Working with a Ghostwriter- What does it mean, and how does it work?

One of the greatest challenges for busy entrepreneurs is creating consistent content for their blog, social media, and newsletters, especially if you're not a writer. Your schedule is busy enough and trying to find the time (and ideas) for fresh content, well there's not enough hours.

This is where many entrepreneurs enlist the help of a ghostwriter.

How can you get started?

A ghostwriter creates content that sounds like you and is credited to you; they do not take credit for any work they complete on your behalf. A good ghostwriter can capture your voice, a great ghostwriter goes one step further and builds in the avatar of your target audience - that is, they sound like you, in a way that speaks to your client.

What you want to look for is a ghostwriter that loves what they do and knows their limits. Some can work for a variety of clients, with multiple backgrounds and styles, and they do so effortlessly. Others lean towards a certain style (conversational versus scholarly for example), and they're only a great fit if they write in the style you're hoping to capture.

But beyond that, there are so many ways to get started, and as the client, it's up to you!

Start with content you've already created that can be re-purposed. Suggestions could include:
Whitepapers repurposed from being formal to more creative/informational pieces
Webinar or podcast recordings you've done in the past that could be transcribed and repurposed

You'd be surprised how much content you already have that needs some creative flair to turn into something new.Next, look at your creative process. I love it when our clients send us audio recordings of their thoughts, perhaps while commuting. They let their mind wander, and these creative moments can be easily turned into a series of blogs. We've also done an interview format, where the client talks about different subjects, and the writer listens and asks questions to deepen the content. This audio is transcribed into multiple blogs, many times forming a mini-series of content. One hour of content filled audio, can be turned into four blog articles, multiple corresponding social media posts, and a newsletter/blog roll that can go out to your subscribers.

Conversely, some of our clients love to write but need a little help going from semi-organized notes to a polished piece. Ghostwriters use this rough material as the framework, adding content in, or reorganizing the piece for better flow. In this case, they're more working as an editor than a ghostwriter.

And we've even seen flowcharts and random notes - whatever way that our clients "think" their ideas, we're able to work with.

The result is a polished piece that can be further repurposed into social media content. A ghostwriter can take your digital marketing to the next level!

By Peggy Murrah, Founder of PMA Web Services