Ghostwriting for Your Business
When you hear “ghostwriting,” you may automatically think of the unseen writer hired to craft a celebrity’s memoir. However, there’s a lot more utility to the practice, and many businesses are doing it as a part of their everyday content marketing strategy. It’s used both to increase bandwidth and to turn half-baked or even brilliant ideas into something that is shareable and engaging to your desired audience. Behind many great men and women is a talented writer who makes them sound better on the page or screen.
What’s the Goal of a Ghostwriter?
Ghostwriting is particularly useful if you have a distinct voice and brand of messaging — say you’re a CEO or a business consultant — but you need help writing. A ghostwriter can also be useful to help you determine and decipher your voice if you haven’t yet figured it out.
The ghostwriter will typically write the piece of content — could be a blog, a memo, website copy, or even an email — from a first-person point of view. The writer is essentially your stand-in or virtual body double. That kind of thing requires the two of you to either work in tandem, or, if there’s no time to be in regular contact, do some upfront communication.
The most important role a content marketing ghostwriter plays is translation. They often function to transform technical overload into something more readable, provide the space that is often required for great ideas to jump off the page, and express your ideas with a sense of clarity.
The Communication and Relationship Between Ghostwriter and Ghostwritee
Most forays into ghostwriting, whether it’s a one-off project or a regular practice, will include a discussion or interview stage. The writer will need to ask you a series of relevant questions to help determine your voice, tone, and goals. They’ll also probably ask about writing pet peeves or any business-specific jargon. You feed them what they need to know to be successful, but keep in mind, the first couple of projects might require a bit of back-and-forth. That’s all very normal in the process of eventually running like clockwork.
Here’s a key detail to keep in mind — while a ghostwriter should be able to attain your voice and tone, that doesn’t mean they’re literally writing what you would have written. When you’re reviewing the first few pieces, remember that part of their job is to change your delivery just enough to make it more accessible or uniform. Ultimately, there needs to be some kind of relationship between the ghostwriter and the author. For some, that all happens upfront, and for others, it’s more of an ongoing ordeal.
Ghostwriting with Cosmitto
If you would like to work with a ghostwriter, contact us today. We can sit down and talk about your goals, your style, and putting a writing sample together. It’s not just for celebrities, it’s for movers, shakers, and business leaders. If you have a platform, you have a voice. Make sure it’s saying what you need it to say.