5 Reasons Why Freelancers Should Pick A Niche

If you are looking for clients on freelance platforms, narrowing your niche is essential. A potential client may not want to hire you for the entire project if you don't specialize in the subject... (even if you offer all the services!) Clients will want to hire you for the piece of the project you specialize in.

The greatest thing that holds freelancers back from choosing a niche is fear. Fear of missing out and fear of not getting enough customers. It’s a scarcity mindset and it’s actually lazy. Yep. I said it. 

Being all things to all people is the lazy way out. How is that working for you? 

Commit. Drill down. Get good at something and plant your flag in a niche you actually love (and hopefully good at). That’s the way to scale faster. 

Trust me.

1. Clients Can Find You Easier

Have you ever gone to Google to search for a plumber and decided to hire a plumber who also specializes in painting? Yeah, I didn’t think so... 

When you pick a niche, you’re making it easy for people who need you to find you. I needed a plumber, so I wanted to hire someone who markets themselves as being an expert in plumbing. 

In an age of instant search, people like to type in exactly what they want and get the top results in a flash. A quick google search would show you that there are thousands of specialists in any field at any given point in time.

If someone is searching for what you specialize in, you want to be on that list. You need to be on that list to get their attention. 

We know how that goes, if you try to appeal to everyone, you won't connect with anyone. 

2. You Won’t Confuse Clients

How many advertisements have you seen today for car dealerships? You most likely have no idea. You probably wouldn’t pay these ads any attention if you weren’t on the market for a new car. 

We see hundreds of advertisements for various businesses everyday. If a potential client doesn’t recognize you for what you specialize in, they will forget you. 

Let’s face it… clients get easily confused. And when you confuse, you lose. 

Confusing a client is easy. You need to be direct about exactly what you specialize in and can do for them.

Don’t be all things to everyone. Even if you can. Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should. 

Some freelancers are just too awesome for their own good, and their clients get confused. And, if you confuse, you lose. 

And ultimately - so do they. 

It’s much better to narrow down your services from the beginning and help your client understand how you can help them immediately before you start adding all the other things.  

You might be a life coach that is also a real estate agent. It’s fine you have 2 focuses, but not on the same website. It’s confusing. 

People are looking for the best in the business. Someone who specializes and understands their unique problem.  

(Tip: Customers all think they are unicorns with problems no one could possibly solve). ⁠

3. It’s easier to communicate

Can you say what you do in one sentence? ⁠⁠Does the lightbulb go off for the person listening when you explain your services?⁠⁠

There should be a pretty immediate yes or no regarding whether the need your help or not.⁠⁠(Now, whether they will pay for it is another conversation...)

But you can't get to the $$ conversation until they are clear about what you do, and you can communicate it in a simple and easy way. ⁠⁠

This applies to any business, not just freelancers. ⁠⁠

If you confuse, you lose. ⁠

If you need 3 paragraphs or more than 60 seconds to explain your service, then you need to either niche down or hire a copywriter to help you simplify, ha!⁠

It's better to get a fast yes or no, than to spend a lot of time trying to untangle, over communicate and un-confuse people with what you do.

4. You become an expert

You don't need 10,000 hours....⁠⁠ 

But you do need some significant time in one area of focus. Combine that will more education, training and mentoring with experts and you'll soon become an expert.⁠⁠ 

Well, more of an expert than your clients. ⁠

And, the truth is... someone will always be better than us. But, if we are a few steps ahead of the person we're helping, we can offer real value. ⁠

I wasn't an expert copywriter or StoryBrand Guide when I started... and I'm still not, but by focusing on my niche, I have accelerated my expertise and the rate at which I get to charge. ⁠

 Narrow down your niche... aim to become a thought leader, or an expert in your area and you'll see more clients drawn to working with you, because people want to work with the best! ⁠

5. You can charge more

If you are the expert, then you can charge an expert price. 

By narrowing down your niche, you establish yourself as the expert in your field. You are saying “This is what I do, and I do it well. 

This shows that you have a focus. This communicates to your clients that you are the best person for the job, and therefore you can price yourself accordingly. 

Pricing is usually what makes freelancers the most nervous.

It’s always a little intimidating thinking about your prices and project fees when it comes to creating proposals, and it always will be. 

Whether you’re new to the freelance world or an old pro, pricing proposals can always be a little tricky. You should be continually increasing your prices with each client... so you’ll always be contemplating what to charge. 

You’ll be amazed when you hear more yeses than you were expecting, and once you have clients that say yes, you’ll be more confident each time you send out a proposal.

Have I convinced you to pick a niche yet? 

If I’ve convinced you, give yourself a pat on the back. You’re on your way to being a knowledgeable expert! 

For even more freelancing tips and tricks, make sure to join my Facebook Group Full Thrive Freelancers. This group is dedicated to giving freelancers resources to build thriving, full time businesses from home. 

I can’t wait to see you there!