Over the years we’ve worked with a number of individuals at Ghost Blog Writers. Now, we mostly work with organizations. Businesses of all sizes. They come to us looking for help maintaining their blog. They usually don’t have a team large enough that it includes a dedicated writer or blogger. Or they don’t have anyone that wants to do the writing and the other tasks involved with the blog.
But we also work with individuals. And that has been getting more common in recent years with social media. Especially with sites like LinkedIn that offer an article feed that really acts like a blog. Business pages can have them. Personal pages have them. And a number of folks are seeing that they can build an audience on the platform. Some use it to attract clients for a consulting situation. Others use it to attract job offers. All kinds of things.
What’s a struggle for many is all that’s involved with writing the content. Some folks have ideas, but they don’t have time to write. Others don’t mind writing, but doing it on a consistent schedule is difficult.
So what can you do?
How a ghostwriter can help a personal blogger
The big question with ghostwriters is how can one possibly help in a personal blog situation. How can they convey the same voice? How can they have the same expertise as the focus person of the content?
Ghost blogging is basically the same process as ghostwriting an autobiography. You see these books all the time from celebrities. Actors, athletes, musicians, politicians, etc. Most, not all, but most, are done using ghostwriters. They sit down to go over questions, stories and all kinds of things. The experience and knowledge comes from the focus individual. The structure, brainstorming and more comes from the writer.
If this arrangement didn’t exist there wouldn’t be nearly all of those books out in the world that we all enjoy so much.
Here is a typical way this arrangement works for a personal blog.
1. Initial Discussion
Usually what happens first is a discussion between the person that wants to have a personal blog and the ghostwriter. Or in the case of our little agency, a discussion between a manager and the personal blogger.
This discussion is about what the person is looking to do with a blog. Word count is discussed. Frequency is discussed. The process is discussed.
There is also discussion about their experience and voice. There is discussion about their values and what they stand for and what they want to communicate.
From this conversation an overall theme begins to emerge that is typically used a little later on.
2. Identify The Writer
If the person is talking with a ghostwriter that will be working alone versus with an agency, the person will decide if the ghostwriter seems like the right fit. If not, they will likely chat with another option. And another. Until they feel comfortable making a choice.
If it’s an agency, usually the manager will look for a writer that has availability, that has some relative experience and that is looking for the opportunity to do more work. This is for the long-term is most cases. Especially with a blog. It’s not a book that will be done in six weeks or a year.
Sometimes at this point it’s good to have the writer work on a trial piece. Give them enough information from the person. Maybe have a phone conversation. Then do a trial. Usually you can get a good early indication if it’s worth continuing. It kind of sets expectations on both sides.
3. Initial Theme & Titles
At this point you’re looking to create a schedule for about 1-3 months. If you’re planning to publish weekly then you’re looking at about 4-15 titles. Sometimes with personal blogging this comes with an overall theme. For example, the person may want to cover their early experience in their career. That may have a 10-part breakdown. So 10 posts at probably 1,000 words each all on that same theme of the early career experiences.
Usually there is a conversation or two or three between the writer and the person. They discuss the timeline and all the knowledge. Then it’s the writer’s job to start work on the posts. Usually those conversation is recorded. Occasionally there are follow up questions and conversations.
4. Ongoing Schedule
This is where a lot of businesses and individuals get hung up. They get through the initial ideas for the blog and then they struggle to keep things going. But with a blog that is almost always the goal. You want to maintain a regular schedule. A regular flow of new content.
So let’s say you set your first two months worth of content. Set a reminder 2-3 weeks before you run out to have a brainstorming session to discuss what comes next. Do another 1-3 months worth of planning. Then do it again. And again.
Blogging is not sitting down in front of the computer with a blank screen and no idea. You need the ideas ahead of time in order to maintain a schedule.
5. Feedback & Adjustment
That’s kind of the ongoing situation. But along the way there is usually a little feedback and adjustment. You want to have a regular audit situation where you’re reviewing the content and the response. You might be looking for ways to change the process. Little things usually that you’re always paying attention to.
The overall process likely won’t change. You want to stick to that schedule. But tweaks are important so you’re continuing to learn and improve.
Conclusion
That’s pretty much how a ghost blogging situation works with a personal blogger. It’s a way to get the experience, expertise and stories out of the person’s head and onto a blog. The information isn’t created out of thin air. Usually a writer can create something very relevant and useful from their interactions with the person that an audience will find very valuable.