How to Know If Your Freelance Writing Niche Is Profitable

Publication Date

February 11, 2022

Summary

Let’s walk through how to test your niche for viability—and how to write more persuasively and effectively once you’ve picked one.

How to Know If Your Niche Is Viable

When I got specific with my niche—Coding Bootcamps & Upskill Educators—I started getting twice as many clients. I was overbooked for over a year.

Why? Because when you’re a specialist, you:

Appear trustworthy and credible
Know your client’s industry and audience
Attract higher-paying, more aligned clients
Get more referrals (clients love referring a niche expert!)

But how do you actually know if your niche will work?

1. How many words define your topic?

This is the simplest place to start.

If your niche is just two words, it’s probably too broad.
If your niche takes 8+ words to explain, it’s likely too specific.

My main niche? Online Coding Bootcamps + Upskill Educators. That’s five words—specific but flexible.

Not sure how to narrow yours? Try combining an audience + a service/product + an industry.

2. Can you find: 2 brands, 2 products or services, and 1 publication?

If you can’t find these five things, you’ll probably struggle to find paying clients in that space.

Use a Pomodoro timer and give yourself 25 minutes to research:

2 brands in the space
2 products or services your niche audience buys
1 publication that speaks to your niche

Let’s say you’re interested in the Solo Female Van Life niche. Here are some examples:

Brands: The Dyrt, Vanlife Diaries
Products/Services: Solar panel kits, campervan insurance
Publication: She Explores

Pro tip: Tech pays more. Try adding “tech” to your niche (e.g., “solo van life tech”) and see what comes up.

3. Can you identify your target audience?

This one trips up a lot of freelancers, but it’s critical.

You should be able to describe your target audience like a real person. What do they want? What frustrates them? Where do they spend time online?

One tool that helps? HubSpot’s Make My Persona. It’ll guide you through building a target audience profile (and includes helpful tips for marketing to them).

When I was writing for solo travelers, I picked a real YouTuber I followed and built a persona around her. It worked.

Try This: Practice Empathetic Writing

If you want to grow beyond just SEO blogs and start writing high-converting content, you need to step into your reader’s shoes.

Here are 10 questions to get you started:

How old is your audience?
What’s their gender identity?
What are their interests?
What are their goals?
What are they struggling with?
What’s their love language?
What’s their income?
What’s their lifestyle like?
What are their dreams?
Can you relate to them? Have you ever been in their shoes?

You don’t need a full brand strategy doc. You just need to know who you're talking to.

Great copywriters and content writers do this instinctively. And the more you practice, the more persuasive your writing becomes.

FAQs About Finding Your Niche

What is a freelance writing niche?

A niche is a specific topic, industry, or audience you specialize in. Think: health tech, SaaS onboarding emails, or outdoor lifestyle blog content.

How do I know if my niche is profitable?

Make sure you can identify:

2 brands
2 products/services
1 publication

If those exist and are hiring freelancers or working with creators, your niche is viable.

Can I have more than one niche?

Yes—but start with one for the first 6–12 months. Learn how to get clients, raise your rates, and build a portfolio. You can expand later.

How do I get better at writing for my niche?

Research your target audience. Use tools like Make My Persona, follow real people online, and practice writing from their point of view.

Looking for something else?

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