Freelance Writing Niches That Pay Well In 2024

In addition, Alex Lieberman, the founder of Morning Brew, now has a B2B ghostwriting agency that charges $7,000 per month. The company is only a few months old and already has ten clients ($70,000 in monthly revenue).

As a ghostwriter, you’ll interview executives to learn how they think and then organize their thoughts into cohesive and attention-grabbing social media content.   

Email Writing

Email marketing is still among the highest converting marketing channels as it targets a warm audience that has elected to receive content from the brand.

So many companies are willing to pay thousands of dollars for a great email.

Direct response copywriters tend to be the highest paid email writers. For example, email copywriter Justin Goff made $2.2 million in a single year.

To become a great email copywriter, you must be excellent at audience research. For example, you’ll need to know exactly what pain points people face that drive them to purchase your client’s products or services and how those products or services solve those problems.

Case Study

Case studies demonstrating how a company’s products or services solved a customer’s problem drive a lot of sales for companies, so this is another high paying content format.

Joel Klettke is a great example of a copywriter who exclusively writes case studies for B2B clients, and there’s plenty of demand for his writing services.

Writing case studies can be tricky as you must thoroughly understand your client’s product or service, the customer’s pain points, and how the product or service solved the problem.

To make your case studies more effective, optimize them for a specific keyword that potential customers might search. 

To charge more for your services, offer to do the customer interviews to thoroughly understand the story and transform it into a well optimized blog post.

Video Script Writing

Video is quickly becoming one of the most popular forms of content marketing, and many people write out full scripts before ever hitting the record button.

However, even just a 10 minute video is usually 1,500 words, so many creators now hire freelance video script writers.

Upwork shows that video script copywriters can charge well over $100 per hour for their services:

And their services are in high demand. Here are just a few examples of clients that have paid thousands of dollars for great video script writers:

Based on these reviews, you can see that there’s demand for SaaS demo script writing and YouTube channel script writing.  

Technical Writing

ChatGPT and other AI content writing tools have replaced many traditional SEO writing jobs. However, AI writing tools are mainly trained on existing content, and for many complex SaaS (software as a service) products, there simply isn’t enough existing content for these writing tools to create comprehensive content.

So, excellent technical writers who can consistently produce high-quality content are still in high demand.

For example, this technical writer specializes in technical SaaS content and has earned over $1 million on Upwork. She also charges nearly $200 per hour for her writing services.

There’s also plenty of demand for content writers who understand search engine optimization and can clearly explain how a product solves a particular pain point keyword. 

For example, this blog post by Ahrefs targets the keyword “how to measure SEO performance.” 

Within the article, the writer also explains how to use specific features within the product to solve the searcher’s problem:

As you can see, this writing requires a deeper understanding of the product, making it difficult for ChatGPT and other writing tools to create this type of long form blog content.  

As a technical writer, you might do a product demo or talk to the company’s team to learn more about the audience’s pain points and how the product works.

White Papers And Ebooks

Many B2B companies still use ebooks and white papers to capture and convert leads, so this form of writing is still in demand. In addition, white papers and ebooks require a detailed understanding of how the product or service works, so it’s easy to charge a higher rate for these writing services. 

In fact, statistics from Demodia show that the average cost of a white paper is about $4,500, and writers with more specialized knowledge usually charge between $5,500 and $7,000. 

However, this range varies on how long the white paper is and how much research is involved in the project.

Ebooks are generally a little less expensive because they tend to be lead magnets discussing more how-to style content that doesn’t require quite as much detailed product knowledge as white papers. 

Sales And Landing Pages

Companies pay a lot of money to get leads to their landing and sales pages, so they’re usually willing to pay top dollar for a copywriter who can craft a high converting landing page. 

To increase your earning power as a sales and landing page writer, here are a few tips:

• Understand how to A/B test pages
• Track conversion rates to show to new potential clients
• Understand how to do thorough customer research

Some copywriters choose to partner with their clients to do a revenue share. The benefit of this model is that you have unlimited earning potential. This can be a great option if the client has a high quality product and consistently drives the right traffic to its landing pages.

However, carefully vet any client you choose to partner with, as you may see low conversions if the client isn’t effective at driving high quality leads or the product is low quality.  

We discuss the anatomy of a great sales page in a different blog post, but you’ll notice that you can charge much more if you can prove that you consistently produce outstanding conversion rates. 

The Most Profitable Freelance Writing Niches (By Industry)

Below are some of the most profitable writing niches based on the first two criteria of what makes a writing niche profitable (content value and supply and demand). However, your expertise on a topic and how much you enjoy writing about it greatly impacts the quality of your content. 

If none of the writing niches below interest you, do your own research and find a niche with:

• High content value
• Low writer supply
• High client demand

If you need help finding niches, you can use a tool like Exploding Topics that shows you the latest growing trends within various industries.

AI

AI is one of the fastest growing industries of all time. According to Statista, AI’s projected global market size is $738.80 billion by 2030. To put that number in perspective, the largest market size in the US is just $87.18 billion as of 2023.

VC funding in AI has also skyrocketed, and most of the companies Y Combinator invested in recently are somehow involved in AI:

As the AI industry is very broad, the best approach to close more clients and stand out from other freelance writers is to niche down and specialize in a particular submarket. 

For example, you could specialize in AI for construction or AI for marketing. To find potential clients in these industries, use a tool like Crunchbase. Then, search for companies and enter AI and another industry keyword in the filters. For example, here is a list of companies in the AI category that offer digital marketing software:

Once you find a sector of the AI industry you want to specialize in, look at the top competitors and analyze their content marketing strategies. 

Then, create a package of those services. 

For example, if you notice that People.ai is primarily leveraging LinkedIn for growth, you could offer all of People.ai’s competitors a package of LinkedIn content. 

Medical And Healthcare

The healthcare industry is also growing rapidly, and there’s still plenty of demand for medical writers who can clearly break down complex topics. 

As you can see, plenty of medical writers earn at least $100 per hour, and some have earned well over six figures, confirming that there’s a lot of demand for these services.

Plenty of SaaS healthcare companies also need blog writers to create SEO optimized content that explains how their products work. 

You can also niche down within the healthcare industry.

The mental health sector is growing particularly quickly, and a growing freelance writing opportunity is social media ghostwriting or video script writing for therapists, psychologists, and other service providers. 

Here’s a great example of a psychologist who has used social media and YouTube to grow. 

So you could send this video to clinical psychologists and offer to write similar scripts for them to record and publish on YouTube.

Technical SaaS

There are many technical SaaS startups with complex new technologies, and they need content to communicate to their audience how the product solves specific pain points.

So there’s high demand for long form technical content (usually SEO blog posts) to get their message in front of prospects and show them how the product solves their problems.

Many technical startups also use white papers and ebooks to collect and convert leads. They also typically need case studies to show prospects how their product solved problems for similar companies.

These technical startups are also usually raising venture capital, so they need content that can attract the right investors and clearly communicate the problem they’re solving.

If you enjoy technical products, select a particular sector within the technical SaaS industry and position yourself as a premium writer for that sector.

Sustainability And Clean Tech

While venture capital funding has cooled in most industries, the sustainability and clean tech market has continued to grow. 

In 2023, VC funding for climate tech startups specializing in reducing carbon and emissions increased from the previous record of $1.8 billion in Q3 of 2021 to a new record of $7.6 billion in Q3 of 2023.

As these startups receive funding, many will invest it into marketing, so this will probably be another one of the most profitable freelance writing niches in the coming years.

Some sectors within this industry that are growing particularly quickly include:

• Agtech
• Electric vehicles
• Alternative meats 
• Packaging and shipping

Plenty of ecommerce brands also use sustainability as a key differentiator to set themselves apart in the market. Wild Deodorant is a great example of an ecommerce brand that grew to be a $30 million dollar brand in just a matter of years.

Great social media writers and ghostwriters can capitalize on this opportunity, as environmental topics tend to perform well on social media. These brands also use PR to help spread the word about their products and services. 

Fintech

Fintech is another industry growing at an astounding rate and is projected to reach a market size of over $400 billion by 2024.

Within the fintech market, the personal finance sector is growing particularly quickly as more and more individuals look to technology to manage their finances more effectively. 

This industry relies heavily on content marketing, as customers carefully research different solutions before trusting a third party with their finances.

And content is a great method to build trust with prospects as they research different solutions. 

Therefore, many fintech companies are hiring writers to create SEO-driven blog posts, and there’s also increasing demand for social media ghostwriters as more and more companies rely on social media to build trust. 

For example, this fintech startup’s primary growth channel is Twitter. The founder regularly publishes content like this post, which builds trust and drives leads:

So you could create a ghostwriting social media package where you interview the executive once per month or quarter and then deliver several social media posts per month. 

Robotics

The robotics industry is expected to grow from $48.5 billion to approximately $142.8 billion by 2032, so there are plenty of new companies emerging in the space that will need content marketing.

A great example of a growing robotics company is Figure, a company building humanoid form robots. It has already raised a $70 million series A round and continues growing.

This company relies heavily on the founder’s personal brand for growth, so the freelance writing opportunity here is social media ghostwriting.

Here’s an example of one of his social posts:

Another opportunity to earn in the robotics industry is writing press releases and blog content that could attract investors. 

This particular niche tends to require a lot of funding, and most companies need some content that clearly communicates the problem they’re solving and what they offer.

Ecommerce

While ChatGPT and other AI writing tools are taking over a lot of product description writing and basic ad copy, there are still plenty of ecommerce business owners looking for freelance writers to improve the conversion rate of their ad copy.

Many product owners will also pay top dollar for sales and landing page copy. 

Here’s a great example of a copywriter who has earned over six figures and charges $100 per hour just for ad and sales copy.

If you have a basic understanding of paid media and can prove that your copy increases conversions, plenty of ecommerce business owners are hiring expert copywriters.

Within the ecommerce industry, some growing sectors you could specialize in include:

• Beauty and makeup 
• Wellness products and supplements
• Pets
• Fashion

Legal

The legal industry is another great opportunity with high demand for freelance writers. 

Customers for legal services thoroughly research and vet the companies they work with, and content is a perfect opportunity to build that relationship. 

Additionally, legal companies can’t rely on AI writing tools because any inaccuracies in their content can damage the brand’s credibility and even land them in trouble with the law. 

If you have a background in law or you’re a talented interviewer and can interview a legal expert, plenty of companies will be happy to hire you to create content.

The best opportunities for copywriters in the legal field include:

• SEO blog content
• Social media ghostwriting for lawyers growing personal brands
• Video script writing for legal companies growing YouTube channels

Real Estate

Real estate is another industry that offers many different opportunities for copywriters. 

For example, real estate agents need property descriptions, social media posts, and pamphlets for open houses. 

Real estate agents also use lead magnets to capture email addresses, and then they need to send nurture email sequences to keep those new leads engaged.

As a copywriter, you could create complete monthly packages that look something like this:

• 3 property descriptions 
• 3 SEO blog posts
• 3 pamphlets or flyers 
• 4 emails
• 8 social media posts

As you can see, you can charge a lot of money to a single client, and they will appreciate the comprehensiveness of the services. 

Real estate agents are also beginning to invest in YouTube marketing strategies, so you could also offer a video script writing service that they then use to record videos. 

In addition to real estate agents, you can also target real estate tech companies and offer copywriting services, like SEO writing. 

Wellness

Plenty of new wellness companies need content marketing to educate potential clients about their products and services.

Cold plunges, sleep trackers, and glucose monitors are just a few examples of growing wellness products. However, mass markets don’t know that these innovative new products even exist, so these companies need content marketing to educate prospects on how they work and how they can help improve general health and wellness.

Some big freelance writing opportunities in the wellness industry are:

• Blog posts educating prospects on how the products work
• Customer case studies and testimonials showing the benefits of the product
• Social media posts
• High converting sales and landing pages 
• Scripts for YouTube videos about the product

AI writing tools will also struggle to take over this industry simply because these companies need writers to explain how their product works in their brand voice. While AI tools are improving, they still aren’t quite at a point where they can explain a company’s products in that brand’s voice with high accuracy and consistency.

Choosing A Freelance Writing Niche

There are plenty of different types of freelance writing niches in high demand and positioning yourself as an expert in a particular niche is one of the easiest ways to increase your earning power as a writer.

After selecting your niche, check out our guide on getting your first freelance writing gig.

If you want more help growing your freelance writing career, consider joining the Copyblogger Academy. Inside, you’ll have the opportunity to network with other writers and you’ll have access to a variety of different courses.

You’ll also be able to ask me one on one questions.

So head over to the Copyblogger Academy now to see for yourself if it’s the community you’re looking for to take your writing to the next level.