Why Trying to Please Everyone Could Destroy Your Writing Career—And What to Do Instead

Word Wise: Practical Writing Tips for Freelancers and Solopreneurs

When I first started writing seriously, I cast my net wide and pumped out content for a telecommunications firm … a carpentry products business … a community athletic organization.

But the projects that gave me the most satisfaction were with nonprofits. Specifically, faith-based nonprofits. And even more specifically, I got the biggest kick out of writing for newcomers like me who wanted to write for faith-based organizations but didn’t know where to start.

Unknowingly, I’d stumbled onto my niche audience.

Yet I was afraid to narrow down my blog content and my client prospecting because I thought my niche audience was too tiny. How many would-be content creators wanted to specialize in writing for faith-based nonprofits? And why would they turn to me for advice?

So for a few years, I “settled.” I focused on writing general content.

It was a classic blunder. To be fair, I gained some followers along the way. The problem was that my niche readers got lost in the shuffle.

You needn’t repeat my mistake.

What is a niche audience?

Think of your niche audience as your “people.” Instead of trying to write for everyone on the internet (which is impossible), zoom in on a smaller, more specific group of readers who share a common interest, need, or problem. For instance …

• General audience: “People who want to get healthy.”
• Niche audience: “Busy moms who want quick, five-ingredient healthy dinners.”

See the difference? The first group is huge and vague. The second is targeted — you know exactly what they care about, what frustrates them, and how your writing can help. And you can write content that’s just for them.

What is the opposite of a niche audience?

The opposite of a niche audience is a mass audience (AKA a general audience). Mass audience content aims to appeal to as…