A guide for choosing your copywriting niche that's actually helpful

Are some people in copywriting because it feeds their soul?

Maybe.

But most of us are here because one way or another we heard that copywriters make the big bucks—and we want some of that financial freedom for ourselves.

‍Note: Laura Belgray (in the article above) wrote TV promos for years until she started her copy business, Talking Shrimp. And even then, it took her until her 50th birthday to finally crack $1million in revenue as a solopreneur. 

Niching down and becoming known for one specific thing is one simple (but not always easy) way to increase your income as a copywriter. But it’s not the only way.

For example, Joel Klettke started out as a conversion copywriter working with big name B2B clients like Hubspot, WP Engine, and Traffic Think Tank. Then, he created a business called Case Study Buddy (CSB) that focused purely on case studies for B2B businesses. 

His niching led to CSB being acquired by Testimonial Hero in 2024. 

All of that to say, being known as an expert or specialist can go a long way. 

Think about it this way: both a pastry chef and a bbq pitmaster create delicious meals—but not in the same world.

You wouldn’t find a BBQ pitmaster claiming to be an expert at pâte à choux, and you wouldn’t hire a pastry chef to do a pig roast for your honky-tonk wedding.

Of course, there’s some general “I can make food that doesn’t give you food poisoning overlap” (hopefully), but they’re in-demand because they have expertise within their niche.

The same goes with copywriting. So let's walk through some to help you determine which is the best fit for you!

What is a copywriting niche?

A copywriting niche (or specialization) is when you choose to narrow your offerings by either type of copy, or industry that you serve. 

You could start thinking about niching from either direction:

• Start with an industry you like, and consider what kind of copy those businesses mainly need (and whether you like writing those things)
• Begin with the copy you love to write or problems you love to solve, and find an industry, businesses, or markets that need that type of copy

Whether you’re experienced or a newbie, an in-house copywriter or external contractor, what you need to know is that you can succeed no matter what you choose. 

There’s no wrong answers to your life. Whatever the combo that you put together—just think it through, research it, and commit (at least for a little while). Because you can always change your mind, rebrand your business, or get experience in a different industry or writing a different type of copy. 

Your foundational copywriting skills—like the knife skills of both the pastry chef and the pit master—will always be there, ready to win you a client or convince a hiring manager.

Do copywriters even need a niche?

How does the saying go? It depends.

For those looking for in-house copywriting jobs: niching into “type of copy” won’t help you land a job. But niching into an industry might, because companies want to see proof of your work with other companies like theirs. It’s the best sales tool you have during the interview process: Testimonials “From People Like You!”

For people interested in freelance copywriting, there are two streams of advice.

‍If you’re new to copywriting and trying to get your feet wet: don’t specialize or niche down right away. Get some experience with different types of copy, clients, industries, and projects before you settle down with one. Think of this like the early stages of your career. This is where you’ll want to:

• Gain a diverse set of experiences to pull from
• Build a portfolio you’re proud of and that shows what you can do
• Learn about what you like, love, and could really live without.

If you have some experience under your belt, you:

• Have been copywriting for at least a couple of years
• Know what you like or what bring you the most joy (or money 🤷🏼‍♀️)
• Understand either the clients you’re working with or the market you’re writing for—deeply (preferably both)
• Feel like you could make a fulfilling and sustainable living doing this job

If this feels like you, then my advice is to abso-freakin-lutely niche down, partna’. 

Benefits of niching down

As someone who’s been successfully making a living off copywriting for 6+ years (both freelance and in-house), here’s why I’d recommend niching down:

1. You get to charge premium “subject matter expert” prices 

Both marketing departments and agencies want copywriters with subject matter expertise—those who can jump feet-first into the firehose of jargon, customer voice, and technicality of their industry… quickly and insightfully.

Given a choice between a writer who “does it all” and someone who’s been writing specifically for B2B fintech for 10+ years—who would you pick for your B2B fintech marketing department? Exactly.

2. You build a deeper understanding of the industries you serve

Niching also helps you better understand the products from all points of view: the customers, the company/client, and the market. It gives you more insights into how to position certain companies compared to others in the space, and makes you a more valuable partner to your clients.

I.e. “This is what we did for [Big Name In Your Field] and how it applies to this project.”

3. It’s easier to create repeatable processes (and do more with less)

Niching allows you to systematize and create processes for your sh*t, ergo making it quicker for you to get to done, charge more, and have happier clients. Whether it’s pulling valuable insights and quotes from your network of subject matter experts, or your end-to-end creative process for producing ad copy at scale—if it shaves off both time and brain space, it’s a winner.

Trying to do something for the first time typically takes way longer than the tenth (or even 100th). 

4. It makes it simple for others to refer you—you become the “go-to for ____”

In the same way that companies who have nailed down their ideal customers, services, value props, and messages are easier to market…

Niching makes you “easier to market” and refer.

• “Oh, yeah, she does amazing emails for eComm.”
• “I definitely have a guy for sales pages. Let me message him.”
• “Oh I have a fabulous writer in fintech. I can introduce you.”

When you’re a freelancer, you are the product that you need your clients to want. 

So not only does niching make you more desirable and marketable—it makes it easier for people to recommend you. And these warm introductions are crucial for getting new clients as a contractor, and getting hired for in-house roles.

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5. You spend more time doing the things you love

TLDR: Niching lets you do what you like so work feels less like work. 

Plus, you get to work with the people you enjoy working with—and get sh*t done in less time, because you don’t have to reinvent the wheel with every new client.

How do I find my copywriting niche?

Try to find a solid balance between what you’re interested in, what matters to you, and what can help you accomplish your goals—whether that’s more work-life balance, building a sustainable income, or doing more of what you love.  

Because you don’t want to be stuck writing ads for senior living homes if you hate ads, hate old people (gasp) AND if it pays terribly.

Here’s my advice:

• Start: with what you know and have experience in
• ‍Explore: profitable, interesting-to-you industries, and different types of copywriting ‍
• Validate: by doing test projects to confirm what you want to move forward with before you overhaul your entire marketing personality 😅

Here’s Janel’s advice (a content designer and copywriter): give yourself time to f*ck around and find out before committing to your niche.

Types of niches for copywriters

Alright alright, this is why you’re here. So let’s dive into some common copywriting niches to kickstart your journey.

What’s the most profitable niche?

There’s always going to be 3 highly profitable, evergreen categories of business in the world: things that improve people’s health, wealth, and self. 

Because these are core human needs, the solutions that exist to “solve” them are endless. Which means that niching into any of these areas is a no-brainer.

Copywriting niches by industry

Every company sells something, and therefore needs copywriting. 

But some companies may feel the pain of bad writing more than others—and be willing to pay to fix it. For example, eCommerce companies can see the immediate impact of bad copy on their sales, while new industries like web3, blockchain, and AI will need extra help educating their audiences.

Think about this as you take a gander at this non-exhaustive list of copywriting niches:

• Technology (duh): Everything from the ✨sparkle ✨of new domains like web3, blockchain, and AI, to small-business software and SaaS. 
• Health and wellness: Think fitness apparel brands, alternative healthcare, mental health, fitness wearables, as well as sub-niches like senior and women’s healthcare.
• eCommerce: eComm will always need pop-ups, emails, in-app notifications, product descriptions, and more. Could narrow further into beauty & skincare.
• Finance/fintech is the copywriting biggie, and includes opportunities in personal finance, apps, coaching, and finance technology. 
• Religious: If this area of writing speaks to you—run with it, because the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities and businesses are loyal and committed. 
• Self-improvement: If you’ve never written for a sex therapist or a dream coach…. the time is now. But you’re definitely not limited to those two options. Coaches, creators, online educators, and influencers are estimated to reach a value of $485 billion USD by 2030, according to StrategicScape Research. 
• Nonprofits: Need help with grant-writing. There’s also a burgeoning field of nonprofit tech that’s on-the-rise.
• Travel: The dream is to go on vacation, write a blog post, and make money from it. But actually, the industry includes businesses like hospitality, vacation rentals, credit cards—and they depend on copy to bring in clients in the post-COVID era.
• Family: Think children’s products (vitamins, toy boxes, Montessori-style education), family app solutions, parent education (hello sleep trainers, midwives, doulas!), and more. 
• Sustainability: Anything from writing for green professional engineering or architectural services, to eco-friendly everything, this is a satisfying (but competitive) field.
• Education: eLearning from both the side of the educators to the institutions, as well as college and universities, alternative educational solutions and platforms (like MOOC), and more. 
• Home & construction: The chances of electricians also being marketers is low to non-existent. These smaller businesses—and bigger companies in the maintenance, repair, furniture, real estate, commercial, renovation and construction industries—are full of opportunities to update their online (and print) presence. 
• Jobs: Some copywriters make a name writing resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and bios while others write for career counselors and coaching services, or even niche career websites. 
• Pets: Bosco (and Pringle) need food, training, pet insurance, vet services, comfort stuffies, and probably elaborate cat tree setups. So if four-legged friends are not foes, get writing. 

Copywriting niches by type of copy

The world is literally your oyster, and the way you position yourself as a copywriter is in your (very nervous) hands. 

Here are some ways you could niche: by domain/area, by type, or by style of copy.

Domains and/or areas of copywriting

This is a great area—a swath, if you will—to niche into because it covers particular business needs for specific types of businesses. 

• Digital advertising: Clients will need SEO, paid and organic ad copy, and landing pages to capture leads.‍
• UX: Clients care about usability and smooth client experiences with web, mobile, and in-app copy. ‍
• Conversion copy: Conversion copy is the digital, grown-up version of direct response, where you focus on moving people from point A to point B with storytelling via landing pages, ads, sales letters, emails, video scripts, and more. 
• ‍Social media: While undoubtedly not the most lucrative niche, it’s definitely one that won’t stop being in demand soon. Copywriters in this area write video scripts, subtitles, and captions both on social and on the accompanying graphics.
• ‍Content writing: While technically, this isn’t a form of copywriting, it is a big crossover opportunity into articles, blogs, thought leadership, and email. It also helps to have samples of this stuff if you’re not opposed to writing it because most people don’t understand the difference between copywriters and content writers. 😬

Types of copy

This one is self-explanatory, but could be harder to transition out of in the future (or into a full-time job)—and harder to find recurring clients who need only one or two types of copy. 

• Product descriptions
• Sales or landing pages
• Ads
• Website copy
• Case studies
• Emails or email strategy
• Funnels, lifecycle
• Newsletters
• Blogs
• Ghostwriting

Style of copy

Funny: Have you ever looked at a box your product came in, or a beverage, only to read the back and either smile, laugh, or full-out guffaw like Santa? Chances are someone like Lianna Patch or Emelie Sanders wrote it. 

Technical: This type of writer works closely with technical product teams, and needs to have a solid grasp of technical terminology, which requires some deep experience in whatever industry you’re in. But if you become a specialist in one or several domains, you’ll be able to charge higher prices as an expert. 

Social: There’s so much that goes into social apart from algorithms. Knowing trends, adding humour, embedding deep customer and audience knowledge—all so you can better understand “virality” without sacrificing brand voice and image.  

Direct response: Conversion copywriting takes all the best principles from direct response and applies them to the digital age where everything can be tested. If you can master AB testing, conversion rate optimization (CRO) and buyer psychology… this could be the style of copy that earns you that milli’.

Which copywriting niche is best?

There’s no right answer to this question except this one: 

Whichever niche (or non-niche) makes you happy and pays the bills.

In all seriousness, though: there’s no reason to debate niching vs. being a generalist. Certain things—like clarity, targeting, and narrowing your offers—work for some people, while being a jill-of-all-trades-with-t-shaped-expertise-in-a-few works for others. 

You’ll have to try to know what works for you.

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Get one step closer to your copywriting niche

If you want to learn how to write copy that converts (in whatever niche you choose), check out our self-paced Conversion Copywriting course. Taught by Growclass’ founder, Sarah Stockdale, it gives you all the foundational skills needed to turn words into dollars. 

And for those of you looking for in-house roles, check out our Canadian Marketing Salary Database (hint: filter by “copywriter” in the title section!)