• by Preeti Shah
• 03 June 2023

 

Expertise in a particular field will project you as a thought leader. And everyone wants to get expert help rather than generalized guidance. As a subject matter expert, you get more work opportunities leading to higher income. 

However, most of the time, it becomes difficult to narrow down to one niche initially.

Here I will focus on what niche is, what importance niche selection holds for a freelance writer, how to know whether a niche is profitable and whether writing for multiple niches is correct.

 

What Is Niche, Sub Niche, Micro Niche, and Nano Niche?

A niche is a category or industry. It is a broad term. 

For Example: 

Digital Marketing is a niche. Similarly, Science, Finance, Jewellery, Food, Travel, etc., are all examples of niches.

And you cannot be an expert in the complete niche, and you cannot know everything about that category. So, from here enters the concept of sub-niche and micro-niche.

Let me explain.

Suppose your niche is digital marketing.

Its sub-niches can be social media marketing (SMM), search engine optimization (SEO) services, search engine marketing (SEM), Facebook ads manager, YouTube marketing, and so on.

Till now, I have talked about niche and sub-niche. 

Now, most businesses are going online. They target a particular audience for their products and services.

From here arises the concept of micro niches.

 

What is a Micro-Niche?

A micro-niche is a much smaller but highly profitable area. Factors like area, gender, purchasing power, age, educational qualification, etc., are considered when selecting a micro-niche.

Essential Checklist to Design Buyer Persona

Identify your audience based on the following:

• Age    
• Gender 
• Education     
• Religion
• Urban/Rural
• Income Bracket
• Location
• Occupation
• Lifestyle
• Buyer/Bargainer
• Interest
• Marital Status
• Mindset

You need not focus entirely on this checklist in the beginning. However, while developing your blog or website, do consider it to create laser focus content to reach your targeted readers.

For Example: 

If you chose a sub-niche as a YouTube marketing expert, you could narrow it down further, which can be a micro-niche.

Now you can be a YouTube marketing expert for educational institutes. In this case, you design ads to promote academic service providers' expertise for brand building, leads, or sales generation.

Companies and individuals working in the educational field will see you as an expert in their niche who can effectively generate quality leads for their education business.

One more micro niche can be YouTube marketing experts for educational institutes dealing with UPSC preparation. 

The more you narrow down, the better services you can provide to your clients. Here I am not saying you cannot diversify. However, when you are starting, focus on one concept and once you become a pro in your chosen micro-niche, only then diversify.

Here is another Example:

Niche: Content Writing

Sub-niche: Blog Content Writing

Micro-niche: Blog Content Writing for Tech Companies

Micro-niche: Blog Content Writing for EdTech Companies

Micro-niche: Blog Content Writing for Digital Marketing Firms

 

Nano-Niche

From here, you can narrow it down further also.

If your micro niche is Blog Content Writing for Digital Marketing Firms, your nano niche can be Blog Content Writing for Digital Marketing Firms that serve real estate clients.

A niche can have numerous sub-niches, micro-niches, and nano-niches. It is you who have to decide what to select as per your expertise and market trends.

It is better to be a specialist than a generalist.

It helps you understand the pain points of the targeted audience more effectively and help you develop a valuable, result-driven solution. It also positions you as an expert and enables you to gain credibility.

 

Is Selecting Niche Important for Writers?

Yes, niche selection is essential for writers and every business. Niche helps you to establish authority in your field. 

You solve a particular problem your target audience is facing and provide a unique and result-oriented solution to their problem. So, when people who follow you or only know about you face a similar situation, the only name that pops up in their minds will be yours. 

Everyone wants to take an expert or specialist's advice, not a generalist's.

For example, if you want to solve a maths question, you will not approach a teacher who teaches all subjects, but one with a master's in maths.

Several online blogs and websites are competing against each other in the same field. And to reach their targeted audience, content marketing is the most sought-after way these website owners consider.

So, if you write about every topic, you will not have an in-depth understanding of the working of that field. And it may lead to the development of content that does not match the readers' expectations. 

If the readers do not appreciate the content, the website owners' aim to create brand awareness of their services or products will fail. And also, you will not get any future writing assignments from them.

So, selecting a niche is essential.

Now, I will tell you the right time to select the niche and how to select it.

 

Why is it Not Recommended to Confine to a Particular Niche in the Early Stages of Writing?

In the early stages of learning how to write, choosing a niche can be a burdensome process. And also, sometimes you might lose interest in writing. 

So start writing what you are passionate about and select a topic on which you can talk for hours. 

The duration of mastering how to write effectively will depend on your expertise level. You can also learn the basics in one month, which might require more time. 

I recommend you put on blinders and fully devote the first three months to only one activity, which is writing.

 

How to Select Your Niche and Know if Your Chosen Niche is 'Right'?

Selecting a niche involves several steps, and you must focus on it.

I am sharing the exact step-by-step procedure I followed in selecting my niche. It will also help you choose your niche and check its market value.

Passion

The first step is to make a list of activities you love doing. You can do these tasks happily even if you are tired. The mere thought of doing such activities fills you with joy, and you are always ready to do them. You can also write here any in-born talent you have.

Passion can be something that you have learned and love doing. Inborn talent is something you have not been trained in and are naturally blessed with. However, if you want to make a career out of it, you must go for industry-oriented training to polish your skills.

 

Knowledge & Skills

Make a list of your qualifications. Note the fields in which you hold knowledge and skills in decreasing order.

 

Experience

For each skill set you have written, write down your practical hands-on industry experience in decreasing order.

Now check if your passion is similar to your skillset and experience. If there is no match, relax. Do not worry. 

Just think of a way in which you can connect both. If not, then do market research to study the trends and then only finalize the area in which you will be writing most of the time.

 

Ways to Know About Trends

Use Google trends. Input your primary category and see trends of the past five years. You can select the country of your choice. India and the US are the most preferred ones.

Study what is popular on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Input your key term in the Google search box and see if ads are running for the same. If you cannot see ads, there is very low or no demand for that niche.

Run polls asking questions related to your category to find what problems people are facing.

You can only make money from your efforts if there is a market for your service.

 

What Do You Want to Be Known For?

Now is the time to decide what you want people to know you for. What image do you want to create in their mind?

Now, what will you do?

For this, you have to narrow it down. 

You have to search for that one problem people are facing. 

Analyze already present solutions for that problem in the market. Also, look if your target audience has already utilized these solutions. 

Analyze whether they have benefitted from it or if there is still a gap that you can fill.

Also, you have to analyze whether people are willing to pay for your service. 

If you can come up with a unique remedy to their problem with proven results, you can continue to proceed further.

 

Know Your Purpose

Now you have the problem and the solution ready. Now is the time to have a clear understanding of your purpose. Purpose means what change you want to bring to society in the future. You visualize how the future will look when your purpose gets fulfilled. 

 

Work to Leave Behind a Legacy

Everyone works for money, and I also work. However, working only to earn money takes away its soul and emotional touch. So, work to leave behind a legacy. Help people so that they remember you even in your absence. Mention of your name alone should fill their hearts with positivity.

 

What if No One Is Talking About Your Niche?

Your chosen niche dictates the type of content you create and who you are creating it for. So, it is essential to select your niche carefully.

If you follow the above steps, it will rarely happen that your chosen niche is not in demand.

Even then, if you feel that the market for your chosen niche is small, start with it.

You can target a limited audience and drive immediate results as there are very few people to none in the market who can provide a unique and valuable solution to their problems. Later on, you can diversify.