Ghostwriting – should I use someone else to write my blog?
Nikki Pilkington
Non-wanky SEO and SEO Content. They say you can't know Technical SEO AND copywriting - I can. And do.
It’s an argument that comes up time and time again – is it ever acceptable to have someone else write your blog posts? Of course, my answer is a resounding YES, as this is a service that I have provided to many clients over the last 30 years, but why does it have such a bad rep?
Let’s face it, we all outsource various things at various times – here are just some things I’ve outsourced recently:
No-one slates me for outsourcing those things, do they?
But when it comes to ghostwriting there seems to be a very definite line – you either love it or hate it.
Those that hate it say it misleads the reader, it can never be as good as a blog written by the business owner, it’s untruthful, and many more negatives.
Those who love it see that it frees up their time, ensures that their blog is updated regularly, and gives them extra content when they don’t have the time or ability to write, among other things.
So why the hate?
Done properly, a ghostwriter speaks for the company – so not misleading.
If the business owner or marketing manager isn’t a prolific writer or isn’t comfortable writing, a ghostwriter solves a problem for them and makes their blog look good at the same time.
Untruthful? How? When I blog for a company I agree the things that can and can’t be said, agree a schedule of blogs, and make sure that what I write is the opinion of the company I’m writing for; whether or not it is my opinion is irrelevant.
With over 100 ghostwriting and blogging clients over the last 30 years, it’s a part of my job that I love, and one I’m proud of, especially when I see blogs I have written being Tweeted (never X'ed), Facebooked, shared and more.
Ghostwriting shouldn’t have a stigma attached to it – ghostwriters perform a service much like a copywriter or a PR person – and in these busy times outsourcing your blog management to someone else can be a much-needed weight off your mind.
What springs to YOUR mind when the word ‘ghostwriter’ is used?
Digital Marketing Strategist- MCIM / Business & Student Mentor / Social Entrepreneur
1 周I think its fine if a writer is industry blogging for an organisation, there’s a whole business out there based around this. I used to be a prolific blogger for many different industries at once, for a number of years I was writing a similar length of a typical dissertation about 2x a week. With part of what I do now, I’m often writing industry pieces for clients (not to the same level I may have been a few years back when I was purely a writer), but companies don’t have employees who have the time or are the best people to do it. When it comes to personal branding, I feel it’s better coming from the person directly. But there’s no right or wrong, it’s got to suit the business & individual.
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1 周When I think Ghost Writing I actually think more of writing for a person rather than blogs for a business. I do both and I feel comfortable doing the latter more so than the former. The person, there are a lot more nuances to learn, but that is a skill in itself, whereas sometimes I’m defining the tone of voice for a blog section and that’s easier to do. Learning how a person truly is, and then being them is really hard at times with clients that say “I wouldn’t say that ever” and so you have to be more open to getting to know them better and it takes more time and better judgement. I also think it’s important that whoever you’re ghost writing for, understands that it doesn’t absolve them from connecting with it, if they are personally more invested, it works a lot better.