If you’re anything like me, you get asked to write about really weird shit sometimes.
And you need the money, so you don’t want to turn down the work.
But deep down, you wonder:
How the HELL am I going to be able to tackle this crazy topic? Can I REALLY deliver what the client needs?
Then, you start overanalyzing and second guessing yourself. So, you decide to turn down any work that you don’t feel like you’re enough of an expert to take on.
The problem with that?
You have bills to pay, friend! And you’ll be in for in for a complete meltdown if you don’t take on the work and make some moo-lah.
I’m not just talking the “have a good cry” kind of meltdown here.
I’m talking the kind where you spend weeks giving in to the call of trashy daytime TV (Kardashians, anyone?) and only emerge from your house smelling like that 40-proof vodka you’ve been chugging to ease your anxiety.
Not a good look, yo.
And I want to help you prevent that from happening.
Because there’s a good chance you CAN deliver what the client needs – even if you’re completely unfamiliar with the freelance writing niche topic you’re writing about.
And I’m not just saying that – I know from experience.
Not too long ago, I had to write website copy for a company that sells ultrasound probe repair services.
I didn’t know what the fuck an ultrasound probe was – much less how to sell repair services for one!
I could’ve just been like:
AW SHIT, there’s no way I’m going to be able to handle this.
But instead, I decided to take it on.
I quickly learned what I needed to know to finish the assignment successfully. The client was happy with the work, and I got paid well for it!
So, I’m going to use that example to show you that you don’t need a ton of expertise to write about a topic.
And I’ll walk you through how to master a freelance writing niche topic in a matter of days (or even hours!).
Sound good?
Cool. Let’s start with the first step.
Understand the basics.
When I had to write about ultrasound probe repair, I didn’t get ahead of myself by trying to write the material or understand the service right away. First, I simply Googled this:
Check out all the information that popped up! Not only are there several websites available – there are product pages and a YouTube video… two awesome resources you can use to learn about how products work and how companies sell them (which I’ll talk about more in a minute).
FUCK. YEAH.
The point is that you need to understand the basics of the topic you’re writing about before you start writing something in-depth about it. Especially if it’s some crazy ass B2B topic that no one has ever heard of.
That being said, remember: you don’t have to spend tons and tons of time obsessing over becoming a subject matter expert. Often, you just need a basic understanding of the client’s business and target audience + the product’s purpose, functionality, and benefits to write about it effectively.
Get creative when looking for resources.
If you’re only looking to resources like articles and blog posts (I made this mistake for a long time!), you’re missing out on an entire world of information available to you – stuff that can really help you grasp a topic quickly.
Here are a few examples of what I mean:
YouTube – Search for explainer videos, webinar recordings, etc. You’d be surprised how much information is out there… even about weird topics!
Product pages on Amazon – Selling a product you don’t really understand? Look it up on Amazon. Read the product description and analyze how the company is describing and selling the product.
Forums – For example, if you’re writing about real estate for the first time, you could check out real estate SubReddits or look into niche forums like Biggerpockets. Simply search for forums related to your topic on Google, and start soaking up some sweet knowledge.
Of course, the resources available will depend heavily on your topic. You may not find Amazon to be a valuable resource if you’re writing about a service or something intangible. Pick your approach based on the freelance writing niche you’re trying to learn about.
Stalk the client’s blog.
When you’re writing about a weird topic like ultrasound probes, your client’s website can be your #1 resource for information. Check out their blog to get a better understanding of the subject matter. Chances are, you’ll be able to find plenty of information about the topic in layman’s terms, and you can use that information to quickly level up your topic knowledge.
You’ll also want to check for other free resources on their site. Whitepapers, case studies, and other stuff can be majorly helpful when you’re tackling a tough freelance writing niche topic.
Look at your client’s competitors.
This helped me so much when I was writing about ultrasound probes. There’s not much information online about the topic that’s easy to understand, so looking at my client’s competitors (ultrasound probe repair companies) ended up being an easy way for me to grasp the topic faster.
Here’s what I Googled:
Even though ultrasound probe repair is a super niche thing, tons of businesses popped up. I checked out several of their sites to read their blog posts and get a better idea of how they were using website copy to sell ultrasound probes.
And BOOM – just like that, I had a much better understanding of how to approach my writing assignment.
Related: How to Pick a Highly Profitable Freelance Writing Niche + Use It to Win High-paying Clients
Think about how your client can position their product to sell it.
When a client hires a writer, they aren’t looking for words on a page – they’re looking for content that is going to help their business in some way.
Here’s what I mean:
— If you write website copy, your content helps the client by increasing their conversion rates.
—If you write blog posts, your content helps the client by driving traffic and improving SEO.
—If you write email newsletters, your content helps clients get higher open/clickthrough rates.
All of these things help the client MAKE MORE MONEY.
So when you’re writing for a client, you need to think about how your content is going to help them meet that end goal of making more money.
For example, here are a few questions I asked myself when I was working on the ultrasound probe repair project:
—Who is the client’s target audience?
—What does the client’s target audience look for when deciding between multiple probe repair companies?
—What are the client’s target audience’s pain points?
Questions like these help you figure out the angle you can use to sell your client’s product/services. That way, you avoid writing bland content about features and instead write compelling content that lets the client’s audience know exactly why their product/service is the best choice.
On top of asking myself these questions, I used the client’s competitors’ sites as references while I wrote. Those sites helped me understand the approach other businesses were taking to selling probe repair services.
Not all of them were necessarily good, but still – seeing their approach helped me learn the basics and start thinking about how I could improve on what was already being done in the industry.
Ask the client questions.
I want you to understand something:
Asking clients questions doesn’t make you look dumb. It makes you look smart and lets them know that you’re digging for in-depth information so you can write the best content possible.
Too many freelancers shy away from asking questions because they feel like they should already know everything about… everything.
But let’s be real for a second – who would know in-depth info about ultrasound probes other than someone who has worked in that field and used them on a daily basis?
Not many people at all.
So, once I had a basic understanding of what an ultrasound probe was and considered how I was going to use that information in the writing assignment, I asked my client for help.
More specifically, I made a short list of questions I had about the topic and asked him to provide any additional resources I could use over the subject matter.
And guess what?
The client didn’t say:
What the hell, dumbass?
Instead, he was more than happy to help me out and give me some resources to use for reference.
Trust me – clients understand that freelancers don’t know the ins and outs of every single weird industry and subject. So, study up on the basics first, but don’t be afraid to ask smart questions and get additional resources from your client if you need help.
Better to ask for help and deliver amazing content than to avoid asking for help and deliver something shitty, right?
Confirm with the client if necessary.
I didn’t do this with the ultrasound probe assignment, but I do it all the damn time when I write client blog posts.
Once I research and understand the subject matter and assignment, I send over a quick outline and summary of the writing assignment.
More specifically, I send over the title, a short summary of the post, and the headers along with a one-sentence summary of what’s going to go under each header.
Doing this allows me to make sure I’m on the same page as the client as far as what content should be included in whatever I’m writing for them.
That way, I don’t waste time writing a blog post that completely different from what they were expecting. As a result, I rarely have to make heavy edits to my work (which opens up more time for me to work on other projects and make more money!)
But you can do this when you’re writing something else, like website copy, too. For example, you might send a summary of your approach to each page after you’ve talked to the client about the project.
Not only is confirming with clients a great way to save time and make sure you’re on the same page – it allows you to keep a paper trail of what the client approved and requested. That way, you can avoid scope creep (when a client asks you for more work than what was originally agreed to).
Related: How I Built a $5K/mo Freelance Writing Business in 4 Months (an in-depth, month-by-month breakdown!)
Remember, you don’t have to be an expert in your freelance writing niche.
One of my secondary niches is real estate. Every week, I write multiple blog posts about that topic.
Do you think I knew anything about real estate when I started out?
Hell no.
And when I say nothing, I really mean NOTHING. I was only interested in the subject matter.
But the real estate topics I cover are pretty easy to learn about with a few quick Google searches. I don’t need firsthand experience to write about those topics.
So, don’t be afraid to try out a new freelance writing niche like I did.
If you can learn enough about the subject matter to deliver what a client needs (like what I did with the ultrasound probe repair assignment!), that’s all that matters.
Not sure which freelance writing niche you should specialize in? Check out this free resource I put together with 10 profitable niches + how to break into them: