How Can Freelancers Find Their Niche?

This is a contributor post.

To work as a freelancer, you need to start from the bottom. One of the first things experienced freelancers will tell you is that you need to find your niche, but even this isn’t straightforward. Typically, your niche is something you’re good at and what you’re interested in. If you’re passionate about multiple things, this point can be challenging. Still, finding your niche makes your career more successful than catching a wide net. So, where can freelancers begin? 

Determine Your Passion

The easiest way to find your niche is to determine your passion. Are you a keen runner? Do you love animals? Have you found success in the healthcare industry? You could turn this passion into a freelancing career since you have the expertise to provide valuable information. However, many of these niches are already competitive, so consider how to provide something different. This way, you can carbon out a more laser-focused niche that people will love. 

Identify Your Skill Set 

If you aren’t sure where to begin with your niche, you can also identify what you’re good at. Many people use career tests to determine their key skills, and something like the Strong Interest Inventory is a good place to start.

With this, you have concrete skills you can bring to clients. This confidence can set you apart and help you decide how your interests and skills can work together to help you find success. 

Build On Your Existing Skills 

You also know that whatever skills you have aren’t perfect. You may be good at something but you’re far from an expert. Therefore, it’s worth taking action to sharpen your professional skills, which could include taking online courses to build your knowledge and gain certifications that you can show off to clients. Since you may need to do more than write or draw, it’s worth understanding the technical side of your passion and niche to provide even better service for your clients. 

Know What Problem You Can Solve 

Every job should solve a problem, so figuring out which problem you can solve is essential. It’s not enough to tell clients you can write a blog post. You need to provide more value. This value could include boosting web traffic or simplifying the content for the layperson. Another example is proofreading and editing. You might be good at recognizing spelling and grammar errors, but so are many other freelance proofreaders. Instead, offer your services to second language speakers who need their written work (primarily academic essays) fine-tuned to help them pass their assignments. 

Create Examples For Your Portfolio 

As a freelancer, you need to work twice as hard to win a contract. One way to improve your chances of getting clients is to create examples and put together a portfolio showcasing your skills. Focus on creating content or examples that match your niche. If you work as a travel writer, create blog posts, travel guides, and hotel reviews since this is what clients want.

Once you’ve compiled your portfolio, you can host it on your LinkedIn page or create a website highlighting some of your best projects. You can replace these pieces with other examples that are more aligned with your niche as you get more work. 

Reach Out to Potential Clients 

Reaching out to potential clients is a great way to get more experience in your niche. While many clients may ghost you, there could be some who are willing to give a new freelancer a chance, especially on freelance sites like Upwork or Fiverr. This option helps you build more experience in your niche and explore different mediums to provide your service. 

Market Yourself Based On Your Niche 

One major hurdle many freelancers encounter is marketing. They don’t want to spam their friends and family on social media and might feel weird promoting across various channels. But marketing yourself is the only way to gain new clients. You can learn how to market yourself as a freelancer and take the correct steps to maximize your chances of getting noticed. Focus on your niche and provide value; you may find it easier than you thought. 

Specialty 

Your niche should be your specialty, but don’t assume it’s what you love the most. The problem is that most fun things already have a swelling market that makes it difficult to stand out. Instead, use these tips to build your skills and narrow your focus to create a valuable service that people will pay for.