Every other day on LinkedIn, someone’s shouting about how you have to niche down if you want to succeed as
a copywriter. Pick a lane, they say. Specialize, they say. Be the
"go-to" in SaaS for dentists who run on solar power, they say.
And every time I hear it, I can’t help but think: Nah.
Niche down? It doesn't align with my curious nature. And curiosity is one of my strengths. Niche down? Never have. Never will.
And I’ve done OK.
As a copywriter: I don’t need to spend a decade buried in
the widget-making industry to write killer copy about widgets. I need to ask
the right questions. I need to listen. I need to pay attention to what the
audience cares about, what the brand promises, and how the product solves a
problem.
I get up to speed fast. Research like a detective with a deadline. Sniff out the story.
And then I write words that make people lean in, click, sign up, buy.
And that’s true whether the client sells software,
sandwiches, or shirts.
In fact, too much industry knowledge can be a curse. Because
when you’ve marinated in the same industry stew for years, you start dragging
around a suitcase full of preconceived notions, biases, and "best
practices." You stop asking questions. You stop being curious. You stop
seeing things fresh.
And fresh is where the magic happens.
Of course (before someone in pharma or finance comes for me) some industries have rules, regs, and legal landmines that can’t be
ignored. You need to know 'em. But that’s different from being so entrenched
in an industry that you can’t see it from the outside anymore.
Great copy isn’t about parroting industry jargon. It’s about
connecting with humans. It’s about clarity. It’s about relevance. And none of
that requires me to live and die in a single niche.
So no, I never niched down. And I never felt the need.
Because I’m not here to be the copywriter who knows everything about one tiny
sliver of the world.
I’m here to be the copywriter who knows how to get people to pay attention.
And that skill?
That travels.
