Dealing With "The Niche Conundrum"
Becoming a freelance copywriter can be insanely overwhelming. The first time I sent a pitch, I wanted to throw up. Wouldn't they see right through me and know that I was a fraud, a fake, a fibber—imposter syndrome is a b!tch when you pitch! Would they like my work? Would they respond? Well, they responded, but they didn't like my work. Color me gutted. I quickly learned that rejection isn’t the end, and it's nowhere near as bad as you think.
Here’s how to handle pitch rejection, keep your confidence, and thrive in your newly minted freelance copywriting career.
Finding Nemo
Freelancing is a thrilling rollercoaster of opportunities and challenges. As of 2022, around 36% of the U.S. workforce classified themselves as freelancers. By 2025, it'll be closer to 93%. Just kidding, but it will feel that way at times. With so many aspiring copywriters, it's essential to stand out in a good way. Through trial and error, I knew that not only did my writing need to impress, but I also had to click with potential relevant clients.
But there's just so much to do when you're new at freelancing. Finding your passion, finding your niche, finding your USP, finding Nemo...the list goes on. Without these things will you get hired? Anywhere?
It will help to choose a niche. But, I'm going to play the Devil's Advocate and say that sometimes, when you're incredibly uncertain about a niche, it can help not to pick one. At this point, I feel the wrath of every copywriter on #TeamNiche. But I'm not saying choosing a niche is bad. If you have a niche and you're happy with it, yay-ussss! That's awesome. On the downside, not all of us are lucky like that.
Choosing a niche can help you focus and can have a weird way of bringing you more clients. As the saying goes, "If you're talking to everyone, you're talking to no one." Or words to that effect. It means that shouting at the masses will not be as effective as whispering to the person next to you. I just don't want you to panic if you can't decide on a niche. Sometimes fate decides your niche for you, and assuming you're happy with it, that's one less thing to worry about.
But, if you do want to narrow things down and choose a niche, think about what interests you, what you have some experience with, or what you love. You may have to narrow down your focus or you may have to expand it. But the goal is to find the happy place (sweet spot) between what YOU love and what the world NEEDS:
The Venn Diagram above from Lisa Hoashi shows what you should aim for. No, it's not always this simple, but if you can find the sweet spot, you will find your happy place.
I couldn't choose, so I decided not to. Then I decided to make one up to fool myself into thinking I had my shizz together. Right after that, I got my first two clients in a completely different niche—translation and localization! So, now I've fallen into a niche that I never even thought of but thoroughly enjoy. Nothing is ever simple!
Final Thoughts
Navigating anything as a new freelance copywriter is as challenging as it is essential.
Do your best. Don't give up*. Realize how far you've come. Try to shift your perspective. Embrace (good) feedback. There are many, many platitudes I can throw out there. Picking and choosing what works for you is the best underlying piece of advice I have received and will give.
*There are some occasions when you have given it your all, and it's not working how you want it to, or it's just not a good fit for you. In those instances, it's not giving up; it's redirection. That's an entirely different subject for another day.
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