It’s a LinkedIn post, how hard could it be? It’s a thought leadership article, how long could it take? It’s an editorial, how complicated could it get?
All great questions and, if you’ve asked them before, you’ll know that the answers aren’t encouraging.
Writing professional, engaging, and insightful content is rarely easy, quick, or simple. Anyone can write, but not everyone can write with influence.
CEOs and other executives hire ghostwriters for a number of reasons, but there are four that stand out clearly in our experience as ghostwriters for the C-suite.
Hold on, what exactly is a ghostwriter?
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who writes for you and ‘as’ you. Ghostwriters are like C-suite chameleons, using their research and writing skills to slip into your personality and write accurate, interesting, and insightful content that accelerates your influence and raises your reputation.
Traditionally, ghostwriters have written autobiographies of famous figures. Sports stars, Hollywood A-listers, and musical mavericks all have exceptional skills… but writing bestsellers isn’t usually one of them.
In the age of the internet, ghostwriters are now available to the leaders in almost every industry, helping them write and share captivating content for their digital channels.
You’re a ruthless prioritiser
For some executives, frankly, your time is better spent elsewhere.
Raising your profile and building your reputation as an industry leader is eminently valuable, but the work it takes to get there is a net loss compared to other uses for your time.
Life in a leadership position is often about trade-offs. There are almost always competing demands for your attention and we often find that reputation development is often one of the first to be sacrificed.
If you fit into this category, working with a ghostwriter means you can build your reputation without dropping any of the plates you’re spinning.
You defer to the experts
You don’t do your own books, you hire accountants and Finance Directors.
So why would you ever try to raise your reputation with content by chancing it on your own?
We’ve written hundreds upon hundreds of posts and articles for C-suite leaders and can say, with some confidence, that we know what works—and what doesn’t.
We’ve made more mistakes than most people would ever attempt and we’ve had more success than most people would dream of.
If you fit into this category, you’re in the perfect place to defer to the experts by hiring some of the industry’s leading ghostwriters.
You know you’re not a writer
For some people, sitting down to write is a punishment. A bad dream. A form of torture soon to be condemned by the UN.
The executives with whom we work have a vast range of skills and are undoubtedly experts in their field. That’s doesn’t mean they’re any good at writing.
It can be tempting to think that anyone can do it—especially as your dominant skillsets are in some complicated fields—but the truth is, writing’s not for everyone. If you’re not naturally a writer, why the hell would you pretend otherwise?
If you fit into this category, you can rest easy with the knowledge that you no longer have to write if you want to grow your influence online. You can simply get a ghostwriter to do it for you.
You want to diversify your professional portfolio
Some executives hire ghostwriters in service of a particular professional goal.
In the short- to long-term, growing your reputation for sharing insights and holding nuanced discussion is a fast-track to speaking gigs and editorial opportunities.
Executives often want to engage in reputation development with longer-term goals in mind, too. Often, this is about making their next steps smoother and swifter—whether that’s post-exit, preparing for third sector governance roles, or opportunities outside of business (media or politics, for example).
If you fit into this category, our bespoke method will guarantee you an approach that serves your short- and long-term goals.
What’s your reason for being here?
You might fit into one, many, or none of those categories above. As mentioned at the start, these are only the most popular reasons we see for executives hiring ghostwriters. Ultimately, there are countless reasons why you might be interested in hiring a writer to take on the legwork of reputation development.
We’d love to hear your reason for reading this post and, if all is well, explain how we can use ghostwriting to raise your reputation in a way that stays true to your goals.
Your reason for wanting a writer is fascinating to us, ready to share it and start the process?