dead!
A great, recent example of this is in the AI niche. Once AI topics started hitting the media, many tech companies scrambled to hire a writer with AI experience. However, the surge in job postings died down after a few months.
Parting Tips to Validate and Excel In Your Chosen Writing Niche!
1. Work with a Few Clients to Find What You Enjoy
There is no need to niche down right away. Instead, it is perfectly fine to try a few different niches and see how you like really working in that niche. Some niches may be fun as a hobby, but you may not enjoy them enough to make it your livelihood.
Plus, you may find that you just aren’t good at writing about some things. That’s okay! Consider it lucky that you tried it out before deciding to make that niche your whole online persona.
2. Focus on Getting Results for Your Clients
Clients want someone that gets the job done. It’s that simple. Strive to produce content that achieves measurable outcomes for your clients, whether it’s increased website traffic, higher conversion rates, or enhanced brand visibility.
Even if you disagree with your client’s feedback, remember that you’re providing them with a product. Preferably, that product should line up with what your client wants. Freelance writing is much different from creative writing, where you’re the only one calling the shots.
3. Keep Guest Posting
It may be years before industry leaders are willing to pay you for your work. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t guest post in top publications to showcase your expertise. If you write quality content that performs well on these platforms, you can make yourself stand out as an authority in your niche.
4. Overwhelmed? Just Get Started as a Generalist Writer
I’ve seen it countless times: new freelance writers are excited to begin but never really start writing because they get stuck on what niche to choose. There is no reason to select the perfect niche right now. In fact, you probably won’t know what the best niche for you is until you start writing.
When I first started, I didn’t pick a niche. Instead, I signed up for any job I might remotely have an interest in until I landed one in the pet niche. I worked for that client for years and branched out to work for several industry leaders – all because I have dozens of pet-related samples.
I didn’t exactly choose the pet niche, but it “chose” me.
After that, I branched out to work for several other websites run by the same clients. Eventually, this led to me specializing in affiliate and SEO writing. It wasn’t a niche that I directly chose. Instead, it happened to be what my clients needed from me.
