The Case Against Specializing

12 years ago

I started as a specialist in one niche, and I agree. After a few hundred letters in the same niche it gets mundane and boring. I like writing for multiple niches now, I find if I feel challenged and I find the niche interesting, the work is much easier and a lot more fun...

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Jonwebb

12 years ago

I think niching down is helpful at first, when your starting out. After you've gotten enough reps ( lots a letters) then it becomes less necessary to stick to one game.

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laurencewins

12 years ago

I write for multiple niches and I also proofread/edit. That gives me versatility and keeps my interest flowing.

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ThePromotionalGuy 12 years ago

I'm a generalist and love it.

Over the course of 21+ years I've written for 42 different industries. That's because I fell into it from my existing clients who were already purchasing ad specialties from me.

Just like marketing I've learned to use information from different industries to create copy.
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Mark Pescetti

12 years ago

I'm glad I never fell into the trap of specializing.

I love the challenge of chopping down my learning curve and catching a mean groove in a market I knew nothing about.

Doing it right now.

Did three other times this year.

I found that when I did try to specialize in something, I resented my clients. It became so incredibly redundant. I heard it all before. And I got burnt out quickly.

Being versatile is where it's at for me.

Oh... and here's how to respond to a client's objection - if you've never written in their market or niche before:

"Nope, I haven't written in the Live Amongst The Grizzly Bears niche before. But I never wrote in the How To Pick Up Twins... And Get Them Both Into Bed dating niche either. And I CRUSHED it for them. So..."

Just saying.

Mark

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Chriswrighto

12 years ago

Specializing is the number one tip you read when you're learning how to write copy.

People say that you should only focus on one market, to increase your success down the line.

It's good in theory.

I mean, imagine if you were the go-to guy in a certain niche?

The only problem is that... it adds months to your learning curve.

Which I'm against.

People need to write to learn... and by rejecting potential client's, you really are shooting yourself in the foot.

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JohnRussell

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Chriswrighto

Specializing is the number one tip you read when you're learning how to write copy.

People say that you should only focus on one market, to increase your success down the line.

It's good in theory.

I mean, imagine if you were the go-to guy in a certain niche?

The only problem is that... it adds months to your learning curve.

Which I'm against.

People need to write to learn... and by rejecting potential client's, you really are shooting yourself in the foot.

Why does it add months to your learning curve?

I write almost exclusively in the Financial space. Every letter I write I get more polished at writing financial copy - each promo builds upon the last.

I don't see how it could add time to anyone's learning curve?

The flip side of the coin is that some people don't specialize because they aren't good enough to build a reputation in a single niche.

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Chriswrighto

12 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnRussell

Why does it add months to your learning curve?

I write almost exclusively in the Financial space. Every letter I write I get more polished at writing financial copy - each promo builds upon the last.

I don't see how it could add time to anyone's learning curve?

The flip side of the coin is that some people don't specialize because they aren't good enough to build a reputation in a single niche.

When I first started I didn't have a consistent line of work to keep me writing. Let alone in a single niche.

Admittedly, maybe I should have written promos for myself, but usually it was a case of writing --> touting for client's --> repeat.

I was happy to get anything I could write on.

I think where we are disagreeing is because you have had copywriting experience prior to the freelance road.

When I first started, I had ran my own sales businesses, but I was a complete newbie on the subject of copywriting.

Some people learn by doing.

Like myself.

So I had to be writing and specialization didn't even cross my mind... because it would mean limiting the work I was willing to take on.

Chris

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JohnRussell

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Chriswrighto

When I first started I didn't have a consistent line of work to keep me writing. Let alone in a single niche.

Admittedly, maybe I should have written promos for myself, but usually it was a case of writing --> touting for client's --> repeat.

I was happy to get anything I could write on.

I think where we are disagreeing is because you have had copywriting experience prior to the freelance road.

When I first started, I had ran my own sales businesses, but I was a complete newbie on the subject of copywriting.

Some people learn by doing.

Like myself.

So I had to be writing and specialization didn't even cross my mind... because it would mean limiting the work I was willing to take on.

Chris

I too learned by doing - I wrote a lot of copy freelance - mostly bizop - before I ever wrote for that traffic platform.

And even at the traffic platform, I wrote in multiple niches and when I left there I had no name to build on. I wasn't allowed to use any of my samples - but I could write copy.

For me it was simple - among the clients I wanted to work for - financial paid the most. And I enjoyed it. So why not specialize?

If somebody comes waving enough cash, I'll write outside my speciality, sure. But I only pursue new business in financial. Having said that, I am also pursuing a health project right now - just to see how much I like it.

Even starting out, there's enough work in many niches to specialize. And when you write one winning promo, it's easy to shop around to similar customers - and will get you far more traction in the same niche.

Here's a little secret that not a lot of copywriters here talk about....

If you work for clients that offer royalties (and you should) then often you'll start with small opportunities - maybe obscure products or cheap front ends. And you'll probably do so with smaller lists. All that combined = smaller royalties.

But once you've earned your rep in a niche then you get work on the bigger projects. The ones where they send your promo to 400,000 people instead of 50,000 people. All things being equal, that's 8 times the royalties - just from earning your way to a bigger project.

Let's say your promo sells $5M and you get 5% on top of you 5 figure fee. Not a bad payday. But you have to work your way up to those projects. And you can only do that if you specialize.

I know - you can make big money as a generalist too - it just seems a much harder path to me.

Maybe the difference is in the types of clients.

Newbs need to be writing every day - I agree - but there's enough work out there to specialize in a niche and never run out of clients. And, it's far, far easier when you have a relevant portfolio to quickly land new clients.

I am not saying that one has to specialize. It's their life and they have to do what they enjoy.

But I also want newbs to know that it is viable. You could easily make a career only writing for financial. And, if you get bored in 5 years then (hopefully) you have a huge portfolio to show a pattern of winning promos to the health industry - as an example.

So it's easy to segue to another niche after proven success in the first one.

But...as I alluded to in my previous post...a lot of copywriters talk a big game. They posture and position. But their copy doesn't sell. You can't build a name inside a niche if your copy doesn't sell.

Well, that's not entirely true. You do build a name - it's just not a good name.

And if that is the case - it's easier to hide your lack of results as a generalist.

Not saying that about any of the generalists here - I have no idea about them specifically.

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Chriswrighto

12 years ago

Top post John.

Anyhoo there's one thing I don't agree with:

Newbs need to be writing every day - I agree - but there's enough work out there to specialize in a niche and never run out of clients.

The first sales letter I wrote for a client pulled in $16k in 24 hours. I'd call that a success... but despite advertising in the same niche it took a little while to get my next client.

I personally wouldn't start over and specialize in one niche. Although it can certainly work for some.

But (a slightly related point to the topic as a whole)...

When you have a success in a market, that tends to attract other marketers who want you to write their copy.

Naturally, you begin to build up a name.

And despite being a 'generalist' you'll be writing a lot for one niche.

My point?

Sometimes you become a specialist by accident.

Chris

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JohnRussell

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Chriswrighto

Top post John.

Anyhoo there's one thing I don't agree with:

The first sales letter I wrote for a client pulled in $16k in 24 hours. I'd call that a success... but despite advertising in the same niche it took a little while to get my next client.

You are right...we don't agree

That's a decent success for somebody who is new. But rather than advertise it you could have done some old fashioned sales work and probably turned that into 5 clients in the same niche in a month or 2.

Sometimes you become a specialist by accident.

True. But one could also call it finding your niche. After all it's hard to say what you'll enjoy writing...and what you'll be successful at unless you try a bunch of niches to start.

Me...I like writing bizop copy because it's easy. And I am good at it. But I have to hose myself off after - and I don't enjoy that part. You need the kind of hose that they use to push rioters back.

Anyway...

Being a generalist is certainly viable - just pointing out that being a specialist is too.

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Memetics 12 years ago

Specialise in that which you love, that which you are good at and eventually you will achieve excellence in your field and that is when the big money comes rolling in. Your adversaries will be other excellent copywriters who are just - if not more - talented or experienced than you in your field. That's what keeps your edge sharp and gives you the drive to keep focused and become the best.
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davehayes

12 years ago

This thread is really interesting and like most others in here, I am not in favour of specialising, for many different reasons really, the main one being lifes experiences take us to so many different places that allow us to create excellent copy to suit some one.Generalisation is much better.

Applied Education is the difference

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Mark Pescetti

12 years ago

It doesn't matter if you're successful (in producing conversions) in just one market (like financial) or many.

When people get a whiff of your track record, they want you. Period.

Mark

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JohnRussell

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Mark Pescetti

It doesn't matter if you're successful (in producing conversions) in just one market (like financial) or many.

When people get a whiff of your track record, they want you. Period.

Mark

Right. So you are not shooting yourself in the foot in any way by specializing.

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Mark Pescetti 12 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnRussell

Right. So you are not shooting yourself in the foot in any way by specializing.

Not at all. If specializing gets you hot, do it. If not, don't.

Every copywriter needs to figure that out for him or herself.

Mark
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- JohnRussell 12 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Mark Pescetti
  
  Not at all. If specializing gets you hot, do it. If not, don't.
  
  Every copywriter needs to figure that out for him or herself.
  
  Mark
  
  Agreed.
  
  To newbies reading the thread it looked pretty unbalanced though. I thought I'd share the other side of the coin. Which, I know, is what the OP was doing with this thread in the first place.
  
  Thanks
  
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