Considering hiring a writer, but you’re not sure if you need a niche writer or a general copywriter?
If it was just a matter of getting words on the screen, you might be able to do that yourself. But if you want to get a return on investment, improve your leads, and connect with your audience, hiring a writer is your best option. Plus, a good writer can help your business get ranked in search engines.
There are a lot of writers out there. Some will specialize in blogging, others in white papers. But many copywriters can write whatever you need. Blogs, articles, case studies, and social media content are the services they provide. But what about your industry? How much do they know about what you do? When you decide on the type of writing you need, your next step is to find a writer that knows your industry.
There are many advantages to hiring a writer dedicated to your specific industry – a niche writer. The more projects writers complete in your particular field, the more aware they are of trends and influential factors. It helps them know how they may affect what you’re doing. They know how to communicate with your audience and what kind of information they are looking for and need.
It’s the same as you selling eco-friendly cutlery and not selling cameras at the same time. You’re focused. And so is the niche writer.
Here are a few reasons to consider a niche writer over a general copywriter.
What You Get With a Niche Writer
- A Writer Who Is in Familiar Territory
- A Writer That Understands the Problem You Solve
- A Writer Who Is Enthusiastic About the Industry
A Niche Writer Is in Familiar Territory
Hiring a niche writer means that the writer knows how to write blogs and articles, particularly for your specific market.
It’s a lot like if you’re looking for a quaint place to visit in Scotland. Both Charlie and Donna mention they’ve been there. However, Charlie’s time in Scotland means he hung out at the Glasgow airport for several hours during a layover from New York to London.
When Donna says she’s been to Scotland, she means that she spent a few weeks in Pitlochry. She can tell you how to get there, what store sells the best tweeds, where to buy jewelry made of highland heather, and where not to go for fish and chips.
A niche writer is like Donna. She has a solid knowledge-base about your industry. When you hire her, she already understands your needs. And she understands your customer’s needs due to research she continually conducts in your area.
Donna is up to date on industry trends, and she may even have direct contact with industry experts. She might not be an IT provider, but if she’s an IT copywriter, then she lives in your world. She has an edge over a general copywriter who has to learn about the IT industry specifically for your project.
A Niche Writer Understands the Problem You Solve
Your product solves a problem for your customers. But with content marketing, you are trying to do something more than just sell a product. You need a writer who understands what you do and can help your customers understand why you do it.
The writer that understands the problem that you solve in-depth before they start writing has a huge advantage over one who is not aware that there is a problem.
That understanding is related to knowing your industry. When the writer regularly works in your industry, they will be able to relay all the ways you solve a problem from a place of understanding and not just by listing your product’s benefits or features.
A Niche Writer Is Enthusiastic About the Industry
Marketing Managers and businesses don’t often count a writer’s enthusiasm for the project they’re being hired for as a bonus. But for copywriters, there are jobs we can’t wait to get started on because they’re in an industry we’re passionate about. And then there are jobs because we need the work.
While the end product for both scenarios can have excellent results, consider the following.
You want to have a perfect smile, so you get braces. There’s the delight at the prospect of using one less filter on your photos. The excitement level on the day you get braces versus the day you get them off is on opposite ends of the spectrum. As a business, you want your writer to have the day braces come off excitement for every project they work on for you.
Again, it’s not that a good copywriter won’t be able to give you precisely what you hired them to do. But the enthusiasm for an industry shows through even with a newbie writer. A writer working on a topic that is important to them will produce higher quality work than the writer who doesn’t really care for the subject but is just getting it done.
What You Save With a Niche Writer
- Time, on Both Ends
- Money, Even Though They May Cost More
- Increased Productivity
Time, on Both Ends
Whether you’re a solopreneur or have a booming business with a few dozen employees, you have a lot on your plate. You can’t afford to take shortcuts, but you need things done fast. Time is not something you can spare.
Hiring a niche writer is similar to preparing dinner. You can run to the grocery store with no idea what to cook and go down every aisle looking for inspiration. Or, you can head straight to aisle 8 for the ricotta cheese. Then back home because you already have all of the other ingredients – and a recipe.
You save time, and so does the writer.
You save time by not having to try out several writers before finding one that gets what you do or the message you want to send. The writer saves time by not having to gather all the pieces before they can create the content you need.
Research, however, is a given. It is needed regardless of how familiar the writer is with the subject matter. A writer who is unfamiliar with your industry will have to start their research from scratch. First, on the industry, then how your company fits in or stands out in that industry, and then your target audience. A niche writer will already be familiar with most of those things.
Cutting down on the amount of time it takes to understand an industry increases the time put into the message. And time + the message = money.
Money, Even Though They May Cost More
Speaking of money, niche writers may be more expensive than generalists. But you’re already getting so much more with a niche writer.
There’s a reason general practitioners do not perform medical surgery. A general practitioner will be able to patch you up and maybe give you some pain meds. But an accurate diagnosis, proper treatment, and complicated surgery call for a specialist.
A niche writer is a specialist. They can guide you in your messaging direction because they know what would work best in the industry. They have insights that the general writer, new to the industry, may not have.
Specialists usually cost a little more. But the ROI is worth it.
After all, you’re not paying several writers until you find the right one. You’re not paying for research time that goes beyond the message you need to send to your target audience. And you’re not paying to wait on several rounds of revisions until they get your message just right.
Increased Productivity
When your writer doesn’t need extra coaching from you or time to do initial research, you can get on with running your business. And the writer can get on with providing you with great content.
They could even put some time into giving you content you didn’t know you needed.
Conclusion
When you need enough content for your business but don’t have time to write it yourself, consider hiring a writer. Whether it’s a content writer or a copywriter, make sure that they are familiar with your industry. A generalist is good. A niche writer is better.
Hello, I’m NC Fitz, a freelance content writer. I write for companies that make bio-based products, packaging, and any alternative solutions to single-use plastics. I help them connect with their audience by promoting their better than plastic products with content highlighting their environmental benefits.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are my own. The links provided are for informational purposes only and are not affiliate links.
The photos in the post header are from Unsplash, credited to:
Business Suit – Photo by Hunters Race on Unsplash, Justice – Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash, Photographer – Photo by freestocks on Unsplash, Code – Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash, Nurse – Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
Body photos:
Highland Heather – Photo by Felix Mooneeram on Unsplash, Money – Photo by Mathieu Turle on Unsplash, Clock – Photo by Sonja Langford on Unsplash