If you have a website and are concerned about SEO, you have probably invested time in maintaining a blog, or at least thought about it. If you've taken the leap to writing your blog for yourself, you probably know from experience how long it takes you to craft an entry that utilizes keywords, fits within the word range scope recommended, and speaks to your target audience. You will also know if you enjoy this process.
If you haven't started your blog yet, you probably also have an idea of if you enjoy the process: you probably don't, and that's why you haven't started.
Like most aspects of running your business, writing a blog for your website (or newsletter) might fall into the category of Things I Tell Myself I Can Do On My Own. A lot of entrepreneurs are hesitant about outsourcing, and in the beginning, that can make sense. Until you have proof of concept, a lot of DIY is not only needed, but recommended, by social media consultants. Figuring out the course you're selling? Boosting your therapy practice's marketing? Connecting with your existing clientele? Launching a coaching business? A lot of the pieces of these puzzles make sense to do on your own until you are certain of exactly what you are branding yourself as. Paying a professional to create your entire online presence as a coach for new parents, only to find that you actually do better work as a coach for young lawyers, is not going to be the best use of your dollars.
But the one place you can always outsource right away, and that it is recommended that you do, is your writing. Whether it's copy or ghost, professionally-written copy will communicate your message (whatever it is at the time) effectively, without any requirement on your part to get on video and show up. It will be grammatically-correct. It will be incisive.
If you've categorized all your to-dos and decided, "I can write my blog myself", this blog here is for you. The truth is that, for most people, enlisting some sort of help with writing their blog is going to be the way to go. Whether you don't have the time, or have some time but don't like the process, or have all the time in the world but hate writing, hiring a ghostwriter might be the solution to all your problems.
Here is why:
1) Professional quality:
A ghostwriter is going to come to the table with all sorts of tips and tricks to make your blog accessible and interesting. Proper grammar and spelling will not be an issue for this person; there will not be errors in your copy. While there are many people we are able to meet through our messaging, and not everyone cares, those who do care REALLY CARE. Grammar errors translate to a lack of professionalism in some peoples' eyes. It is always important to be presenting content that meets the standards of our most exacting audience member (provided that meeting that standard doesn't conflict with our purpose). Clean, accurate content communicates to everyone and shows our best selves while doing so.
2) A writer frees up your time:
This is the most difficult concept for new entrepreneurs to wrap their heads around: your time is valuable, whether your business is seeing big returns yet or not. Allocating your time in the context of what you seek to be making is a great way to prioritize your tasks, even if you aren't earning that income just yet. Again, a lot of your startup is DIY and it has to be. If you cannot turn out a blog entry of appropriate length, with target keywords and correct spelling and grammar in less than two hours, it is not beneficial to be writing your own blog. And when I say two hours, I mean a little over one hour. If you are insanely passionate about writing and it fills your soul with bliss, then at the very least it is beneficial to have an editor on retainer to do a quick glance at your content.
3) Flexible formatting
That brings us to flexible formatting. Some of my clients have trouble getting started, have an idea of what they want to say, and need the bulk of it written for them. I recently wrote emails for a client who was offering a workshop to her mailing list; I wrote them, she spent a few minutes reading them and adding any personalized flair she felt compelled to, then off they went. Hiring a ghostwriter does not mean that you have no say in the content of your written communication. The weekly blog I write for another client is based on a framework she provides (she is a doctor, so there are specific terms and vocabulary, hurdles and tools to reference) and then the finished product goes back to her to read and make sure everything is within her scope of practice. She loved writing her blog, but she recognized that she had to allocate her time differently.
If you like the idea of hiring someone to take writing off your plate, but you're worried about actually taking the leap, that makes sense. A lot of people in business (especially those entrepreneurs who have built success through their own labour of showing up and speaking to their audience) have concerns about allowing someone else to "speak for them".
Do any of these sound familiar?:
1) It won't sound like me:
A good ghostwriter is going to function much like a professional makeup artist: it's you, but a little bit edited. I personally like to do my research when taking on a client and determine if I think I can emulate that person's speech patterns and vocabulary, but in the end I realize it's not as important that I get every nuance exactly correct. Why? Because written content is not the same as off-the-cuff speaking, and the expectation is that it not be. We are far more forgiving of slip-ups, stumbles, delays, lack of sequential structure when listening to someone speak candidly than we are when reading. Reading requires a format and organization that isn't likely to match any human speaking patterns. If you write an email to your clients, it will sound like you, but it also won't sound like you, because you on the page and you on a Facebook Live video are (and are expected to be) different.
2) It's unethical:
There is a lot of variation in thought about this. I personally consider my writing services a collaboration. I seek (as I said above) to get to know my clients and bring their voice to the paper. Nothing is shared with their audiences without them first reviewing (and approving of) the entire message. A lot of my work consists of repurposing video into written formatting (for courses and through social media Lives) - I literally transcribe their words and format the message so that it reads efficiently. If you have governing bodies who oversee your scope and/or certification, it can be beneficial to contact them and find out where and what your parameters are in this area, but collaborating with a professional in order to present yourself via the written word is a part of business and very much accepted in 2021.
3) The writer won't know what to say:
Why not? There are so many different kinds of writers out there for the perusing: technical writers who specialize in robotics, creative writers who can add imagination to your written online persona, copywriters with degrees in business and/or marketing... It is endless, especially when online contractors put the world of potential hires literally at your fingertips. There are almost guaranteed to be many writers who have an interest in your niche. I recently turned down a writing job because it would have required too much research to be worth my time (it paid per-word). Any writer worth his/her/their salt will decline to write content he/she/they cannot understand. I specialize in support for HAES dietitians and nutritionists; I am very passionate about the subject and willingly spend a lot of my time in that online space. I am also an actor, creative writer, singer, songwriter and director; I would be happy to write about any of those categories. You will, I assure you, be able to find a writer who understands what you do.
4) It's expensive:
The truth is that it can be. Depending on what you are publishing, and the expertise of the writer you hire, you might invest quite a lot in your written content. The question is: isn't it worth it? If you are investing money in your business, making room to invest in writing is a part of that. Again, thanks to freelancing and the world wide web, you have your pick of writers within your budget. Do you get what you pay for? Usually. In some cases, you get more! I have a client I love working with who I frequently round down for when calculating and/or converting from CAD to USD. Why? Because I support her work in mental health and I think she makes the world a better place. Because I enjoy writing about psychology. Because she is a regular client who originally offered me 24 blogs per year, then 26, and is now on track to have commissioned a blog from me every week for the past 6 months. She invested in me, so I invest in her. A writer who believes in your business will be fair to you. You should also expect, if you have the capital and the stakes are high, to pay what is fair to your writer. You wouldn't develop a five-star resort and then put secondhand sheets on the beds.
If you have an idea of how much you are willing to spend and a format you think would make you feel ethical and comfortable, you are most of the way there in beginning your process of hiring a writer for your business. Make sure you show up prepared to explain what it is you are looking to have written, but try to be open to a writer's suggestions and brainstorms of ways to optimize your written impact, as well. Always keep in mind that you are under no obligation to hire the first person you speak to about writing on your behalf; seek someone you feel you connect with.
Do you have other questions or concerns about hiring copy and ghost writers? Reach out to me and let me know! Maybe I can help!
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