How to Find a Ghostwriter for Thought Leadership Content
Seeking the right ghostwriter for your thought leadership content? Not only are you looking for exceptional writing and editing skills, you’re also searching for someone who can mimic your writing style and accurately represent your brand voice. Tack on the additional requirement of also being able to produce thought-leadership-worthy content and it can seem daunting.
So how do you choose an ideal outsourced ghostwriter? Before you ever start interviewing writers, you first need to clearly define who you are as a brand and how you want to lead.
Defining Thought Leadership
The fact that you’re reading the Comma blog means you’re likely fully aware of thought leadership content strategy. But just to be on the same page, the Content Marketing Institute defines a thought leader as “an individual or company that audiences recognize as the foremost authority in their area of specialization.” Thought leaders publish content that answers their audience’s questions, shares new ideas, and encourages innovation and discussion. Their audience trusts them to freely share the information they need in a way that’s convenient and easy to consume.
Thought leadership content can take the form of blog posts, podcasts, social media posts, books, videos, and more. It all depends on what questions your audience needs you to answer and how they best access the answers you give them.
Two of the biggest benefits of thought leadership are greater awareness and increased trust. Being knowledgeable and informed on a specific topic helps you produce valuable content that consumers — as well as others within your industry — will reference and share. This naturally increases awareness of your brand and credibility with your audience(s).
Identifying Your Area of Expertise
Becoming a thought leader doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and consistent effort (often years) to position yourself as a trusted authority within the industry. One of the hardest parts of being a thought leader is you can’t just have good thoughts or opinions; you also need to lead by your actions and offer your lived experiences. You can put the “leadership” into thought leadership by:
Having something distinctive to say – Don’t create content for the sake of content. As a leader, add to the discussion and encourage deeper thought.
Avoiding topics that are well-covered elsewhere – By definition, a leader doesn’t follow. They set the course and others follow them. Don’t cover topics everyone else already has unless you can take the topic in a new direction.
Not being afraid to take a firm stance – Many brands walk the line in fear of losing part of a divided audience. Thought leaders are courageous enough to pick a side that aligns with their brand vision and values, then firmly defend their stance.
Here are some questions to ask yourself as you start to define who you are as a thought leader and what will set you apart from other leaders in your industry:
How do you define your brand voice?
What do you stand for as a brand?
What causes are you most passionate about?
How do you want audiences to feel after consuming your content?
What is your expertise?
Are there any niche areas of the industry that only you (or a very small group you belong to) can claim?
3 Steps to Find a Ghostwriter for Thought Leadership
Now that you’ve clearly defined who you are as a brand and what sets you apart as a leader in the industry, you’re ready to find a ghostwriter to help you produce high-quality and valuable thought leadership content.
Step 1: Recruit from Professional Sources
Hiring a ghostwriter can be intimidating, especially if this is your first time. It can be hard to trust someone else to represent your brand and clearly communicate your thoughts and ideas. (We get this at Comma and are proud of our track record with happy clients. Feel free to reach out about our ghostwriting services for thought leadership.)
One of the best things you can do to ensure you find a qualified ghostwriter to produce your thought leadership content is to recruit from your own network. Ask your colleagues for recommendations or look into contracting a writer from a content agency that specializes in producing the content you need. You can save yourself a lot of time later by making the extra effort to recruit from quality sources now.
Step 2: Thoroughly Vet Each Candidate’s Content Writing Ability
Take time to properly vet ghostwriter candidates. Don’t be afraid to ask for writing samples or references!
At this point, you’ll also want to look for candidates who are familiar with the industry. While understanding the industry isn’t a make-it-or-break-it detail, it can go a long way in setting writers apart and cutting down revisions after first drafts are delivered to you. A ghostwriter who is already familiar with your industry will be able to get themselves up to speed more quickly while others will have a steeper learning curve and may need more time.
Step 3: Test Their Skills
A great way to narrow the list down and find your strongest candidates is to give each of them a potential topic and ask for a pilot project. Be sure to share your core values as a brand with them and who you are as a leader. This exercise can help you see how well each writer captures your brand voice and will give you a better idea of what type of work they will be able to produce for you moving forward.
Need help finding a qualified ghostwriter to produce your thought leadership content? That’s our specialty. Schedule a free consultation with the Comma Copywriters team and we’ll help you find an ideal ghostwriter for your brand and voice.