If you’re a mom who’s just starting a freelance writing career, you probably don’t have a lot of spare time to waste. That’s why it’s important to choose a niche that is in-demand, that you’re passionate about and (maybe most importantly!) that pays well.
You may have heard the expression “the riches are in the niches.” And in my experience as a 6-figure freelance writer, this is absolutely true. If you want to fast-track your career, write more efficiently, and make more money as a freelance writer, you need to focus on writing for a specific niche.
In this blog post, I’m going to share with you the top in-demand writing niches of 2024, so that you can start building your portfolio and making money as a freelance writer sooner rather than later.
Top In-demand Writing Niches of 2024
Ready to discover the best writing niches of 2024? It all boils down to 3 very simple categories:
- Health
- Wealth
- Relationships
Any niche that can help people improve in 1 of these 3 areas will ALWAYS be in-demand because people are constantly looking for ways to feel better, make more money, and find (and keep) love.
So I’ve broken down the best writing niches within each category, along with some examples of the types of writing you can do in each one:
Health
- Nutrition
- Mental Wellness
- Fitness
- Anti-aging
- Pharma
- Gut Health
- Alternative Medicine
- Medical Devices
Wealth
- Entrepreneurship/Startups
- Accounting
- Finance
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Stocks/Investments
- Personal Finance
- Law
- Real Estate
- Cryptocurrency
- Digital Marketing and SEO
- Remote Work
- E-Learning
Relationships
- Courses/e-learning (self-development)
- Sex/dating
- Survival (security/peace of mind)
- Mental Health/mindset
- Sleep quality
- Wedding Planning
- Marriage/Divorce counseling
- Parenting
There are also a few honorable mentions that didn’t quite fit into any of these categories, but are still very in-demand industries:
Other In-Demand Niches
- Tech/Gadgets
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cyber Security
- Pet Care
- Fashion Beauty
- Sustainable/Green Living
With all these options, finding a niche that’s perfect for you and pays really well shouldn’t be too hard. And if you’re not sure where to start, just pick one and give it a try. The worst that can happen is you don’t like it and move on to something else.
2024 Economic Trends and the Impact on Freelance Writing Niches
Now, let’s take a sec to chat about how 2024’s economy could shape our writing world and your decisions of choosing a profitable niche. There’s been talks of recession ever since Covid, and we’re experiencing killer inflation that’s demolishing our wallets. Plus, there were hundreds of thousands of layoffs in 2023. So we have to expect a slowdown on the horizon. That means you need to due your due diligence and pick a niche that will stay strong in tough economic times.
Study growth trends in the niche you’re considering. In a shaky economy, niches linked to essential services often hold up well. Focus on areas where people are likely to continue spending, even when budgets are tight. Also, consider niches that provide solutions to current challenges, like remote work productivity or financial planning. Your aim should be to find a sweet spot – a niche that not only interests you but is also relevant and resilient in the current economic climate. Mirror where the economy’s headed and it will be like catching the right wave at the right time!
What Is a Niche?
If you’re totally new to freelance writing, you may be wondering what the word “niche” even is. A niche is simply a focus or specialization. It’s a specific focus within a larger market. So when it comes to freelance writing, you can niche down in two ways:
- You can niche down by industry. For example, you could specialize in writing about health, business, parenting, pets, travel, etc.
- You can niche down by type of writing. For example, you could specialize in writing blog posts, articles, web copy, e-books, etc.
You can do both or you can choose one or the other. For the purpose of this blog post, we’re going to focus on niching down by industry.
This is how I’ve done it, and it’s worked really well for me. I write for the home service industry (think construction, plumbing, HVAC, landscaping, etc.), and over the years I’ve written any kind of project you can think of in this niche. But because I’ve focused on just this one industry, I’m now known as a “go-to” writer in this space.
I get a lot of repeat clients and referrals because they know that I understand their industry inside and out. And this is why niching down is so important.
Do You Need to Pick a Niche for Freelance Writing?
You might be wondering, “Do I really need to pick a niche as a freelance writer?” There are plenty of freelance writers who do not have a niche, and they do just fine. But if you want to accelerate your career, I highly recommend niching down. Here’s why:
It’s easier to stand out in a smaller pond.
When you’re writing for a specific industry, you’re automatically separating yourself from the vast majority of freelance writers who write about everything under the sun.
You can become known as an expert.
When you focus on writing about one specific industry, you can become known as an expert in that field. This is great for your reputation and will make it easier to get high-paying clients.
You can develop a repeat client base.
When you write for the same industries over and over again, you develop a loyal client base that keeps coming back to you for more projects. This is great for your bottom line!
There’s less of a learning curve.
Becoming a skilled writer takes…well, skill! And that takes some time and practice to develop. But if you’re niching down (especially if you’re niching down by writing type), there’s just less to learn.
You can focus your energies on becoming a master of that one type of writing, and you’ll get up-to-speed on the best practices much quicker.
You can charge more money.
When you have a specialty, you can command higher rates for your services. This is because you’re perceived as being more valuable to your clients – after all, you’re the expert!
Think about a doctor — if you’re facing a serious heart problem, you would jump at the chance to pay more for a cardiologist than you would to see a family doctor, right?
It’s the same with freelance writing. Here are 9 ideas to help you make more money as a freelance writer (even if you’re new to writing!).
You can write faster.
For busy moms, I think this is the biggest benefit because it allows you to get your projects done more quickly and efficiently.
The longer you write about one specific industry, the easier it becomes. You’ll develop a sort of “muscle memory” for writing in your niche, and you’ll be able to churn out projects faster than ever before.
You won’t need to spend as much time in the research phase because you already have a deep understanding of the ideal audience, their pain points, and how to speak to them.
And because completing projects is so much easier and quicker, you’ll be able to take on more projects and make more money as a freelance writer.
So if you’re looking to maximize your productivity and earnings as a freelance writer, I highly recommend niching down.
How Do You Find a Niche That’s Right for You?
Okay, so I already hear you saying, “But I have so many interests! How am I supposed to choose just one?! And I get it. I really do. That’s why I should let you know you DON’T have to be 100% committed to your niche forever. You can always change your mind later on down the road.
But for now, it’s important to focus your energies on ONE area so that you can start seeing results more quickly. As you learn what you enjoy writing about and what you’re good at, you can always branch out into other niches later on.
My goal for you is to see success as fast as possible — so that you can quit your day job and be there for your kids full-time…and make great money! If that’s what you want too, then it’s important to focus your energies on just one niche.
Let’s do some brainstorming so you can find the perfect niche for you:
Step 1: Think about what you’re passionate about
If you’re going to spend hundreds of hours writing about something, it might as well be something you enjoy, right?
- What topics do you enjoy learning about?
- What hobbies do you have?
- What causes do you care about?
Those are probably topics that you could write about pretty easily (and enjoy doing so!). Write all your interests down.
Step 2: Consider your experiences and expertise
If you have any certifications or prior work experience in a certain field, that’s a great place to start. You can use your existing knowledge to get a leg up on the competition.
- What do you have experience in?
- Do you have a degree or any certifications?
- What do people ask you for advice on?
- What are you good at?
Use your past skills and experiences to guide your niche. Write all of it down.
Step 3: Narrow your list down based on feasibility and interest level
Take your big list of interests, skills and past experience and spend some time researching each one to see if there’s enough demand for writers in that particular niche (skim the list down below to see which ones are currently paying the big bucks!).
Your goal is to find the perfect blend of a niche you’re passionate about, that you have some experience in, and that has enough demand to ensure a consistent stream of work and income.
It’s important to choose an industry that values writers and has a budget to pay them well. You never want to be in a position of trying to convince people to invest in content marketing — it should be a no-brainer for them!
Some factors to consider when evaluating a niche:
- Is this a growing industry or a dying industry?
- Do companies in this industry value content marketing?
- Do companies in this industry have the budget to pay for quality content?
- Is this a niche I could see myself writing about for years to come, or would I get bored quickly?
- Are there already other writers in this niche? If so, how much competition is there?
If you do discover a lot of other writers are targeting the niche you’re interested in, that’s not necessarily a bad thing! It could actually mean there’s more demand for writers in that particular niche.
The key is to evaluate how much competition there is and whether or not you think you can stand out and get noticed.
- Is there something about your particular skillset or experience that could set you apart?
- Do you understand the market and the needs of businesses in that niche better than other writers?
- Can you offer writing that’s better quality or more unique than what’s already out there?
- Could you get your potential clients better results?
If you can answer yes to any of those questions, then you might have found your perfect niche!
Step 4: When in doubt, start broad and narrow down later.
I don’t want you to get too hung up on picking a writing niche — and then never get started because you’re unsure.
If you can’t decide between a few different options, start with a broader niche and then narrow it down later once you’ve had a chance to build your portfolio and get some clients under your belt.
For example, you could start out writing about health in general and then narrow down to something like post-natal fitness after a while.
You can always specialize later on. Don’t let this be the thing that stops you from starting your freelance writing business!
How Do You Start Building a Writing Portfolio in a New Niche?
Whether you’re starting from scratch or switching gears to a new niche, you’ll need to create a portfolio so that potential clients can see your writing chops.
Don’t get overwhelmed about building a website in the beginning. If you don’t have the time or money to invest in a website yet,or if you’re dabbling in a new niche, that’s okay! You can just collect a few samples in a Google drive folder until you’re ready to take the plunge into building your own site.
When you’re just starting out, it’s more important to focus on getting writing samples in front of potential clients than it is to have a flashy website. You can (and should!) upgrade and invest in something really professional after you have a few client testimonials and some really strong samples to display.
But for now, here’s how to build a niche-specific writing portfolio from scratch:
Step 1: Research the niche
The first step for any writing project is research. But when you’re just starting out in a new niche, this step is especially important.
Not only do you need to understand the market and what companies are looking for, but you also need to be able to speak their language. And you have to understand 2 distinct audiences:
- Your customer
- Their customer
You need understand what your customer (potential clients) struggle with:
- Why do they need a writer?
- What do writers in this niche usually write about?
- What terminology do they use?
- What kind of results do they want to see?
- What hot-button topics are they talking about?
- What are the trends in this industry?
Knowing these things will help you land writing gigs, because you’ll be able to speak directly to the client’s needs.
You also need to understand what their dream customers:
- What are their pains/passions?
- Where and how do they live?
- What do they spend their money on?
- What products, services, or solutions are they searching for?
Using all this information, you can start to craft your portfolio around the needs of businesses and consumers in your niche.
Step 2: Start with what you have
If you’ve been writing for a while, whether it’s for work or pleasure, go through your old pieces and see if any of them could be repurposed for your new portfolio.
You might be surprised how many of your old pieces could be easily tweaked to fit a new niche!
Step 3: Write some new pieces specifically for your portfolio
If you don’t have any published work yet, or if you want to start fresh with a new niche, write some brand new pieces specifically for your portfolio.
You don’t need a client to do this – just choose a type of content (ad, blog, email, etc.) and give yourself a brief:
- Length
- Goal
- Target audience
- Tone
You can choose a real business or make one up. Then, write the piece as if you were writing it for a real client. This is a great way to get some practice in and to start thinking about the types of businesses or projects you might want to work on in the future.
When writing these pieces, make sure to focus on quality over quantity. It’s better to have a few strong samples than a bunch of mediocre ones.
Then in the footer, just include a note that says this is “spec work,” which just means you were not hired by the client to write that piece.
Step 4: Curate your best work
Gather your 3 best writing samples and put them front and center in your portfolio. Make sure the samples you choose are well-written and showcase the type of writing you want to do. This should be your best, most recent and relevant writing.
Throw them into a Google drive folder and then you can start pitching to potential clients in this niche.
Step 5: Level-up your portfolio
After you’ve landed a few paying clients, you can start thinking about investing in a website and really fleshing out your portfolio.
Your website should be simple and easy to navigate. Make sure to include a:
- Home page that clearly conveys how you help your clients
- Services page that outlines the types of writing you do
- Samples page with your best work that’s relevant to the niche
- About page that shows potential clients why you’re the best writer for their needs
- Contact page so they can easily get in touch
You can even add a blog to answer common questions, share strategies, and drive organic traffic (and potential leads!) to your website.
Just remember that every single page of your website, your branding, and the language you use should be geared towards your target client in this niche. That will make it easier for them to see the benefits of hiring you!
How Do You Know When It’s Time to Move On to a New Niche?
So you’ve settled on a niche, you’ve built up your portfolio…and then you realize that you’re just not that into it. Maybe the work is boring, or maybe you’re not landing as many clients as you thought you would. Whatever the reason, it might be time to consider moving on to something new.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you make the decision:
Are you struggling to find clients in this niche?
If you’ve sent out hundreds of pitches (not dozens, hundreds – pitching takes time and consistency!) and only getting a handful of bites, it might be time to move on. There are only so many ways you can tweak your pitch before it’s time to give up and try something new.
Does this niche bore you?
If you find yourself struggling to get excited about the work, it’s probably not the right fit. I don’t always wake up and want to write, but it’s usually because of the topic, not because I don’t like writing itself…
If you find yourself dreading every project, it might be a sign that you need to move on.
Do you feel like a fraud?
This is a big one. Imposter syndrome is certainly real, but if you’re constantly second guessing yourself and your abilities, it might be time to consider a new niche.
It’s one thing to feel like you’re not an expert yet — that just means you have more to learn. But if you’re questioning your very ability to do the work, it might be time to move on.
Do you get a lot of negative feedback?
If you regularly get negative feedback from clients, it might be time to consider a new niche. Of course, not all clients are going to love everything you do — that’s normal. But if the majority of your feedback is negative, something might be off.
For me, this is the technology/SaaS world. Over the years I’ve taken on a few projects in this niche to fill gaps in my schedule, and it was always a struggle…
I found the work to be dry, the clients difficult to please, and I just struggled to get them the results they wanted (despite my best efforts). It was a constant battle that I was never able to win.
Now I just turn down projects in this niche without a second thought — it’s not worth the stress and my time is better spent finding clients that I can actually help.
Are you making enough money?
At the end of the day, we all have bills to pay. If you’re barely scraping by or constantly worrying about cash flow, it might be time to consider a new niche.
This goes back to finding a niche that’s in-demand and values writers. Maybe you just haven’t found the right clients yet, or maybe you need to raise your rates. But if you’re constantly struggling to make ends meet, this niche might not be the best choice.
Picking a niche is one of the points where I see new freelance writers get stuck. I’ve created a step-by-step 30 day guide and success planner to help you go from NO experience and NO niche, to landing paying clients in a profitable niche! Grab the FREE guide here and start your writing journey now!
