[Contest Ended] Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card: Find a New Niche Challenge
This contest has ended and is no longer accepting entries.
It’s hard to keep focused on work this time of year. Especially sitting at home working, with the internet a click away and no one looking over my shoulder. The temptation is great to do my Christmas shopping, buy some new decorations for my porch or even splurge on a To: Me/From: Me Christmas present (I can’t be the only one who does that and enjoys watching the family get confused trying to figure out who bought it for me).
But December is an important month. Both for finishing the year on a high note and getting work in the pipeline for the traditionally slow month of January. So I’ve decided to do a December Niche Challenge to help everyone (myself included) keep moving forward with marketing and new business ideas. And everyone who plays along gets an entry in a random drawing for a $25 Amazon Gift Card. (It will be our little secret if you win and want to use it on the aforementioned To Me/From Me variety of gift.)
We’ve been talking a lot about niches, and if you still have any doubt about why it’s so important to have one, read my infamous tale about trying to write about saltwater fish tanks. Thanks to being a slow learner, I could now write several sequels to this post, including How I Learned I Am Not a Fire Pit Writer and How I Learned I Am Not an Interior Design Writer. Hopefully, my sharing my shame will keep you from having the legal department get involved in a post you wrote about building a fire pit (just a hypothetical example, OF COURSE).
I’ve found that most writers have many untapped niches that they could be marketing, either by turning a B2C niche into a B2B niche, finding niches in their clips, marketing themselves as an expert based on their after work pursuits and using industry experience gained at former jobs to show expertise. And if you are looking for work and have untapped niches (especially ones that may be high paying), you are really leaving money on the table. So this week, I want everyone to dig deep and find some new niches that they are ALREADY qualified to market themselves as an expert. I promise that each of you us untapped niches.
Here’s how the challenge works:
- Brainstorm a new-for-you niche that is as specific as possible. No cheating! It needs to be a niche that is new to you for content marketing writing. It can be something you’ve written about for consumer or trade publications, however. If you need some help on how to do it, check out these posts from me on finding niches:
- Post your niche as a comment on this thread by midnight EST on Sunday, December 4th. Note that entries that just say health, technology, food or anything else that is super broad will not count – read this post if you missed it to understand why. The goal is to define a very specific niche.
- Check out other readers’ niches, and post any ideas for refining their niche or client ideas in that niche (it can be general ideas, such as types of companies, if you want).
- You receive one entry in the drawing for posting your niche and another entry in the drawing for every time you post helping another writer with his or her niche.
- On Monday morning, I will put all the entries into a virtual hat and post the winner in my blog post on Monday, December 5th. There is no limit as long as each comment is helpful and not spammy – not that you would do that, but my legal adviser, who happens to be a crazy white dachshund, advised me to add this disclaimer.
So what is a new niche you would like to start marketing? Or are do you need to narrow a broad niche? Post your niche here and get market ideas from fellow writers. And of course get in the drawing to win the gift card.
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I write a lot about gardening, and one niche I want to develop further is: family-friendly DIY gardening on a budget. I’ve been noticing on social media lately that when I write a post that touches on this topic, it seems to resonate with lots of people (who then like, comment or retweet, etc.)
So that’s my ‘new niche’!
I see you writing content for seed companies and some of the larger nurseries in your area.
Heather
Perfect niche! Very specific.
Second the ideas of larger nurseries and seed companies. Both would be fantastic and the nurseries are a limitless source of clients, because there are so many.
Another avenue would be US Extension Offices for states which is where the Master Gardener program is housed and they typically promoted gardening in the community. What about large community gardens as well who are trying to increase interest in gardening?
I know you already write for garden tool companies, but that is a great avenue as well. Think about all the tools that a family needs to garden and then find out who makes them. What about those cute garden rain boots as well as kid sized garden shovels and chairs. There are some adorable ones out there.
How about the other end of the process — companies that offer home canning kits, equipment for putting up homegrown fruits and vegetables, jam/jelly equipment (Mason jars), etc.? Not a large segment but with an avid and loyal following.
YES! This is perfect. Love these ideas.
These are all fantastic ideas! Thank you 🙂
That sounds like a great niche, I’d also look at the big retailers: Home Depot, Lowes, Ace, True Value, Target, anyone that sells flowers/tools to people.
Another idea is to write about gardening accessories like gardening gloves and hats. They have gloves for a variety of reasons from colorful gloves for the stylish conscious to protective gloves for sun protection and for people with skin conditions such as arthritis and eczema. The company below has been written up in consumer magazines and flower show and gardening pubs. https://foxglovesinc.com/
And — do you have other experience “homesteading” experience, like with animals, etc? Although maybe your gardening/growing experience is close enough even without that. I saw this ad for a “homesteading writer” for the site “Nifty Homestead” the other day that you might want to look into: http://www.contentharmony.com/careers/#homesteadingwriter
Thanks, Leslie! It’s f/t and only for US folks, but yes, I write about this kind of thing all the time as well, and it’s very trendy right now 🙂
Wildlife rehabilitation/bird care/nature — That trio spurred by your suggestion to tap a sideline. Wildlife rehab is one of my sanity-preserving outlets. It could open several new niches, targeting quite a few age groups.
Mindfulness — incorporating it into daily life, secular and religious approaches, using it as a tool for creativity . . . I’ve been meditating for years, and have never written about it.
Creating space — tips and tricks used by (all kinds of) artists to give themselves creative space (physical or theoretical), so that they can separate themselves from distractions, routines, and the demands of life and/or family and write, paint, or do whatever brings them joy. This niche could include validation from psychologists and other experts, supporting the importance of giving oneself the space.
Fourth — as a freebie — cross-cultural foods. I’ve lived in two countries, worked in seven, and done research in forty. There are more crossovers than we think, and it would be interesting to show connections people don’t know are there, and to invite them to bring the world home.
Thanks for making me think!
Seanan, do you know about a store called the Wild Bird Center? It’s a franchise with 35 outlets. Similar companies are also targets for your first idea. There’s a magazine called Birding Business … not sure what it pays if you write for it directly, but if you get hold of an issue, you can look at the ads for content-writing possibilities.
Seanan,
I agree that writing about wildlife rehab can open up many avenues for ideas.
I live in Florida and there’s an aquarium in Clearwater that has helped raise the self-esteem of children with physical disabilities. You might have seen the film, “Winter’s Tale,” the rehab story about a dolphin with a prosthetic tail who has made a difference in the lives of children with physical limitations.
A longtime passion is career changes; I have some 65 clips there, though most are several years old. Jennifer once said there was a market for it, but when I had trouble getting anywhere, I had doubts. The resume and career-coach associations turned out to be all name and no substance. Willing to try again.
This morning I found contact info for the American Association of Community Colleges, the Association for Career and Technical Education, and the Career Education Colleges and Universities. Other possibilities might be job-search sites like Glassdoor, CareerBuilder, Monster, SimplyHired, Indeed, etc., though you can tell I will have to look into them and don’t know how to find the right people there. (Associations are much easier.)
I think Flexjobs.com uses content, too.
Hi Ellen,
I still think 100 percent there is a market for this. When I said that I was definitely thinking of much more than associations though, in fact I wasn’t even thinking of associations. I know that most of the websites that list jobs create content about finding a job for sure and would be the first place I would start. I also know that LinkedIn creates content for their job seeker premium section. Also, Dice, which is tech jobs, creates content and used to use freelancers. I believe that Monster uses Contently for their content, but I’m not sure.
Think about all of the products and services that someone looking for a job would purchase and make a list – a resume writing service, a career coach (not associations, but the actual coaches themselves), books on career changes (most authors have blogs and need content), and subscription services (as well as free sites) where jobs are placed. What about headhunters or staffing firms? Even temp agencies? There are some very large temp agencies. A headhunting company approached me a few years ago to work on a newsletter for their email list about job hunting.
Then go through each category or pick the categories that most appeal to you and write down specific companies or sites that look like they may need content.
As far as finding the right person to send it to, that’s always a challenge, but one that you have to muddle your way through to be successful at content writing. Here is an old post I wrote that I need to update https://www.jennifergregorywriter.com/2013/12/11/finding-the-best-contact-for-content-marketing-writing-letters-of-introduction/ but the basics are the same. I use a combination of LinkedIn and usually try to find someone in marketing or content marketing. Look for someone that is an Editorial director. And then I use Hunter (free website) to find the email that I need. Also, if it’s a blog or print pub, look to see if there is a staff member listed or something that tells you who is in charge.
Aren’t there still huge market guides out there for students heading into college? I know I wrote for a few several years ago. I imagine there are opportunities to write about these kinds of topics for both incoming students and even their parents. Perhaps getting in touch with the publishing companies that put those together would be helpful.
What about publications and products that appeal to certain demographics – young Baby Boomers, moms (more likely than dads), would-be retirees? Their readers may be drawn articles about career change.
That’s a great idea! Very out of the box and I bet you are right. And the content for people considering heading back to school would be different than the traditional. I wonder if colleges that specialize in this demographic would be a good fit.
Ellen,
A couple of ideas:
One avenue is non-fiction book publishers. I’m not aware of the pay scale, however I think there would be a need for authors in this area.
Another possible lead could be thought leaders and top-level career coaches who might need ghostwriters to write and pitch articles for publications.
A new niche for me is going to be over-the-top or exceptional customer service – how to give it, what it might be, etc.
OK, you’ve stumped me as far as clients, which rarely happens. Can you give me a little more information about the type of client you want to write this for? Or more importantly, What audience do you envision wanting this type of information?
Well, I may be barking up the wrong tree. But today I read about someone who was in a surgery waiting room and a hospital volunteer brought her a care package filled with water, snacks, pen, paper, tissues and lip gloss. I’ve also written about spas who gave clients handwritten thank you notes when they left. Also in the note they reminded the client of an action they could take to improve their health.
Should I try another niche?
Heather
Heather, You know, I think that would be a perfect niche for trade publications. You could write a very similar story customized for various industries and market it to almost any trade publication that works with the public. I would probably go that route.
With content marketing niches, it’s easiest to start with an audience that buys things or a topic area that directly relates to companies. For example, an audience would be families getting ready to send their first kid to college or people with food allergies because there are a ton of types of products and services marketed to this audience. A topic area that would work would be dental implants, bean to bar chocolates, data analytics, hybrid cars, vegan living.
I think your original idea is fantastic for stories for a publication, but it’s not exactly a niche that works well for content marketing.
I was missing the “audience that buys something” part.
What about bedroom décor that helps you sleep better? I think all the mattress manufacturers already have blogs, but what about pillows, drapes, paint companies (colors), etc.?
Heather, how about just bedding manufacturers? I think you might be slightly confusing niches with story ideas. A niche is an area where a company would hire you. I think that the how products help you sleep better would be a fantastic story idea for articles for brands, but not really an ongoing niche. Does that help? If not, let me know and I can explain more.
Well, what are some companies that offer exceptional customer service? I’m thinking, perhaps, luxury brands are known for customer service. So, maybe there is an opportunity to work with those brands to create internal content marketing copy, more internal communications than external communications? I know a lot of companies have blogs for their employees and training materials, so maybe there’s some sort of opportunity there?
Of course there’s Disney, Southwest Airlines I believe is high on customer satisfaction. Nordstrom has that rep as well.
I’m looking to break into writing for the blogs/websites of bean-to-bar chocolate makers. I already have a list of over 100 sites. Many of them have abandoned blogs.
Carol, this is exactly the type of niche I am talking about. I think it’s one of the best niches that I’ve heard of. And who would have thought there would be SO MANY clients in such a niche market. WHOO HOOO! You are off to a great start.
If I were you, my next step would be to craft a kick butt LOI that markets you as an expert on this topic and include any clips. The time consuming part will be finding the right contact (see my comment to Ellen), but whatever you do don’t send to a generic email address. Then start making your way through the 100. If your LOI is good, then I promise you will get some gigs out of this. The trick is also to follow up multiple times.
Carol, there are quite a few of these people/companies here in Hawaii. I believe this is the only state in the US where cacao is grown, and chocolate from the bean to the product is not unusual here. You might Google including Hawaii in the search.
Industrial robots. Robots used on the manufacturing floor. I’d love to write more about the academic side of so many of the science and engineering things I write about, the “cool” side of robot assistants and swarm robots…. but I feel like industrial robotics could be a niche within manufacturing because they’re things that are already created and people are selling and marketing.
Academics aside, logical places to start are the before, during, and after. Before: What companies make the parts, provide the necessary services? During: What companies and other entities (e.g., hospitals) buy and use the robots and the robotic parts? After: What companies and other entities benefit from the results, like improved healthcare outcomes and more efficient car and food manufacturing processes? Possibilities sound endless, so I suspect Jennifer would say you’ll have to narrow down again!
These are perfect questions and ideas.
This is an absolutely fantastic niche and one that I recommend pushing hard on because robots are going to be huge and I am starting to see uses of them in various industries. Hotels are starting to use them for customer service for one and I wrote an article for Samsung earlier this year for their blog that helps hotels integrate technology. And I just wrote one for another client about the Robotic shopping carts Walmart is developing that are self driving and will take customers directly to the item they want.
So I would approach this two ways – one I would approach companies manufacturing robots and offer you services creating content to companies and individuals who could benefit. I think that there is a HUGE B2B play in robots so I would probably market myself that way since not everyone has B2B experience. I would start here and really focus on this effort because I think your timing is perfect and there aren’t a ton of writers specializing in this field and it’s something you need experience and expertise to write about. If you have specific experience in the industries where robots will be big such as manufacturing, retail and hospitality, I would play that up heavy in your LOI.
The other avenue, which is companies that manufacturer the pieces and parts for robots need content to sell their products. I think that this will end up being a great market as well because many companies will likely start making robots that aren’t really robot makers because with Internet of Things technology robots will really become parts of most every product. But I would start on the first because I think that’s low hanging fruit right now and you are at the right time. I also think it will be pretty easy to identify the companies making the robots.
Let me know how this goes!
[…] from Jennifer: If you missed the post about the Find a Niche Challenge on Monday, check it out to get in the drawing to win a $25 gift card. The goal is for each reader to come up […]
Thanks so much you guys (and don’t count my thanks post as a Amazon entry). You’ve really helped. I will either narrow this further or come up with another niche by weeks end. I really appreciate this Jenny; it helps so much to think like this.
I love this idea. Thank you, Jennifer, for throwing this out there, especially since I want to change my content marketing niche focus in 2017 (right now my editorial and content marketing work collide, and I want to make a division to avoid ethical issues … plus burn-out!).
I’ve been doing some brainstorming, and I’d like to start focusing content marketing work at the intersection of education, global development and intercultural appreciation. Particular areas of interest to me include study abroad and international exchange, but I also like the idea of working with organizations and companies that foster work/study programs in developing countries, on-the-ground volunteer opportunities in development, possibly sustainable travel, etc. I served in the Peace Corps and worked for the National Peace Corps Association as the alumni editor for five years, and I found great satisfaction with researching, interviewing, writing and sharing stories about the great work former volunteers were doing, which is why I’d like to return to this area of work. I realize this niche development needs some work, but that’s where I’m at right now, and I would welcome any input that others have.
Joanna, I think that keeping your journalism and content marketing niche separate is a good idea and keeps things easier.
I think your niche. I think it’s a great start and there is definitely some great possibilities there. When I’m trying to refine a niche, one strategy that works for me is to think about what audience I want to write for, then come up with a list of all the types of products and services that this audience buys then the third step is to make a list of all the brands selling these. Don’t worry about the last one yet, but wanted to throw it out.
So for your niche are you thinking of an audience being people interested study and abroad and international exchange? That would be your niche. Then the next step would be everything that they need (I’m just guessing here), placement agencies, coaches helping people do this, banks that specialize in loans to help people to do this, nonprofits that have international exchanges.
And for the second one you mention – organizations and companies that foster work/study programs in developing countries. I would probably refine that to be companies looking to get involved in work/study/nonprofits in developing countries – then you could market to the organizations that offer this (that would probably be your biggest client base), any transportation/travel companies specializing in handling these arrangements, any insurance companies that offer policies for this and probably many others.
Another angle with the second is working directly for companies that are heavily involved in this type of outreach writing up the stories for their website of what they did and how they helped. Companies that invest heavily in this want to share what they have done and many run stories on their blog or have whole sections on their website devoted to this.
Does this help? Is this the direction you were thinking.
Maybe look at the companies that sell/promote currency exchange, travelers checks, etc. Thomas Cook, American Express, Travelex, and so on, the ones those study-abroad and international exchange folks will turn to when preparing.
My main niche is a/e/c, which is architecture/engineering and design firms, the people who create big buildings, roads, dams, etc.
The other areas I’m looking to branch out to is “The Cloud” as it concerns retail software. I’ve written about software as a service, cloud-based search platforms, cloud-based inventory control, cloud-based customer service platforms, etc. I’m finding that contrary to what I thought this is a crowded niche space. Or maybe not as much copy is needed.
I’m also looking into the home improvement area. I have many years experience writing on this and have practical experience as well. Narrowing it down though seems hard. Flooring? I know about that pretty much. Plumbing too. And painting.
One question I have for others is, say you have a niche like, as Jennifer had mentioned earlier, “Stadium Tech,” (as a matter of fact I’ve written about this as well). Let’s say Samsung is marketing special 4k monitors that are designed for luxury suites. How would you find the content marketing agency that handles Samsung, for one thing, and if you did, maybe that agency only handles certain Samsung retail products. I seem to get caught down a rabbit hole many times trying to find the right person/agency to contact. It seems many of these agencies handle only one or two products in a manufacturer’s line, and tracking them down is tough.
My niche is hospitality technology writer. I’d specialize in writing about new tech products that:
1) protect hospitality data from cyber criminals
2) enhance customer engagement by making it easier for guests to checkout, access billing, order room service, view daily schedules on ships/hotels (way finders, apps, systems, etc.)
3) make managing and tracking business initiatives easier (CRM, booking software and marketing software for hospitality managers and owners).
I’ve written a lot about food and a little bit about travel so a new niche for me that I’d like to explore is gastronomic tourism. I’m not really sure where to start though?!
Hi Jennifer,
Oof, I missed the deadline! Sunday syndrome. {:-(P
My niche is lifestyle holistic health
(focusing on prevention of lifestyle illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, etc. by making better health choices = exercise + wholesome nutrition + positive psychology + meditation, etc.)
(I’m a doctor, meditation teacher, and health writer.)
[…] from Jennifer: Thank you so much to everyone who participate in the Find a New Niche Challenge, both posting their own niches and giving others ideas. John Morell is the lucky winner of the $25 […]