If writing your own content feels like a slog, you never seem to have the time, or you just...don't like writing, then you need a ghostwriter.
No matter what your role, sharing your (and/or your company's) expertise within your industry via blog posts is a fantastic marketing move. Over 50% of people now use AI tools for search†, and of course Google's expanding the AI Overview across nearly all search results.
And the only way to appear in AI search results is to have good content on your website.
Why use a ghostwriter instead of AI?
AI content tends to be pretty generic, even if it seems good on first glance. Major AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are heavily influenced by their massive—and I mean massive—training datasets, so even if you upload a brand guide...it's not going to make the output sound just like you.
AI tools also have a tendency to hallucinate, or make stuff up. One of my clients once asked me to test out how well ChatGPT could find and return quotes from a database of articles. Even after creating a custom GPT for this purpose, and giving the GPT access to the correct webpages, the dang bot still kept fully fabricating quotes.
Even if you're only going to be quoting yourself in your content, you don't want the AI to be making up statements that you can't fully back up.
Finally, because AI outputs have a similar sound and all focus on top-level information (without intense human intervention, which often takes so long it's faster to write something from scratch), you're not going to see good SEO performance.
Ironically, generative AI applications prefer to display unique, human written content in AI search results, as that's typically more informative and therefore preferable to the person using the tool.
What makes a ghostwriter qualified?
A ghostwriter should have:
- Demonstrated experience writing for companies in your industry or vertical
- Experience with a writing style that matches the type of voice and audience you're trying to reach (this doesn't mean it needs to be your exact brand voice, but don't hire someone who only does chatty recipe blogs to write executive reports)
- Proven experience writing the type of content you want, be it blog posts, guest articles, thought leadership, or something else
I really want to highlight point number one: demonstrated experience. Because ghostwriters often agree to keep the exact people and projects they've worked with hush-hush, don't be alarmed if your potential ghostwriter cant show you EXACT examples of ghostwritten content.
They should, however, be able to show you:
- Non-ghostwritten work that is relevant to both your industry and project
- Examples of clients they work with (for a ghostwriter, this will probably be a mix of company names and descriptors)
For example, if you were to approach me about ghostwriting for your CMO, I could:
- Show you examples of work I've created for clients like yours under my own byline
- Tell you I've worked with companies like Semrush, Upwork, Figma, Aura, a leading IT observability platform, a UK-based agency, and others
How to evaluate a ghostwriter
Talking and looking at portfolios can only go so far. One of the best ways to vet a ghostwriter is to do a test project. Test projects should always be paid, and can be a really valuable way to figure out if:
- You and the ghostwriter work together well
- The writer will deliver the type of content you want
In my opinion, the ghostwriter should be driving this process, not you. You may know what you want to write about, or even have a brief from a publication that your byline will appear in. But the ghostwriter should:
- Tell you how they typically proceed—will they interview you? Read your past bylines?
- Ask for your (or the publication's) brand and style guide if it hasn't been provided already
- Confirm the format and method through which the content will be delivered for your review
For example, when I work with a new ghostwriting client, I:
- Schedule a call with the client to review the project and what the goal is
- Clarify content format, voice, and tone
- Establish if we'll be following a specific industry style format (such as AP Style) with this piece
- Let them know if I need to interview them or another subject matter expert at their company, and how
- Provide a timeline
- Establish whether they're working in Microsoft or Google Drive and confirm delivery method
Ghostwriting pricing and agreements
I can't provide legal or financial advice, but I can tell you this based on my experience:
- It's totally fine to ask that the ghostwriter not share the ghostwritten work in their portfolio
- It's very nice if you will let the ghostwriter use your company name/logo in their client list, even if they agree to not disclose specific details of the project
- Ghostwriting may come with with an upcharge
The total amount you will pay for ghostwriting will vary. For example, my case study pricing starts at $1500 (ghostwritten or not) and will be adjusted accordingly based on the additional work I need to do for the project, such as interviewing multiple people.
A quality writer is most likely going to charge you at least $800 for a standard ghostwritten blog post. Don't be afraid to ask about pricing, but be prepared to pay for a standard of quality that you're comfortable putting your name on.
†Source: Exploding Topics