Coffee With Cole: The Digital Writing Podcast

Episode Summary: How To Find Your Niche In Content Writing

Host: Nicolas Cole
Date: December 21, 2025

Overview

This episode features Nicolas Cole sharing his expert roadmap for finding a profitable niche in the content writing industry. Drawing on his own journey from low-paid generalist to highly sought-after ghostwriter and founder of the Premium Ghostwriting Academy, Cole breaks down the critical importance of specialization—why it dramatically increases income, how to identify your ideal service and industry, and practical steps to avoid the “generalist trap.” The episode is packed with real-world examples, actionable advice, and Cole’s signature energetic, candid delivery.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power and Profit of Niching Down

• Personal Case Study (00:00–02:35):
  Cole recalls how specializing took him from $20 blog posts to $2,000 thought leadership articles—without increased experience or effort, just a strategic repositioning in the market.

  • Quote: “The only difference is that I called myself a freelance writer who did everything... Here I said, I am a ghostwriter who specializes in ghostwriting thought leadership articles for founders. That’s the only difference.” (01:30)

• The Stained Glass Parable (00:45–01:15):
  He uses an analogy: if you had a shattered stained glass window, would you hire a general window fixer or a specialist? The choice is obvious, and that logic applies directly to writing.

Why Specializing Makes You More Money (02:35–10:40)

1. Pricing Power (02:45–05:00):

   • Specialists charge premium rates because clients perceive them as the highest-value solution to specific problems.
   • Quote: “When you are a specialist, you inherently can charge more than generalists.” (03:10)

2. Efficiency Creation (05:00–07:45):

   • By doing the same service repeatedly, Cole’s agency built templates, processes, and hired efficiently—scaling to a multimillion-dollar business.
   • Operational model: duplicated small writer/editor teams for massive content output.

3. Higher Profit Potential (07:45–10:40):

   • Specialization allows for more clients without extra time/complexity.
   • Example: A generalist might handle 3 clients, but a specialist with systems could handle 10—meaning dramatically higher earnings.

How To Niche Down: Service vs. Industry (10:41–22:00)

• Two Main Axes:

  • Service: What you offer (e.g., newsletters, email courses, social content)
  • Industry: Who you serve (e.g., SaaS, finance, health and wellness)

• Recommended Starting Point (12:30):

  • Begin by specializing in a service; it’s easier and lets you refine your process before zeroing in on an industry.

• Three High-Value Writing Services (13:20–17:00):

  1. Educational Email Courses (EECs)
     • Highly profitable, effective for lead gen
     • Example: Cole’s opt-ins at ghostwritingblueprint.com
     • Quote: “You can get paid a lot of money to build these... we show them how to charge five grand, seven grand, ten grand per EEC.” (15:10)
  2. Newsletter Ghostwriting
     • Builds recurring client relationships; underpins long-term digital products or sales funnels
     • Quote: “Newsletters are foundational for every business.” (16:15)
  3. Short-Form Social Content
     • Drives traffic to opt-ins/newsletters—pick one channel, like LinkedIn or X, and go deep

• Moving Towards Industry Specialization (18:00–22:00):

  • Over time, specialize further by learning the vernacular, rules, and quirks of a particular industry.
  • Information Advantage: Even a small edge in understanding an industry’s insider language and compliance rules makes you far more desirable.
    • Example: Finance and health/wellness writers must understand legal/regulatory restrictions.

Overcoming The Scarcity Myth (22:01–25:45)

• “Too Niche, Not Enough Opportunity” Fallacy:
  • Cole addresses the fear that being too specialized limits work, using the “niche/constellation” idea: even hyper-specific services in one industry open doors to many sub-audiences.
  • Example: Specializing in real estate newsletters opens work with agents, brokers, commercial, multi-family, and accompanying sequences (upsell, call booking, etc.).
  • Quote: “Your opportunity is not limited. All you need is a tip of the spear, something you specialize in, and then you start to realize there’s all these sub-audiences.” (24:45)
  • “If you just say, I do everything, nobody can hear you.” (25:30)

The Hardest—and Most Important—Skill: Saying No (25:46–End)

• Plastic Solo Cup Analogy (25:50–28:00):
  You don’t change your entire factory’s operation for one random request—yet most writers do, saying yes to off-niche jobs and killing efficiency.

  • Quote: “You can’t end up building dominance in a niche… if you’re constantly crushing your efficiencies and crushing your pricing power and crushing your profit by saying yes to every single person who walks into your factory. You can’t do it.” (27:25)

• Protecting Capacity and Building Clarity (28:01–End):

  • Turning down off-niche work isn’t lost opportunity—it’s protecting your valuable focus and process, even at advanced income levels.
  • The temptation to stray never goes away—learning to say no is essential for ongoing growth.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Niching down, it’s not just a positioning choice. Niching down is actually how you unlock these different tranches of monetization.” (10:30)
• “An information advantage isn’t 20 years of expertise, it’s knowing the lingo and rules of your target industry.” (19:45)
• “Every time you say no, you’re not limiting your opportunity. You’re protecting your capacity.” (28:20)
• “The skill to build is learning how to say no.” (27:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:35: Cole’s income transformation story; stained glass parable
• 02:36–10:40: Three pillars: pricing power, efficiency, profit
• 10:41–13:19: How to niche—service vs. industry approach
• 13:20–17:00: Top three profitable writing services
• 18:00–22:00: Industry specialization and information advantage
• 22:01–25:45: Debunking the “not enough clients” myth / client constellation concept
• 25:46–28:00: Plastic solo cup analogy—learning to say no
• 28:01–End: The ongoing challenge (and necessity) of sticking to your niche

Tone & Style

Throughout the episode, Cole maintains an enthusiastic, no-nonsense tone—mixing motivational storytelling, clear frameworks, and memorable analogies. He’s direct, practical, and empathetic to writer anxieties, but always returns to his central thesis: the riches are in the niches, and boundaries unlock both income and creative freedom.

Summary prepared for listeners seeking deep insights and actionable advice on carving out a lucrative, sustainable writing niche—directly from one of the world’s leading digital writing coaches.