The freelancing realm can sometimes be overwhelming, chaotic and plain right unpredictable! To ace it here, it is important to not only know your worth but to make sure you form part of the niche content club. 

This means that you choose to write simply about topics that are usually more complex and technical. By doing so, you practice acquiring the right skills to become a specialised freelance writer.

The topic or content type you write about is what will ultimately determine the amount you will earn. And let’s face it … we all want to earn a little bit more!

In most cases, writers will choose the easy way out by writing about the more fun topics. But, why not choose an industry where the client demands are high and the writers are few? In plain English, the more skilled you are in a certain content type, the more you can earn.

Feeling ready to get your niche on? Well, let media update’s Jana van der Westhuizen help you find out what content type is trending, what you can earn by enhancing your skills and how to nail a specific topic.

Here are some of the top content types and their earnings explained:

Case studies

Writing case studies is not only beneficial for you (because you get paid per word), but it helps to drive sales for the brand that you are writing for. When a brand publishes industry-leading research content, it becomes a commodity that other businesses or people want to align their methods to.

When writing a case study, you need to grasp the concept of what you are writing about. The key features you need to focus on are:
  • explaining the problem that the case study is trying to prove
  • presenting a solution to the problem mentioned
  • proving your point by aligning it with industry statistics and results, and
  • giving a solid conclusion and tying all points of view together.
Because case studies require a writer to do research and write in a more technical manner, there are not a lot of writers in this industry. This influences the demand and supply of the market you are aiming to join. Popular topics in this industry include financial or medical writing.

Saying that, the nature of case studies causes the total word count to vary, based on the problem you are trying to solve. Case studies can have a word count of 500 up to 10 000 words or more.

For technical pieces, including the research and skill development that needs to happen before a case study is written, a freelancer needs to be paid between R2 and R4 per word. Ching, ching!

Website copywriting

Writing content for a website, landing page or blog is a bit more tricky as you need to say more with fewer words — and keep it striking!

The e-commerce market is at an all-time high. More businesses are trying to lure people in by designing platforms where they not only sell their goods but also leave a lasting impression after consumers browse their websites.

This is a more niche type of copywriting as you will need the following elements to write striking website content:
  • an understanding of what you are selling
  • comprehensive grammar
  • concise writing that aligns with the overall goal of the website
  • emphasis on the benefits and key features of the product or offer
  • writing that is SEO optimised, and
  • attention-grabbing headlines that make it easy for the consumer to navigate the website.
Your work experience, the timeframe and the complexity of the project will influence the tariff, but typically you will charge your client per page and not per word. 

Therefore, it is important for you to have a clear understanding of what is expected of you for each page. For example, a landing page is a far less copy intensive structure than the about us page, so you cannot charge the same for each page.

For example, if you write medical-based copy for a pharmaceutical company that explains and sells their medicine, it will entail that you do research, learn the terms and then write copy for each product. This is time-consuming and requires skill. 

For something like the above, you can charge (depending on the amount of time it takes) between R3 000 to R4 000 per page — whereas a landing page can vary from R900 to R1 500.

So, do your research before you quote your client!

Online learning courses

With the Covid-19 pandemic, online learning has seen immense growth. People started to realise that home-learning and online courses are a way to enrich their knowledge and achieve career goals even faster.

This does not just account for individuals wanting to learn more, but also for families that wanted to home school their children.

To write online learning modules, ensure that you:
  • understand the subject matter — you need to teach someone a concept with only the words and knowledge that you use.
  • keep it informational yet understandable.
  • collaborate with the platform that you are writing for to keep their style and voice present in your writing — even though it is an academic piece.
Academic content like courses or online learnings is similar to case studies, where the subject matter will determine the duration of the writing process. 

The easier the concept and the less research it requires, the cheaper it will be. In areas such as education, software, finance, technology and digital marketing, longer pieces are sometimes needed as you need more time to explain a concept. Most courses will need to be interactive with videos, Q&As and extra booklets on the subject.

The average amount you can charge — taking into account your experience and knowledge on the subject — is between R2 and R4 per word. Not bad at all!

So what are you waiting for? Take on some niche freelancing jobs!

Are you a freelancer looking to expand your expertise within the industry? Then share your thoughts about it in the comments section.

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Not sure if you are charging enough for your original content? Then check out our article, The South African freelancer conundrum: How much do I charge?
*Image courtesy of Unsplash