Trying to pick a profitable freelance writing niche feels like trying to choose the perfect Halloween costume.
You consider a zillion different options… “These could all be really good ones!!!”
You change your mind 1,000 times… “This one! No, wait. THAT one.”
And when this pattern continues for too long, you give up because you’re too overwhelmed and indecisive.
…AKA, you spend Halloween alone with your 10 cats, chugging $5 wine while watching Hocus Pocus on repeat from your couch.
All because you couldn’t decide on the perfect costume.
Aaaaand you never even START your freelance writing business.
All because you couldn’t decide on a niche.
You, procrastinating because you haven’t figured out the *perfect* decision yet. SMH.
UGH.
…I’ve seen this happen to SO many writers.
Because we’re perfectionists. We don’t want to start anything until we can be 100% sure that everything is 100%.
The problem with that?
Perfectionism won’t get you any further in growing your business.
A much better approach is to make your *best educated guess* on a profitable freelance writing niche that’s going to be a good fit for you, and JUST FREAKING START marketing yourself and pitching.
This blog post is going to help you with that.
By the time you’re done reading today, you’ll know 10 profitable freelance writing niches that are growing and have plenty of opportunities for paid writing work.
And I’ll also show you examples + give you tips on how to choose the right one.
Now, before we get to the list, something to keep in mind:
Practically any niche (even the ones here!) can be both profitable AND not-so-profitable depending on the kinds of clients you decide to target within your niche.
…In other words, if you decide to write a long-form blog post for some broke college kid’s personal blog, don’t expect to get paid as much as you would writing a long-form blog post for a massive company with a huge marketing budget.
Always target clients that value the kind of content you write AND have the budget to pay you well for your work.
…BEFORE WE JUMP IN, make SURE you join over 7,000 writers and sign up for my free class on how to make your first 1K freelance writing:
(Because you can pick a profitable niche all day long… but if you don’t know how to MARKET YOUR NICHE, you’re screwed.)
Aaaaand now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about some of the most profitable freelance writing niches for 2020!
10 Insanely Profitable Freelance Writing Niches for 2021
1. Long-form blog posts / ultimate guide posts (the BEST freelance writing niche for beginners!)
Long-form blog posts (2000+ words), especially in B2B niches, tend to pay the big bucks.
Plus, clients in this niche often offer consistent work since blog posts aren’t a “one and done” type of content!
If you can write conversationally and break down complex topics so that they’re easy to understand, this could be the niche for you.
And if you know how to SEO the MESS out of your blog posts so they get ranked in Google searches, that’s even better!
Just make sure you learn how to drive results with blog posts if you really want to compete in this niche. It’s not enough to write a bunch of words – you need to know about headline creation to drive clicks, blog post formatting, SEO, etc.
So, what exactly do I mean by “long-form blog posts” and “ultimate guides?”
Here’s a good example right here on my blog:
How to Set up a Freelance Writer Website in One Day or Less
^ Check out this post, and you can see that it truly is an ultimate guide to setting up a freelance writer website.
My idea of an ultimate guide = a blog post that’s SO in-depth that the reader can get all the info they need from that ONE post to accomplish the task at hand.
These blog posts are typically super lengthy too.
…No fluff though – everything included has a purpose and helps the reader!
2. Email sequences / sales funnels
Email is still a BIG moneymaker in 2020.
I’m saying this from experience!
My email list is the #1 way I sell products. Meaning it’s directly tied to my business revenue.
Soooo…
If you can write email sequences / funnels that SELL, you can expect to get paid pretty well for it.
Just like with any other niche here, you’ll do the best if you can drive awesome results for your clients.
So don’t just focus on learning “newsletter writing” – focus on learning sales copywriting skills and funnel creation specifically!
3. Cannabis, CBD, etc.
If you have specialized knowledge in this area, you’ll be excited to learn that this is a BOOMING freelance writing niche for 2020!
Now, of course, you can target local dispensaries, cannabis blogs, and CBD/herbal medicine stores…
BUT, I want to also encourage you to think beyond that. Can you find a tech start-up that is related to CBD… like, a software company that targets dispensaries?
These kinds of clients can be very lucrative, so think outside of the box when you’re deciding who to target!
If you’re concerned about the longevity of this niche / not being able to find enough work, keep in mind that you can always market yourself as a natural health and wellness writer with a specialization in cannabis/CBD if you want to go a bit more broad.
That way, you can still easily land other, more general “health/wellness” gigs too.
Pro tip: If you’re writing blog posts in this niche (or any niche, for that matter), make sure you learn SEO best practices. This can be a huge value add for clients and allows you to charge more! And the TOP clients will expect SEO knowledge. 🙂
4. Case studies
Case studies are super lucrative as a freelance writing niche – and probably always will be – because they serve as powerful social proof and therefore help companies drive sales.
If you’re not familiar with case studies, they’re basically testimonials, but they involve telling a story about the customer’s positive transformation as opposed to just writing a sentence or two about it.
(Noticing a pattern here? A lot of the top lucrative freelance writing niches involve content that has a direct impact on the client’s revenue!)
Most of the case studies I’ve written have loosely followed this structure:
—> Challenges
—> Solution
—> Results
—> Conclusion
They’re pretty easy to write IMO. One thing to note is that they do involve interviews with the client and/or the client’s client (confused yet? lol).
The final case study product also tends to be well-designed – not just a Word doc.
But whether or not you handle the design is up to you!
Psst! Wanna learn how to make your first 1K freelance writing? Join over 7,000 writers and get INSTANT ACCESS to my free training right here!
5. Video scripts
Video is HUGE right now, and it’s only going to continue growing.
So if you can write scripts for YouTube videos, sales page videos, home page videos, or another type of business videos, you can feel confident knowing you’ve got a skill that’ll be in demand indefinitely!
If you want to focus on video scriptwriting as a niche, I recommend going with a sub-niche that’ll make it easy for you to charge the big bucks.
In other words, specialize in writing video scripts that help *a specific kind of client* make money.
(For example, you could write sales page videos for seven-figure entrepreneurs. Or explainer videos for software products.)
Not sure how to start in this niche?
Maybe write/create a sales video for the home page of your own website!
From there, just like with any other niche, you can grow your clientele as you grow your knowledge and experience.
6. Sales pages
Sales page copywriting can be extremely lucrative if you know what you’re doing.
Think about it – you write a sales page that results in $200,000 for your client. How valuable do you think your writing is to that client?
Um. Pretty valuable.
Meaning that, if they have any sense at all, they’ll be willing to pay you a LOT of money for your work. And they may even hire you for future sales pages.
Wanna see an example?
Here’s an old sales page (aw, cute) I used to use for my best-selling freelance writing course, Killer Cold Emailing:
I wrote the sales page copy myself, but many entrepreneurs hire copywriters for that.
So that could be a good target client option for you!
Again here, you MUST know that long-term success is all about being able to produce results (usually in the form of cash money) for your clients.
If you want to specialize in sales pages but aren’t sure where to start, first, I recommend that you choose a narrower niche than just “sales pages.”
For example, you could write sales pages for software businesses.
Or you could write sales pages for online course creators.
Then, study sales/copywriting and make a note of what successful sales pages in your niche industry (not just all kinds of sales pages! you want to get specific here. this is VERY IMPORTANT!) look like so you can test different strategies and learn from them!
7. White papers
Whitepapers are in-depth reports, and they present a problem and solution in a way that is meant to persuade the reader. They’re especially popular in the technology niche.
While they can pay REALLY well (thousands!), you’ll need to put some serious time and effort into writing them and interviewing your client to get the information you need.
The GOOD news is that you don’t typically need a lot of subject matter expertise with white papers (in other words, you don’t need to be a tech expert to write a tech white paper) since the client interview is your main source of information.
You just need to put the white paper together in a way that helps the client get the results they’re looking for.
Because while it is an informative document, it can – and should – also be a powerful sales tool.
8. SaaS content
No, not talking about SASSY content here.
(That would be the best niche ever though. And I would definitely be making 8 figures by now.)
SaaS = Software as a Service.
This means, well… companies that sell software as a service! (Example: Freshbooks, my favorite invoicing software / finance management tool for freelancers!)
This isn’t really a “type of content” niche like white papers or case studies – it’s an industry you can write all different types of content for.
Some of my best, highest paying clients have been SaaS companies.
I wrote long-form blog posts for SaaS companies for a long time, but there’s plenty of opportunity for other work (like website copy and email newsletters!) there too!
I recommend looking on Angelist to research companies in this industry to pitch.
Also, think about the software you personally use, and consider pitching those companies. This is how I landed a gig writing for the Freshbooks invoicing software blog!
9. Marketing blog posts
There are LOADS of companies out there who will pay for marketing blog posts – more specifically, long-form blog posts about marketing. Neil Patel-esque blog posts. Tutorials and “ultimate guides” to help the reader grow their business.
You can break into this niche by starting small if you need to.
I started out writing shorter client blog posts and transitioned to longer, higher-paying ones as my knowledge grew.
The great thing about writing long-form marketing blog posts is that you can use what you learn to start your OWN blog where you can sell products / promote affiliate links to make some sweeeet passive income!
And if you DO have your own blog, you’ll grow even more marketing knowledge as you promote your own posts, which will make you better-equipped to write amazing posts for clients.
Plus, you can use your results from your own blog (like high social shares, amazing SEO that results in high search rankings, etc.) to show proof of your expertise!)
…Win-win!
10. Technology content
I started out as a freelance writer in the IT/technology niche. Just like with most niches, if you have specialized knowledge in this area, you’re going to find it easier to land gigs.
And there are a LOT of gigs out there in this niche.
You can write white papers, case studies, blog posts, website copy – you name it!
Target the right clientele within this niche, and you’ll be well on your way to building a crazy profitable business.
Now, let’s cover 3 of my *best* tips for choosing the most profitable freelance writing niche in 2021:
Tip #1: Develop specialized knowledge.
…AKA pick a freelance writing niche, and spend a lot of time learning about that *SPECIFIC* niche and industry.
This means focusing less on learning “writing” and more on “how to write B2B case studies that convert” or “how to write blog posts that drive sales.”
The key to quickly becoming a highly paid freelance writer is specializing in something and becoming the best at that ONE thing. You want to be known for what you do and become the go-to person for it!
…Seriously – go take it. You’ll thank me later. 🙂
Tip #2: Learn how to drive results for your clients.
Because you’re not selling words on a page.
You’re selling results.
As much as you may hate to admit this, it’s true. If you write for businesses, you’re part of your client’s sales machine.
Now, I’ve hired lots of freelance help as my biz has grown, and let me tell you:
—> I don’t care about college degrees.
—> I don’t care about fancy bylines.
—> I don’t care about anything other than the person I’m hiring being about to get me the result I’m looking for.
Figure out how you help your clients make money (getting leads, traffic, etc.), and learn how to drive those results.
This means learning SEO, how to write headlines that drive clicks, how to format content so it keeps people hooked and reading, etc.
…Oh, and you MUST MARKET the fact that your content drives results (no one will know if you don’t tell them!).
Tip #3: LEARN. HOW. TO. SELL. Or the fact that you’ve picked a profitable freelance writing niche won’t be worth anything.
Most writers obsessively worry that their writing isn’t good enough.
But the harsh truth for 99% of writers is this:
You won’t fail because of your writing abilities.
You’ll fail because you can’t SELL your writing.
And a mediocre writer who can sell will make more moo-lah than an amazing writer who is clueless when it comes to sales/marketing.
So you BETTER learn how to pitch and market yourself.
(^Read that twice. Now, read it again. Let it really sink in, and think about how much time you study writing vs. how much time you spend learning sales/marketing.)
Seriously – you can be the greatest writer on the planet, but if no one knows about you, you’re screwed.
How do you get people to know about you?
Pitching. Marketing yourself. Networking.
This is why I teach cold email pitching for freelance writers…
And it’s why so many of my Killer Cold Emailing students get AMAZING results – like student Sarah, who escaped awful content mills using my cold email pitching strategy and now makes over $8,000 per month writing.
Yes, picking a profitable niche is important, but knowing how to sell your services once you’ve chosen your niche is just as important.
(Which is why my Killer Cold Emailing course teaches you how to pick a niche AND how to market yourself in your niche!)
So, make sure to keep the big picture in mind, and learn how to MARKET your writing services and your niche expertise.
Because using this list of lucrative freelance writing niche ideas to help you pick a niche is a great first step, but you’re still screwed if you don’t know how to market your niche effectively.
Sooo…
Want to learn my step-by-step, proven strategy for picking from the best, most profitable freelance writing niches and using your niche to land clients?
Join over 7,000 writers and sign up for my FREE class, where you’ll learn:
✅EXACTLY how to choose a profitable freelance writing niche (works even if you’re a totally clueless newbie with NO writing experience!)
✅Why just having a “portfolio” is keeping you broke and client-less (and what you need instead!)
✅The niche marketing strategy secrets that allowed me to scale my freelance writing business to $1,000 FAST
Click here to sign up for INSTANT ACCESS to the class.
I have literally had writers email me and say that LANDED CLIENTS… just from implementing the strategies in this class. Take a look:
“Take this free class on how to make your first 1K freelance writing – which is the class I used to land my very first quality client!” – Kaleena S.
…So sign up now, and get yo’self some clients.
See you there. 🙂