Ever marvel methods to discover a profitable writing area of interest?
You realize…the form of writing area of interest that pays professional charges and means that you can eat properly.
Possibly even affords you time to chew your cud, as an alternative of chasing low-paying one-off writing assignments on a regular basis.
Sounds fairly good, proper? Now what?
You look out throughout the plush, inexperienced pasture of prospects and marvel the place to plant your flag.
What if you happen to’re simply too indecisive to decide on one patch of grass?
The reality…you’re much more more likely to go hungry wandering from one writing area of interest to the following.
And it doesn’t need to be that approach.
When a farmer-turned author felt the churn of worry and anxiousness in her intestine about getting paid to jot down, she determined to discover a writing area of interest that may serve higher eats than the content material mills.
After some testing, just a few blow outs, and greener-pasture detours, this freelancer figured it out.
Able to discover a profitable writing area of interest, even if you happen to’re nonetheless making an attempt to land your first freelance writing jobs?
Use the Cow-Farts Technique (plugging your nostril non-compulsory). Right here’s what you might want to know.
Meet the Freelancer Who Writes About Cow Farts and Farm Robots
Once I determined to shutter my 20-year farming enterprise within the spring of 2019, I had just one different, very rusty ability to show to—writing.
I had a journalism diploma and a number of other years of newspaper reporting expertise. From 20 years in the past. I had no concept what to jot down about, methods to discover good purchasers or what search engine optimisation meant.
My light-bulb second was after I realized that what I knew inside and outside—agriculture—could be my ticket to launching a profitable (and worthwhile) profession writing about topics I like.
Despite the fact that all people instructed me agriculture was a tricky area of interest for a contract author.
Most agricultural gross sales historically happen person-to-person at conventions or, actually, on the farm. What advertising and marketing does occur was often performed in-house and didn’t generate written content material.
Effectively, it turned on the market are oodles of great-paying purchasers that wanted my explicit experience. I wanted to broaden my imaginative and prescient of potential purchasers and construct a advertising and marketing technique that performed to my strengths.
Comply with the Cash to Discover the Proper Freelance Purchasers
Questioning methods to discover your writing area of interest to maneuver up and earn extra?
My first huge lesson was: comply with the cash.
I attempted to work for farmers operating small farm companies, type of like my farm. However similar to I couldn’t have afforded to rent a content material creator for my very own farm enterprise, neither might they afford me. As a lot as I like these farmers, they weren’t my purchasers.
I needed to get outdoors my consolation zone if I wished to make freelancing work.
I began researching past what was snug and shortly recognized two extra targeted writing niches:
- Good farm firms with agtech options (like robots, drones or utilizing information analytics)
- The sustainable farming motion targeted on higher farming practices to enhance the surroundings
The Good Farm Motion was a No-Brainer
- It’s projected to almost double in measurement in 5 years and value $22 billion by 2025, which makes it an amazing writing area of interest
- There are oodles of agtech startups with funding cash they should spend and leads they’re determined to seize
- All of them want writers that may translate their “techy, information science geek-speak” into “farm vernacular” (as I prefer to name it). Excellent
Discovering Good Purchasers within the Sustainable Farming Motion was Trickier
In spite of everything, I used to be a small farmer that used sustainable practices and I already knew the previous farmer me couldn’t afford the present author me!
Then I noticed a sponsored content material piece revealed within the Guardian about regenerative agriculture, a sustainable farming methodology I knew inside and outside. Possibly I’m zeroing in on a writing area of interest!
Who paid for that sponsorship? Basic Mills. That’s proper, the world’s sixth-largest meals model, creator of Cocoa Puffs cereal, for goodness sakes, is creating in depth content material about sustainable farming practices. It was one thing I might have written, virtually, in my sleep.
I regarded nearer. Nearly each huge firm with a toe in:
- Agricultural manufacturing
- Land administration, or
- An environmental facet to their enterprise is creating content material round sustainable farming practices
Often as validation of their sustainability initiatives and to persuade their prospects their merchandise are Earth-friendly. They usually all want writers who perceive sustainable farming.
Eureka, nice purchasers in a profitable writing area of interest! The sustainable farmers weren’t my purchasers. The businesses writing about sustainable farmers had been.
Enjoyable reality: It seems I can write for, properly, nearly any sector (I simply wrote a chunk for a wi-fi telephone firm about farm tech utilizing wi-fi networks). The freelance writing world is my (sustainably-farmed) oyster.
- What area of interest matters or industries are you aware one thing about or have an curiosity in?
- When you’re unsure, brainstorm an inventory
- What firms and publications are a part of your area of interest?
The place Would possibly the Good Purchasers Be?
Discovering the correct individual to attach with in these companies was one other head-scratcher.
- Farmers meet different farmers at conventions
- Possibly I’d need to take discipline walks and farm excursions
However, as my analysis had confirmed (unequivocally), farmers weren’t my purchasers.
- I wanted to seek out the smart-farm CEOs and advertising and marketing administrators for big meals and clothes firms
- Or just any firm with a sustainable ag-focused advertising and marketing marketing campaign
The place are you able to probably discover and join with govt and advertising and marketing administrators throughout many alternative sectors however all with a typical focus?
LinkedIn: The Money Cow for Profitable Writing Niches
I had a LinkedIn account after I began the Den2x class in the summertime of 2019, however I had by no means posted to it and had solely 200 connections.
So I set to work with a premium account, spiffed up my profile per Carol’s recommendation, and did the next:
- Focused potential companies for connection requests
- Take totally different “sectors” at a time
- Discover mid-size to giant companies (or properly funded startups)
- Sending out mass connection requests to their executives
I didn’t fear about precisely who I used to be focusing on, and I didn’t strain them with follow-up emails—only a easy:
“Thanks for connecting, right here’s what I do. Let me know if I will be of any assist to you!”
Facet observe: I attempted letters of intent (LOI) just a few instances, however shortly gave them up for taking approach too lengthy for little return.
Tips on how to Stand Out While you Meet Prospects for the First Time
I shortly realized I bought one of the best engagement after I had one thing provocative to say about meals and farming programs. This constructed my fame as a thought chief in agriculture.
Farming has many controversial, nuanced features (GMOs, pesticides, labor practices, and so forth.).
By displaying I used to be prepared to speak knowledgeably about them, I attracted the eye (and respect) of the varieties of purchasers I wished.
Right here’s an Instance of my Expertise in This Profitable Writing Good
An govt from an organization I might like to work with messaged me and instructed me he admired my posts. He requested if I minded if he really helpful extra folks of their firm join with me?
Um, after all not. (And sure, I’ve since linked with that advertising and marketing director. Advert I’m on their shortlist for his or her subsequent content material tasks!).
In lower than a 12 months, I constructed my 200 connections to over 2,000 (I’m nearly to three,000 connections now). I get high quality, inbound leads from my LinkedIn account a number of instances per week (generally practically on daily basis). I haven’t despatched out an LOI in over a 12 months.
Enjoyable reality: I just lately found that once you Google “Ag Author,” my LinkedIn profile is the primary ag-writer profile to pop up (truly, I’m the one one in three pages of Google rankings). A number of purchasers have instructed me they discovered me simply by Googling “ag author.”
- What are you aware about the important thing gamers or firms in your area of interest?
- Have you ever given your LinkedIn profile a makeover to face out as the author in your area of interest?
- Are you reaching out, networking, and making connections with folks in your area of interest?
Set up Your self in Your Profitable Writing Area of interest
The opposite technique I took was increase a physique of bylined work about agricultural matters in respected publications to make a reputation for myself on this writing area of interest.
- Commerce pubs. I did goal some ag commerce publications, however I shortly realized most of these are (embarrassingly) low paying in agriculture
- Client pubs. I targeted on consumer-facing publications protecting sustainable meals and farming matters associated to local weather change, the surroundings and enjoyable, sensible farming options (like farm robots!)
Pitching to publications is extremely irritating when you find yourself first beginning and I hadn’t had a bylined clip in additional than 20 years.
However, I used to be persistent. By the primary half of 2020, I despatched out 10 or extra pitches to totally different publications per week. Just a few small wins led to larger ones. Most just lately, I’ve had a chunk revealed in the Guardian.
Struggle Again Towards Imposter Syndrome
Once I first began freelancing, probably the most intimidating factor was the imposter syndrome and feeling like I didn’t know sufficient about advertising and marketing and content material methods.
Sound acquainted?
Right here’s how I saved going: I frolicked that first 12 months working my approach by the Freelance Writers Den library, getting a deal with on the fundamentals of search engine optimisation, good headlines and writing for a web based viewers.
I finally realized that, apart from the fundamentals, my purchasers weren’t hiring me for my deep understanding of digital advertising and marketing methods.
What issues to them are issues like:
- Perceive farming
- Tips on how to speak to farmers and what perceive what motivates them
- The flexibility to translate complicated farming and meals programs points into content material for his or her viewers
My purchasers don’t come to me due to my digital advertising and marketing chops, they’ve bought these (often employed in-house). However a freelancer that will get agriculture? I suppose you would say I’m the proverbial needle within the haystack on this profitable writing area of interest.
Tip: Each time I’ve a bylined piece, I share it with my LinkedIn community and put up it on my author’s web site portfolio.
- When you really feel like worry and doubt are holding you again, what are you going to do about it?
- What’s stopping you from pitching a narrative concept, reaching out to an editor or advertising and marketing director?
- Significantly, what are you ready for?
Faucet into Your Profitable Writing Area of interest to Merge Expertise and Ardour
My huge take-away for beginner freelance writers, even ones taking a look at these not-as-lucrative writing niches?
- Don’t simply give-up as a result of all people else says that writing area of interest doesn’t work for freelancers!
- Take a look at the larger image. You continue to have to seek out the purchasers that may afford you, however perhaps they’re in other places than you initially thought
- Don’t be afraid to be outspoken about what you recognize and share that along with your community (aka potential purchasers!). My ardour for farming is what has constructed up my LinkedIn following
Even with a worldwide pandemic, I earned extra writing in 2020 than my greatest 12 months as a farmer. I wrote about wildly fascinating and entertaining topics.
- Tremendous daddy goat sires?
- Farm robots?
- Cow farts? (This one trended on Twitter for 3 days). Why, sure, that was me!
In 2021, one single contract eclipsed all of 2020’s earnings. I can’t inform you how astounding that’s to me. For me, dwelling the dream has turned out to not be farming itself however writing about farming. And one of the best half? I get to dwell on my farm whereas doing it!
Selecting a profitable writing area of interest is among the greatest issues you’ll be able to to do elevate your freelance profession that can assist you transfer up, earn extra, and make a dwelling writing
Georgie Smith is a contract agricultural and meals author. She writes content material for agricultural companies, farm-focused meals manufacturers and organizations.
