CHAPTER 5
Find your “Niche”
Your comfort subject
What is a “niche”? This can be defined many ways, but for us it simply means our comfort subject. However, for many it might be something we fell into based on its simplicity, familiar topic, or convenience. For all you beginners try to use all your focus and resolve to avoid this pitfall. But, don’t look at this like it’s some dilemma we must overcome or stress about. Finding your “niche” is easier than you think.
What are you passionate about?
If you’ve always been captivated by sports, certain sports analysts, or writers then quite possibly your passions will be connected. Maybe you’ve always been a movie buff or a patron of the arts or theatre. Your “niche” will be the engine that drives your passions. You want it to be your idea. It should drive your writing not dictate your writing. When you realize what it is that you are truly passionate about, you will discover this is and should be your “niche”.
Consequently, this passion will help you become the writer you want to be. The writer you are meant to be. You will also find that those you want to reach or help will greatly appreciate your words. Your “niche” can ultimately be the theme of your business.
Build your own traffic producing website
If you don’t have a blog yet, start one! Earlier I told you I would have a tremendous recommendation for you when it comes to building your own website. If you can learn how to get traffic to your own website you will be on your way to extraordinary success. No cost traffic is certainly out there. Finding it requires generating useful proven techniques that I can surely set you up to obtain. You will need to surround yourself with a pantheon whose emphasis are creating web domains.
Your own domain name will become a calling card for your business. It will be your brand of writing that gathers a band of supporters in harmony with your style and content. It will be here that you can introduce, infuse, enforce and renew your “niche” by letting your direction be known.
WA = Wealthy Affiliate
Wealthy Affiliate is an industry leader and second to none. No other website building platform offers what they do. This is seriously the finest place for networking and getting free services as well as feedback from various cosmos. It is here that you can personally communicate with myself and a realm of other important people. You will become part of a community that really cares about you and your success.
If you’ve had poor experiences with the likes of LinkedIn, GoDaddy or any other platforms, rest assured I’m confident when I tell you that this will be the beginning of your online success. Self-publishing of your work will be available to you in multiple formats, including email, blogging, and owning your own domain. Here you can brand yourself and create links to your published works.
As a novice to the freelancing world you might think getting your work published is much more complicated than it actually is. Creating your own traffic building platform on Wealthy Affiliate is quite simple. You will want to write and publish your blogs regularly, which will keep your client base updated while at the same time reach the largest number of potential new followers. I’ll look forward to our personal connection there.
Communities geared solely for writers
There are communities solely bound to writers such as Medium and others. Here you can both self-publish your work and read the self-published works of other writers. These sites offer networking opportunities, but are limited to those people with the same intentions you have. The result is far less traffic building potential. American Writers & Artists Institute (AWAI) is noted for having updated and useful information; however, it is not a free membership and will have multiple costs for enhancing your career development. Training classes offered can be expensive and less effective than actual trial and error.
Decisions to take action
Making comfortable decisions that can help you reach your goals are clearly necessary. The key to your progress will always be the result of your taking action. First, select a path that leads in the direction you desire and feel confident you can excel at. Whether you earn your money as a business-to-business writer, copywriter, social media writer, information marketer, website owner or some other way making this decision allows you to move forward saving time and money.
One thing for certain, there is no wrong choice and you should not agonize over this decision. More important, this most likely will not be the only path you end up following. The idea is to get a jump start on your career and earning potential. If later you decide to go in another direction, you will have this experience to rely and lean on.
The social media trap
Social media is still the cauldron of too many writers. However, it is much less selective and often crowded with monotonous reterick. You may find an increase in visibility, but limited in its ultimate value. Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter all share links to posts you have self-published elsewhere. So regardless of what might be offensive on these sites, you can get your work viewed much quicker. Once you have a significant base of clients these sites can be the easiest way for them to refer others to your writing.
Getting paid for writing emails
Writing emails for a living seems too good to be true; but, think about how many emails you’ve read in your life so far and where some of these emails have come from. What if I told you that you can get paid $100 – $300 (or more) for each email you write. That’s the going rate for simple 250 – 500 word emails. And, with companies needing lots of emails written your compensation can grow quite quickly.
All businesses, all sizes have no choice but to communicate with their consumers through emails. Due to the world’s pandemic, many marketing firms have been lost and businesses have been forced to share information with their customers every day via emails. Statistically, 98% of all consumers check their email daily, with more than 50% of these checking as much as ten times per day! In total, over 290 Billion emails were sent and received in 2019. The DMA found that for every $1 spent on emails the average business return was $38. Consider this, as a marketing channel, email outperforms social media by over 35%.
Writing emails for clientele is very much like writing an email to a family member or friend describing why they should try a new restaurant you found so enjoyable. It is a skill that can be acquired quickly; and, it may lead to steady and reliable work. This is the simplest way of jump starting your business and to earn reliable income.
Why don’t businesses write their own emails?
Outsourcing email writing helps businesses stay focused on higher level priorities. This enables in-house staff to work on project management tasks which don’t allow quiet times necessary to write accomplished and productive emails. So companies simply come up with email campaigns, contract it out, and move on.
Endless avenues to pursue
If you are interested in this easy to read and understand, short-form email copy, this is a wonderful opportunity with endless avenues to pursue. Better yet, words will be at a premium. Successful result-driven copy will grow impressive compensation. Almost always, graphic designers will be employed to add to your empowering email content.
Types of email copy
1) Emails for promoting e-books
2) Emails for generating sales leads
3) Emails for announcing new products and services
4) Emails for up-selling and/or cross-selling
5) Emails for promoting webinars and upcoming events
6) Emails for promoting coupons and special discounts
7) Emails for selling training
8) Emails for taking prospects and customers to a company’s landing page
Types of email projects will range from product launches to special discount shopper offers. All will include welcomes, up-sells, limited time offers and follow up sequences. Good results will make your writing must have and keep your income level highly respectable. Remember, there is currently so much work out there for those who can write great email copy.
Cart abandonment
If you ever put items in an E-commerce shopping cart and either lost control on the placing of an order or possibly had a second thought about completing the purchase, this failure to complete the transaction is listed as “cart abandonment”. It is quite real and ultimately can cost retailers significantly. In fact, E-commerce statistics showed over $15 billion was lost last year due to cart abandonment. Consequently, retailers go to great efforts trying to save these perspective sales with email follow up copy. Typically, these emails are two or more strategically and sequentially set up to promote the desired response from the consumer. If a prospective buyer is still interested the right email can easily save a sale.
Business to business copywriting
This is by far the best niche for new writers. There is no doubt that covid-19 has changed the face of business. Those companies that once relied on trade shows and face to face selling are now reliant on content marketing and writers like you. In today’s world, there is no quicker or easier way of becoming independent as a freelance writer than working as a B2B copywriter. This means writing informative, comprehensive content for an industry that grows exponentially by more than $1 trillion per year.
B2B writing can be more enjoyable and lucrative than you might imagine. Right now companies are desperately searching for copywriters who can handle the move of their marketing content to online. When it comes to B2B copywriting, you do not need any business training. Instead of thinking in a purely business perspective, rely on your “niche” knowledge. This expertise is exactly what B2B copywriting clients want. Simply reach out to marketing directors within your “niche”. Search industry events and publications. This will lead you to companies that have marketing needs for your talents. Reach these marketing directors on “LinkedIn” or with direct emails.
B2B copywriters are always in high demand because there aren’t enough writers taking an interest in this type of non hype writing. If you can excel in this niche you’ll never be out of work or wondering where the next paycheck is coming from.
Not only can this style of writing demand excellent compensation, it can build permanent relationships with companies for years to come. B2B writing is learned and not created. It is undoubtedly boring to some, but for others a piece of cake. This non hype copy is meant to target businesses and professionals only looking for information and tactful conversation that is fact-filled, compelling and persuasive.
What makes a good copywriter
1) You enjoy being frank and transparent.
2) Empathy is important to you.
3) You enjoy listening as well as conversation.
4) You consider yourself open and honest.
5) You respect others, and always try to understand where someone is coming from when their opinion is different than yours.
6) You think before speaking and always choose your words accordingly.
7) You always aim for a positive outcome to all that you write.
8) You are cutting edge and have no problem selling something that you truly believe in.
9) You want your writing to inspire and enlighten others.
10) You get great satisfaction from the helping of others.
Pandemic-proof
We’ve always known that copywriting is recession-proof, but now we know that it is pandemic-proof as well. Even before the crisis the Health Care Industry was spending $35 billion a year on marketing. Now, it has become one of the most lucrative markets for writers today!
“Natural” health supplements
A writer’s niche that you might want to pursue is the world’s “Natural” Health Supplement marketplace. This is a $100 billion industry and growing. In America, there are currently 80 million “baby boomers” who are a part of this market. More and more adults are experiencing the aches and pains of reaching retirement age.
Everything from arthritis, diabetes, weight gains, sleeping disorders as well as heart, and arterial function have become the driving force behind this all natural supplement revolution. The world is moving in an uninterrupted way of finding nature’s cure to aging. Immune system boosts and regenerative supplement product lines are expanding as you read this.
It’s really not a surprise that this market has been booming over the last decade and will triple over the next. This means that this is a tremendous opportunity for those who can excel at writing great health copy.
Your success story
Learning is always a part of any success story. You may find that a second or even a possible third path to follow can lead to new and exciting avenues of work and compensation.
Changing or adding a “niche” is totally acceptable. Just like the choosing of a certain path to follow the choosing of your “niche” is not something to stress about. Adjusting or completely changing your mind down the road is something you will learn and grow from.
In conclusion
The best thing about writing email copy is that you may choose your own path to follow. Whatever excites, interests, or compels you, there are plenty of companies that are in need of dedicated result-driven writers.
If you can excel at writing white papers you will be in huge demand and can expect to earn $2K-5K for 5-10 pages of top shelf copy.
There are many options when it comes to B2B writing:
1) Short pieces like blog posts
2) Long pieces like white papers or e-books
3) Spoken like speeches
4) Visual like infographics or animations
5) Educational like video scripts
6) Technical like instructional manuals
7) News based like press releases
8) Research based like white papers
9) Conversational like e-newspapers
10) Mixes of two or more from above
Once you find the formats you like keep pursuing them. If you want to be an expert in any, keep studying your field. Whether you can excel at writing email newsletters, important landing site pages or product descriptions, you will find substantial work and excellent compensation. Specializing in a certain field can lead to renewable demand.
Find struggling companies that currently do an inadequate job of promoting their products as well as their objectives. If you can do better, and create a “Mission” statement that propels their business, you can find an employer for life.