- 23 Mar 2016
- 6 Min read
How to create content in a niche industry
At some point in every copywriter’s career they will be faced with creating content for a niche industry that they aren’t familiar with. You could be an in-house copywriter trying to get to grips with a role in a new industry, or you could be a seasoned freelancer determined to write something unique for a new client — you are likely to run into the same challenge: being able to write authoritatively on a topic that you probably know little about.
Don’t worry, writing for an unfamiliar industry is nearly always puzzling at first, and it can take a bit of time and effort to be able to write to a level of competency. To help you out here are our top tips for creating excellent copy in a niche industry.
Research, research, research
This should be the starting point for anyone looking to write about a topic they don’t have a great handle on. Unleash your autodidactic side and educate yourself with the ins and outs of the industry — start with the basics and work your way up from there. Getting a broader understanding of a particularly niche corner of the market is essential if you want to be able to write convincingly about it. Google is your friend — use it to delve right to the root of your chosen topic.
Learn everything you can about your client
If you are writing for a client, you will need to know exactly what it is they do and how they do it. Immerse yourself in their product range or the services they offer, and get to know who their client base is. Don’t be afraid to ask questions — it’s usually better to come over as a bit of a pest in an effort to create content that accurately reflects the company than to stay quiet and end up with something misjudged. Take a look at CopyBlogger’s 40 questions you should ask your client for some inspiration for when you are coming up with your queries.
Look at what the competition are doing
It can be incredibly helpful to look at what a client’s market competitors are doing in terms of content. This is not to plagiarise them, but to see what they are writing about and to see if any of their ideas fire a spark of inspiration in your own brain — maybe you can improve upon an idea while making it your own? It is also a useful to know exactly what competitors are not doing to find gaps your own content ideas could fill.
Find the industry experts
As we’ve mentioned before, your client will be able to provide you with expert insight into their niche industry, but it can also be helpful to get help from other sources that might be even further ahead of the game. Find the influencers on social media — the leading figures within the industry that are driving it onwards — and take note of what they are saying. Use websites like BuzzSumo to find out who writes the most shared blogs in the industry to get a flavour of what makes them so popular.
Subscribe to industry media and attend events
By subscribing to the leading industry media, such as newsletters, RSS feeds, and social media pages, you can get new developments in the sector delivered straight to your inbox, helping you to stay up to date and on point with your content. Look for any industry events that you could attend, as they could provide you with inside knowledge and the chance to make contacts that could help to enhance your work.
Start with a narrow idea
If you are looking for ideas for your first piece of content, look for a topic within the niche industry that is quite narrow — this will make it easier to research and give you the chance to dig quite deeply into a particular area without the worry of needing to undertake piles of research. You will also be likely to rank well on Google if the question hasn’t been answered before. You can often find a broad topic and narrow it down by focussing on one aspect of it.
For example, if you are writing about ‘ride-on lawnmowers’, you can use Google to find out what the most common problems people experience are. One of these could be that the engine makes a strange noise — you can then narrow down this topic and research it further to write ‘5 reasons your ride-on mower engine is making strange noises’.
Learn the authoritative keywords
If you are writing in a niche industry, you will have to be able to confidently use the jargon that comes with the territory — without it your content just won’t be able to cut it as a credible resource. Make sure that you don’t overdo it though, as overloading your content with these words will make it sound forced. You can pick them up as you learn more, but is often useful to keep an updated glossary to help you to become familiar with them. You can even create some personalised flashcards to help you test yourself on new vocabulary — services like Cram or Study Blue can be used online or through its dedicated app for on the go learning.
Look for a killer angle
Even if you are new to a niche industry, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find a unique way to present your take on things in your content. There is no reason that being a newbie should prevent you from forming your own opinion — you just need to make sure you can back it up with solid reasoning and evidence. Take note of any research published in the industry, as they can often give you a new angle to exploit for your content. Spend plenty of time reading the latest reports and survey findings — they may be boring, but there can be a golden piece of information buried within them.
With these quality morsels of advice, you will be ready to tackle your niche content in no time. Remember that you won’t be able to learn everything overnight, and it will take some time before you can consider yourself an authority on the sector. But there’s no need to be daunted — you can make a dent in the industry straight away with the right approach.
If you feel that you need our help producing high-quality content for your site or assistance creating an effective content strategy, why not get in touch or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.