Stop looking for the best copywriting niche.

4 min read

Alright, here’s my hot take and I do not care if you disagree. 🔥

But there is no “perfect” niche.

I can tell you that writing for tech companies or cannabis or crypto or a corn farmer is the most profitable niche, but there are so many problems with this…

Here’s why.

First, you’re asking the wrong question.

The entire question, “What’s the best niche?” leaves out a key part of the equation. What you should be thinking about is, “What is the best niche for you?”

If you know nothing about tech companies, it’s going to be incredibly hard to write accurately about their products or services. You’ve got to learn an entirely new glossary of terms like SaaS, Sprint, API, CMS, QA, UI, UX, and so on.

And sure, if you’re willing to do the work — it can be done.

But that is gonna suck.

And honestly?

Most new writers are lazy. They severely underestimate the number of hours they need to spend doing research for a piece of content that they write. Instead, they read a couple of articles on Google and regurgitate a topic that they barely understand.

And the result?

Crappy writing that clients couldn’t care less for. By writing in an industry you know nothing about, you’re setting yourself up for failure from the start.

If you don’t know their jargon — don’t write for them.

My first client on Upwork was a guy who had a TTRPG website (Revealed: Tory is a giant fucking nerd and only a few of you will know that acronym lol).

He needed someone to proofread a landing page and improve the copywriting. Since I’m a huge gaming nerd, I naturally know about his product, audience, as well as proper terminology. It was an easy win and he left me a 5-star review after — even though I was a total beginner.

Second, industries change quickly.

Just a few years ago, cannabis was booming, and that made it a great time to be a cannabis copywriter. But now, the industry has slowed down, and in 2023 sales in British Columbia actually plateaued.

It’s not the budding gold rush many industry experts expected (all puns intended). So now you have an industry with a ton of cannabis writers all competing for even fewer clients.

Good luck competing with someone who knows the difference between CBC, CBD, THC, and a BLT. Oh, you don’t know the last one? That’s because it’s a sandwich.

If you don’t toke, don’t be that bloke.

I know because I made this. Exact. Same. Mistake. Early on, I started writing for a few cannabis brands, and I gave up on that niche quickly because I’m not really a stoner.

If you’re really only in it for the money, you’re gonna have to be keeping track of what’s going on in the market. And you’re gonna have to be ready to pivot to something else.

Third, picking one niche can hamper you.

Finally, I actually don’t think you should have a single niche when you’re just starting out. In my opinion and based on my own experience, writing in different niches gives you a better safety net for when times get tough.

Case in point, the tech industry is seeing thousands of layoffs in 2024.

Over 200 businesses in the tech industry laid off 50,000+ workers in the first quarter of this year alone according to this layoffs tracker. If you’re a tech copywriter it’s much harder to find clients right now.

Additionally, writing in different niches can improve your creativity.

During university, one of my psychology professors taught a definition of creativity that stuck with me. They said that creativity comes from the combination of two ideas to create a novel idea.

• Water Bottle + App = Smart Water Bottle
• Books + Online Store = Amazon
• iPod + Phone = iPhone
• Sushi + Pizza = Sushi Pizza

You get the idea. Really, you should not only be writing but also reading all kinds of things to improve yourself as a copywriter. In fact, I have a blog on 7 topics to read about other than writing here if you’re guilty of only reading about writing.

So, there you have.

As a beginner copywriter, you really need to take a personalized approach to niche selection. Focus on your interests and expertise rather than chasing the elusive notion of a “perfect” niche.

Folks who embrace diversity in their portfolio and remain open to learning are the ones who will thrive when shit hits the fan.

About the Author

Victoria Fraser is a freelance copywriter from Vancouver, Canada who works in the gaming, tech & music industry. She’s worked with global brands like the Copy Posse, Drumeo, and many more doing all things copywriting & content marketing (including making memes).

Reach out onher website to work with her or support her work through Buy Me a Coffee!