Specialty Copywriting: How To Select The Right Niche Market For You
Keywords: copywriting, niche market, coach
In times past, copywriters typically wrote for niches with a high need and heavy respect for copywriters. The obvious places to look for work were direct marketing agencies, corporate marcom (marketing communications) departments, and publishers, to name a few.
But today, work opportunities for copywriters have expanded greatly. That’s because clients became tired of unaccountable general advertising and pushed their agencies to do more direct response. Over time direct marketing became mainstream and shed its image as the “ugly step sister” of image advertising.
And while there’s still a tendency to look to traditional markets for work - insurance and banking, technology and publishing, non-profit and health - it really pays to think out the box.
For instance, one of my students is blending her literary talents with her copywriting skills to offer a unique solution to a market we’ve dubbed “the passion marketers.” This group of marketers can use her considerable ability to craft stories that sell.
Another coaching student lives in Belgium, speaks several languages, and has a rich understanding of cultures. For him, we’re developing a target list of multi-national corporations that will value his unique ability to write copy that’s “localized” to different cultures and countries.
Each of my students niches into a market that will value their unique talents, backgrounds, education, knowledge, and/or experience. Sometimes that experience leads us to a “traditional” niche rather than one we create ourselves. In this case, my students often niche “deeper” into the niche in order to make the connection between their unique talents and the needs of the potential client.
A great example is David A., who recently finished my coaching program. David came to me with the desire to build a copywriting career that would allow him to pursue his passions for fine wines, cultural foods and European travel.
David’s copywriting style and philosophy made him an excellent candidate for niching into the publications world. However, there are an incredible number of publications treating as many subjects. By looking at David’s unique interests, talents, and background, we determined that he should niche more deeply than just “publications.”
Today David is building a unique business as the copywriter for publishers, marketers, and organizations that sell fine foods, wines, and entertaining.
When new coaching students come to me they often think they must pull from past experience when determining the right niche market for them. This is only partly true. Some of my students loathe the idea of using skills and knowledge from previous careers because that’s what they want to get away from.
I explain that we can pull from three areas of their life to structure a profitable niche market: their past work experience, their passions, and their copywriting talents.
For instance, Gary C. wanted to niche into the diet aids and nutritional supplements markets. For him, we focused on a special copywriting talent this niche would value highly: that of being able to get and use extremely powerful testimonials.
Another past student didn’t want to use her advertising background, so she decided to follow a passion: that of quilting (she’s a fifth generation quilter). Although I’m not sure if she continued her path, we did determine that the quilting market is very large, and we also agreed that she could very well be the only copywriter in the entire world serving that niche.
Niching into a desirable market not only allows the copywriter to position him or herself as an expert, and therefore gain better clients at higher pay, but it also provides that thing that so many crave, but that so few have: meaningful work that fuels the imagination and feeds the soul…while also growing the bank account.
Master copywriter and coach Chris Marlow publishes a free ezine for copywriters who want to quickly build a profitable business. Visit:
www.FreelancersBusinessBulletin.com
Previous Articles Highlighter:
How Copywriters Can Bounce Back After A Client Messes Up A Direct Marketing Campaign (1)
These are the two most important elements of a direct response campaign...unless you're a mature marketer who's exhausted the available lists to test and tested enough offers to know what works best.
What Copywriters Can Do With Good Work That Was Never Used (2)
But if your work did not get to the art direction stage, and all you have is a copy deck, that's fine too. Whereas the PDF samples mask the fact that the work was not used, the copy deck reveals it.
The Biggest Lie Potential Clients Will Tell A Copywriter (3)
Unfortunately, "more work" rarely materializes. In my opinion, most of these people don't lie with malice, they simply lack the funds to pay a reasonable rate for copywriting. One thing is clear: they do value copywriting and understand its power to add to THEIR bottom line.
Understanding Auto Depreciation - What The Salesman Won’t Tell You (4)
The question of depreciation pricing especially comes into play when buying a used car; are you paying the correct price, or is the salesman taking you for a ride? The standard rate of depreciation of automobiles in the U.S.
How Important Is It For Copywriters To Have An Agency Quality Website? (5)
Make sure your USP "shines through" on your Home page. 3. View your entire site as a lead-generating tool. If you write a direct response package, you first try to get your prospect into the envelope.
Conquering Insecurity: Every Copywriter's Hobgoblin (6)
I could not believe it. And I remember my next thought was, "Wow, now I'm a technology copywriter!" Had that single event not happened, I may never have niched in software...I certainly had no confidence I could write for something so "smart." Other Proof That Insecurity Is Unnecessary In a small file deep in my filing cabinet I also have samples of my very earliest copywriting work.
How To Get 50% Of Your Freelance Fee Up Front -And A Whole Lot More! (7)
In my Fee Agreement I always make it clear that I will Invoice for half the fee up front, upon receipt of the signed Fee Agreement. That way the client has agreed to pay an up front fee of 50 percent.
Where To Find The Best Copywriting Clients (8)
such a valuable resource for the copywriter is that it lists known mailers. You don't do better than that when trying to determine whether a company is a likely prospect for copywriting services.
Two Of The Most Powerful Ways To Market Your Copywriting Services (9)
In fact, it was networking that got me my first clients, and it was direct mail that got me the right clients during the second phase of my freelance career.
Find Out Where The High-Paying Freelance Copywriting Jobs Are (10)
A common phrase uttered by the experienced copywriter is "I don't take clients I have to educate." The Business-to-Business Market: Unlike the B2C market, the consumer and prospect universes of businesses are usually much smaller, often occupying niches that can be miniscule indeed.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
How To Price A Job Correctly Even When You're Totally Stumped (1)
If they don't know what a copywriter can do for them and you find yourself educating them about copywriting or marketing, run as fast as you can in the opposite direction.
How To Transition Into Copywriting By Moonlighting - Even If You Already Have A Full-Time Job (2)
The most important thing to remember when you pick up moonlighting jobs is to estimate your time, and then double it. Award-winning copywriter Chris Marlow publishes a free newsletter for freelancers who want to build a successful business.
Fatal Negotiation Mistakes Copywriters Make, And How To Avoid Them (3)
When a copywriter gets this kind of feedback, his immediate response is often one of confusion, and sometimes deep insecurity. These emotions cause him to react defensively, instead of studying the response.
How To Get B2B Clients: A Primer For Copywriters (4)
If you've done a good job of targeting - you've created a niche or USP that matches you with your target - then you should enjoy at least a 1% conversion rate to your marketing efforts.
Your Unique Selling Proposition: Use It. Or Lose Everything (5)
And when those marketing pieces are for generating leads or sales, the results can be disappointing...or even devastating. That's because the first thing a prospect asks when looking at your mailing is, "So why are you better than the next guy?
How The Freelancer Can Build A Super Powerful Prospect List (6)
For a reasonable fee, you can go into the archive and literally see "who's been mailing what," which can be a real boon for copywriters who specialize in the dozens of categories (publishing, financial, collectibles, technology, and more), covered by WMW.
Why Every Copywriter Needs Great Testimonials... And How To Get Them Quickly (7)
Unless you were born yesterday, you DO have testimonials... they just haven't been written yet. Clients value more than a successful job. They value professionalism. They care very much about deadlines.
What Copywriters Need To Know About The Proper Use Of Copyright (8)
Alas, I never did find a perfect fit between an old concept and a new job. And one day I realized I never would. That's because every job is unique.
Failed Agreements: What Copywriters Must Know About Negotiation (9)
Revisions, refinements, and editing are a natural part of the copywriting process and their function is to "fix what's wrong" and perfect the piece. (In this case, the small two-person operation exhibited characteristics typical of small business...they were unsophisticated about marketing and its processes, and unclear about the value of copywriting.
The World's Most Powerful Marketing Model For Freelance Copywriters And Their Clients! (10)
THIS is why I now advocate using as many marketing tools as you reasonably can when first starting out...touch as many people as possible, always driving to your list...then touch your own list with frequent mailings (at least once a month), while staying in front of your audience in as many ways as possible.
Permalink to Specialty Copywriting: How To Select The Right Niche Market For You