Ghostwriting isn’t just for celebrity memoirs. Chances are, that entertaining, clever piece you read earlier on LinkedIn was written for the person who posted it under their name.
Let’s face it, with social media platforms and company blogs needing to be constantly fed, more and more business people are expected to publish expert content positioning them as thought leaders. Yet being an industry expert doesn’t automatically mean you know how to communicate it to a wide audience. When you know so much about a topic, it can be hard not to get bogged down in the details. And even if you do, finding time to write isn’t easy.
That’s where ghostwriting comes in – getting someone else to craft your thoughts into shape, someone who knows how to get your audience’s attention and keep it until the very last word.
Recently, I’ve been working with a client to create thought leadership pieces for their top-level employees. They are already leaders in their field, and thought leadership articles are an effective way for them to:
1. remind clients, potential clients and broader community of their expertise across a wide range of industry-related areas, and
2. highlight individual voices within the company while maintaining consistency with the brand.
From a copywriter’s perspective, ghostwriting gives me the opportunity to delve into a topic I know only a little about with an expert who is passionate about it – and their passion is always contagious.
Sometimes the client knows exactly what they want to say, other times it’s more a vague idea around a topic, so together we tease out different ideas and angles for the article as the conversation evolves.
Then it’s just a matter of putting together a draft, getting final input from the client and polishing it up for publication. I work closely with the marketing team to ensure it remains on brand and balances the voice of the company with the individual.
So next time you see those thought leadership pieces and wish your profile was filled with them, chat to a copywriter.
And even though I can’t share samples of my ghostwriting work with you (it’s called ghostwriting for a reason), when I’m scrolling through LinkedIn and see someone confidently sharing the article I wrote for them, it fills me with pride that I’ve been able to help them communicate their message.
If you need help with thought leadership articles, please get in touch.