Should You Switch Your Niche? 5 Freelance Writing Markets that Pay Well

Learning to navigate the world of freelance writing is difficult even in what we would now call “normal” times. In the pandemic, and eventual post-pandemic world, things are different everywhere you go. Things that were once popular and profitable suddenly dropped off the map because sales fell overnight with lockdown’s and social distancing measures. While industries like travel and restaurants were greatly affected, some industries continue to flourish in these chaotic times.

So, if you’re freelance writing work seemed to fade into the distance with our memories of sitting elbow to elbow with strangers waiting for a table at Outback, it might be time for a change.

But, if you’re considering switching things up and trying a new niche, where should you start? What industries have been the least impacted by the pandemic and which ones are coming out on top? Here’s a look at five freelance writing markets that pay well, even during a global pandemic and recession.

Healthcare

Considering the center of this pandemic is a new virus threatening the lives of people around the world, it should be no surprise that healthcare is still a booming industry. If in normal times people are looking for healthy ways to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, and other health conditions, it seems fair that these things are more important now than ever.

In recent years there has been more people than ever before leaning towards natural health alternatives. Things like yoga, meditation, essential oils, cannabis, and CBD are being recognized for their benefits – and companies need writers to help market to these people.

With new terms like “pandemic fatigue” people are trying to learn how they can cope. Brands that produce alternative health products like supplements, essential oils and hemp products use digital marketing both to expand their reach and to educate their customers.

If you’re the one your family goes to about information for natural wellness, this might be a niche you overlooked initially, thinking of healthcare as pharmaceutical medicines and doctors’ offices. Yes, if you have the experience in the medical field as a nurse, doctor, or something similar, you can focus your efforts there and make good money.

But you don’t need to have gone to medical school to write for the healthcare industry, so if natural health, yoga, health eating and exercising are something you enjoy, consider healthcare as a potential freelance writing niche.

Finance

Maybe this seems like an obvious answer but writing about money will make you big money. This is another niche where you might feel like you need years of experience under your belt to write about it. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. If you have strong research skills and an interest in finances in general, you can excel in this niche.

Writing about finances doesn’t mean it’s all money saving and investing tips either. This could also mean writing comparison articles for different credit card options, banks, and account types and more. (Ex. 5 Best Credit Cards for Frequent International Travelers, Which Secured Credit Card is Best for Rebuilding Your Credit Quickly?) It could also mean writing about different types of mortgage loans (FHA versus VA versus USDA versus traditional), the difference between personal and business accounts as an entrepreneur and more.

You could also find yourself writing articles about different apps that allow you to make money – like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart – and how people in the gig economy like that manage their finances and things like insurance that aren’t covered when you’re a contractor.

Don’t let the fact that you have no experience working in a bank or as a financial advisor detour you from trying to find writing work in the finance industry if it’s something that you’re interested in. In fact, you might be surprised what some good old fashion research and good wordsmithing will do when switching to a niche like finance.

Real Estate

This might seem like a bad time to turn to the real estate industry as a profitable niche but that really depends on how you play the situation out. There are millions of renters facing potential eviction because of the pandemic – and millions more facing foreclosure. With a market down-turn like this, where millions are unable to afford their homes, diving into real estate right now might seem like a joke, but it’s not.

Regardless of the pandemic and the millions who are trying to figure out how to secure their work and place to live, there are millions more looking to buy or sell a home instead. There are people taking this opportunity to sell off rental properties they are losing profit on and others who are prepared to put money down on properties they know will be profitable after the pandemic.

You should also think, if you live in a $1 million home, chances are, you either have a recession-secure career with a good salary; or you have lost substantial income and selling that mansion for a roomie single-family home at half the cost could net you a big chunk of savings to fall back on.

Like most industries, real estate is ever changing. And while the pandemic has taken its toll on the housing market, that doesn’t mean people no longer need places to live. The business of buying and selling homes is something that has been around and will continue to be around. If you have an interest in this sort of thing, now could be a better time than you think to give this niche a try.

Education

Another thing that has changed drastically over the last year is the way education works, how schools are run and how we learn in general. Classroom settings, in many places, are a thing of the past for the time being. Virtual learning is a whole new experience for many. Before the pandemic, you only took online classes in college, maybe high school, and as a home-schooled student.

Now, it’s something that almost everyone has had to get used to and it’s clear that distance learning has its challenges that will need to be overcome. However, for some, it was a welcomed change that allowed more flexibility in life for parents, children, and teachers alike.

Whether you’re writing marketing copy for a major university or creating an email promo for an online course, education is a niche that is here to stay. You might be surprised to find out how many opportunities there are for writing in the education sector. Along with marketing materials you could produce class materials (workbooks and handouts), multiple choice tests, study guides and much more.

Parenting/Family

Another niche you’ll find almost never has a shortage of work for writers is the parenting and family niche. Babies are born every day. Toddlers terrorize parents for the first time every day too. So logically, there must be a plethora of information on the web to help these first-time and experienced parents alike. If you’re a parent yourself, you might be surprised you never thought to get into this niche to start with.

Websites about parenting will pay for your first-hand experiences, buyer guides that look at the pros and cons of different parent-related tech (Ex. 5 Best Baby Monitors on the Market Under $200), and more. You could also find yourself writing for major brands in the parenting and family industry, like Fisher-Price, Huggies, or Gerber.

Between selling your stories to parenting blogs and helping brands big and small reach tired and hurried parents all over the world, your options are far from limited in this industry. If you’re not a parent, but maybe a knowledgeable babysitter or infant through pre-K teacher, you might also find this to be a great niche for you. Nothing says you need to have a child of your own to be a good caretaker – or to give good advice on being one.

Going beyond an industry niche, you can specialize further with specific types of content that are known to pay well. Like long-form blog posts, white papers, case studies, email campaigns or video scripts.

If you’ve found yourself in a freelance writing rut – where your clients and workflow seem to have dried up – or if you’re new and looking for a way to make a stable income, consider one of these profitable niches as a starting point. Even through the pandemic, while industries like travel and hospitality have tanked, these markets and more have continued to see success, and so can you.