Here’s Why All Freelancers Should Niche Down In The Beginning

Small service-based businesses should, too.

“Can you remove the part that says we’re working with technology businesses? I don’t want us to push away other businesses.”

I re-read my client’s message, and I sigh.

Honestly, I thought we were past that. Seth Godin’s “Purple Cow” came out 21 years ago. People are now talking about anti-niches, and you haven’t even niched down in the first place?

In this article, I want to address the thoughts that stop freelancers and service-based businesses from being specific.

Because specificity in your copy, as well as in your marketing strategy as a whole, is crucial to success.

So, let’s tackle the source of the problem.

“But I want to be able to reach more clients.”

How many people can you serve, realistically?

Also, how many people do you have to serve to reach your financial goals?

Speaking of, do you know your financial goals?

Most one-person business owners can’t answer these questions off the top of their heads. They haven’t really thought about it. They know they want a lot of clients and a lot of money, but that about sums it up.

If you can’t serve more than 10 people per month, it’s best to be specific in your targeting, raise your prices, and target these 10 people. You don’t need anyone else.

“But I want to do it all because I like it.”

You don’t.

It’s all fun and games now because you don’t have enough clients. When you have too many clients, you’ll notice which ones you want to work with and which are a URGH task in your to-do list.

Can you role-play and feel it now? Imagine you have 100 messages from clients in your inbox. Which ones would be your favourites?

“But I’m not that big of an expert in anything in particular.”

You can become an expert in anything you want.

That’s the only requirement: desire. If you’re not sure what you want, choose one to three niches and stay there. You can narrow it down later or expand using a common trait of your clients.

Just pick a lane that will make it easier to attract clients, especially in the beginning. You can always change it later.

“But I still feel like I’m not ready to niche down.”

It’s because you’re afraid you’re not worth it. That the competition is too big. That no one is going to hire you, and if there’s but a chance that someone will, you can’t afford to push them away.

But the opposite is true…

Selling to everyone puts you in bigger competition.

Because most people are selling to everyone. So now you’re in the middle of that blood bath, fighting for every client. How will you fight when you’re not specific and can’t feature specific expertise? My guess is on price.

Excited about being the lowest-paid freelancer in your field? Yeah, didn’t think so.

Selling to everyone makes you look incompetent.

When you claim to know everything, people assume you don’t know anything. Because who knows everything?

Is that who you want to be in your industry? The incompetent one?

Selling to everyone requires a big marketing budget, serious marketing skills or a lot of dumb luck.

My copywriting business started on Fiverr. I tried getting clients there for a year, posting the stupidest, boring, general gigs.

I didn’t have the budget to advertise my services. I didn’t have the skills. I wasn’t lucky enough to get at least a few clients on the platform who’d leave great reviews.

Eventually, I created a gig for writing about pages.

Within a week, I had three clients.

Specificity helped me get traction. Now, I can sell all kinds of copy.

The standard advice for new freelancers is, “Just start; you can niche down later.”

I’d say niche down in the beginning. Getting your first clients is easier when you focus on one or two things you’re good at. One or two industries you already understand.

When you have experience, you can use that to attract other clients, too.

Final Words.

There’s something you know.

Maybe it’s an industry. Maybe it’s a certain type of client: solopreneurs, start-ups, corporations.

I know that when you think about cutting out every other opportunity, it’s scary. But great things usually are.

Niche down. Offer a specific type of service or offer it to a specific type of market.

Start somewhere. You can always expand. You can always add more. Cutting things out; that’s the tough part.

But it’s the difficult decisions that’ll move you forward.

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