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How do you break into a niche without prior experience in said niche?

by DKCopywriter
10 replies
As a new freelance copywriter, one of the most common pieces of advice I've been hearing is to "niche down".

So, I'd like to get into a very small number of niches, mainly software and travel. The problem is that I have no experience in writing for said industries.

What would you/have you done to break into a new niche without any experience in that niche?
#break #experience #niche #prior
  • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
    1)I would use my network (friends, colleagues) to get some experience and testimonials in that niche.

    2)I would create and send out a carefully niched special offer to companies in the niche that are likely to need my services, at a low-risk price.

    Normally that's all that's needed to get started, prior experience or not.

    Marcia Yudkin
    Copywriting Mentor Since 1998
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    • Profile picture of the author DKCopywriter
      What about if nobody in your immediate friends/network is involved in the niche?
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  • Profile picture of the author deejaaymark
    Before breaking into a new niche, I'd first have to do some market research to determine if there's market for that particular niche. Market research all boils down to targeted keywords monthly searches, the demographics, interests etc.. which can all be done with the likes of the Google Keyword Planner and FB Audience Insights.
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    • Profile picture of the author jipolis7
      If you are set on the niche and you know there is the possibility to grow on it, then hire someone (a few freelancer writers for example) to write for you. I suggest you do the research for keywords and most popular subjects as this way, you'll also learn more about the said niche.
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  • Profile picture of the author HCFGrizzly
    Originally Posted by DKCopywriter View Post

    As a new freelance copywriter, one of the most common pieces of advice I've been hearing is to "niche down".

    So, I'd like to get into a very small number of niches, mainly software and travel. The problem is that I have no experience in writing for said industries.

    What would you/have you done to break into a new niche without any experience in that niche?
    You don`t need a lot of experience when starting out.
    Experience is earned, you aren`t born with it.
    Just document yourself carefully in all the aspects of the niches you chose, and as the time passes you will become more and more experienced.
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  • Profile picture of the author 1Bryan
    Originally Posted by DKCopywriter View Post

    So, I'd like to get into a very small number of niches, mainly software and travel. The problem is that I have no experience in writing for said industries.

    What would you/have you done to break into a new niche without any experience in that niche?
    Learn about those industries enough so that you can talk about them like an insider. But not from a "fake-it-till-you-make-it" perspective.

    Like, with travel -

    Learn about that industry in-and-out. And how the sales process works. Not from a theoretical point-of-view of how it "should" work.

    But how it actually does work.

    Then, speak sales. Not copywriting. You won't just sound like someone "in the know" ... you'll actually be one.

    And make sure your target clients are sales oriented. Not everyone in the sales world actually is.

    But those who are?

    Are not just the best clients to have ... they also respect good sales when they see and hear it.

    So when you can talk like they do ... and it's clear you are not just trying to "sound" like an insider ...

    They are already damn near closed on working with you just in talking with you.

    I can get auto industry folks all day long if I want to. Why? Cuz I can talk car sales in a way that outsiders can't.

    All the silly stereotypes that outsiders think are true?

    Are "tells" that they are outsiders.

    Does that make sense?
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve The Copywriter
    Just a little wander off the track here...

    Sometimes we "miss" what a niche actually is.

    "a specialised and profitable corner of the market"

    Thank goodness...

    Because it is so much easier to discover everything there is to know about a "corner" than it is to learn about an entire market.


    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Afrobase1
    I believe research is paramount before delving into a niche that's totally strange to you.

    The more you put into use what you got from your research, the more you become an expert in that niche.

    Above all, continuous building of your interest in that niche will make such become part of you.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
    Originally Posted by DKCopywriter View Post

    As a new freelance copywriter, one of the most common pieces of advice I've been hearing is to "niche down".

    So, I'd like to get into a very small number of niches, mainly software and travel. The problem is that I have no experience in writing for said industries.

    What would you/have you done to break into a new niche without any experience in that niche?
    1. Learn a lot about the niche you're interested in... there's plenty of free resources available on the internet that you can study.

    2. Determine what your target group would like to know more about and create a report (or white paper) that educates them on the topic.

    3. You are now an expert and have credibility.

    4. Use proven marketing techniques to get the report (or white paper) in the hands of your prospects and turn them into clients.

    Alex
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    • Profile picture of the author Joshua Loke
      I assume by that you mean get clients in the niche if you don't have any?

      I stumbled upon this tactic very accidentally that I used to close two high-end clients: prove to them that what I do works by generating leads before I meet them. Yup, that's right; I actually put in my own money into ads before I meet prospects to generate a lead that they can 'try' out my services before I meet them. That gives me a lot of power during a meeting because I can tell them: "hey, look my stuff work. Try out these leads on my dime and let me know if you want more"

      The second tactic I used is to target new businesses, then bounce to the older or more successful ones. Typically, new businesses are easier to close because they don't have the 'my business is different' (a big sales hindrance that most businesses have where they think that universal direct marketing tactics don't work because you don't have a portfolio of clients in that niche) mentality that older ones do.

      (In case it isn't clear, I bundle digital marketing services rather than pure copywriting.)
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