Blogging

Choosing a Ghostwriter for Your Small Business? Don’t Be Scared!

choosing a ghostwriter

If you’re writing-adverse, a ghostwriter could be the cure for your small business content ills.

Maybe you’re too busy. Maybe words aren’t your thing. Maybe you’d rather be serenaded by a homicidal, opera-singing clown. It doesn’t matter why you don’t want to write your own blogs — you just don’t.

And that’s OK. What’s not OK, however, is giving up on blogging entirely. Somebody needs to be writing your small business blogs, even if that somebody isn’t you.

Enter your new ghostwriter. There’s no need to be spooked. A ghostwriter isn’t a supernatural entity, and you won’t need a Ouija board to summon one. A ghostwriter is someone who will take over your writing needs with your audience being none the wiser.

But writers come in all shapes, sizes and abilities. Here’s how to go about choosing the right ghostwriter for your small business’s needs.

4 Steps for Choosing a Ghostwriter

Search and Audition

The good news is, you can find ghostwriters just about anywhere. The gig section on Craigslist. Fiverr or Upwork. The message board of your local community college.

The bad news is, just because they’re easy to find doesn’t mean they’re any good.

Spend some time looking through their portfolios. (Any ghostwriter who’s been in the game for more than 15 minutes should have a portfolio.) You typically want someone that has demonstrated an ability to write in a voice similar to yours, or the ability to write in a wide range of voices — meaning they should handle yours fine, too.

Did you find anyone who looked promising? Great! Try them out.

Ask your potential ghostwriter to share a short sample on an industry-related topic. Their portfolio might be full of well-written posts on the migratory patterns of Canada geese. But if you sell refurbished refrigerators, they need to know how to write about refurbished refrigerators.

Get a Feel for Voice and Tone

In blogging, voice and tone are everything. And if you have an existing blog, it’s important that your ghostwriter be able to mimic what you already have published.

If your previous posts are academic in nature and your ghostwriter comes in and starts using casual language and a folksy, down-home voice, your readers will notice the disconnect. Continuity is important, and if you have already established your voice, you need someone with the ability to run with it.

Are you starting your blog from scratch? You might be able to give your ghostwriter a bit more leeway where voice and tone are concerned. But it still needs to be a good fit with the rest of your marketing elements like your website, social posts, emails, etc.

Get to Know the Ghost Beneath the Sheet

Despite their name, ghostwriters are very much real people, and as such, they have their own habits, preferences and personalities.

Who is the person behind the writing? Are they dependable? Can they work under a deadline? If they’ll be working directly with your team, are they a good fit with the rest of your employees?

Remember: Your audience doesn’t know the ghostwriter exists. Everything they do is an extension of you and your small business, and it reflects directly on you as the business owner. They could be the best writer in the world, but if they don’t suit your brand, it’s a losing proposition.

Be a Good Ghost Host

The road runs both ways. As important as it is that your ghostwriter work well with you, you need to be able to work well with them, too.

Pay them a fair amount. Pay on time. Be receptive to any questions they may have as they work on blog posts. The better you treat your ghostwriter, the harder they’ll work for you – and the harder they work, the better your small business blog becomes!

Hiring a Ghostwriter Shouldn’t Be Scary!

The right ghostwriter can take your small business blog to the next level and free up your time for other important tasks. Ready to get started? Let Mischa Communications be your spirit guide!