But what about hiring a ghost writer? It’s a possible solution to the “I need content, but I don’t have time,” problem. It’s true that creating content for your blog or website will take time. However, there are also some worries surrounding the use of a ghost writer. If this is the position you find yourself in, take a moment to consider the role and advantages a ghost writer has.
What Is a Ghost Writer for WordPress Blogs?
A ghost writer is a writer who writes something on your behalf, but they act as if you or your brand is the one creating the content. Meaning, they do not put their name on the article. Instead, they would do the writing and would attribute all credit or knowledge back to you. Their name is not on the project at all. You pay them for the service to take the time to put together the information so you don’t have to. This can be extremely convenient for those who for one reason or another can not take the time to do the writing themselves.
Filling a Need
If you’re considering hiring a ghost writer, it is because you know you have a need to fill. Content should be posted to your website on a regular basis, as it helps you stay relevant, not only for your audience but to search engines as well. The more frequently you update your website via blog posts or content refreshes, the better your chances are of remaining at the top of the search engine results page. This becomes important when you consider the fact that searchers rarely look past the first page of Google search engine results.
The truth, however, is that not everyone has advanced writing skills necessary to fulfill this need. Not everyone knows how to string together sentences in a way that pulls in the reader or effectively conveys a message. And not everyone has the time necessary to devote to honing this craft. And that is perfectly all right. A ghost writer for WordPress blogs can help in this area. They take over the writing for your brand so you can focus on other things and use your unique skills more effectively.
A Set of Skills
A ghost writer for WordPress blogs would need to have a certain set of skills. Not only would they need to have advanced writing skills, but they would also need to be able to do research. Unless they are extremely niche, they tend to have a more broad knowledge of that they are going to be writing about. To make up for it, they would have to research the topic so they could create something comprehensive and sound knowledgeable. Most ghost writers have had experience in this area.
Can a Ghost Writer Really Help Me with My WordPress Blogs?
The short answer here is yes. A ghost writer for WordPress blogs can be helpful. But let’s dive into the long answer, too.
Combining Skill Sets
Whether it is because you don’t have the time, or because you do not have the writing skills needs to create ideas for content and then follow through, hiring a ghost writer means you are combining the skills of more than one person. No single person is going to be an expert in everything, so creating a team of people with diverse skills can only strengthen your chances of reaching your goals. Collaboration leads to great ideas and an improvement on old ideas.
Marketing Help
In today’s world of search engines and mobile visibility, they wouldn’t be much of a ghost writer if they didn’t know how to create content that was SEO-friendly. This is another skill that they could bring to the table, potentially something you lack. Let’s face it, there are people who go and get Bachelors and Masters degrees on this subject. For those who focused their education elsewhere, having some SEO help never hurts. It would be the responsibility of the ghost writer to stay on top of the ever-changing landscape of content marketing best practices, so that is one less thing you would have to worry about.
Tips and Tricks for Working with a Ghost Writer
That all being said, not every ghost writer is the same. There are some things to pay attention to when deciding to work with a ghost writer.
Understanding Your Field
Ghost writers do not typically ghost write for just one subject. They typically take on different fields, ideas, and viewpoints. It isn’t about what they believe as it has to look and read as if it is coming from the employer. However, there are some things you can do to help a ghost writer better understand what the post should look like.
The more information you can give them the better. This will help them hone in on exactly what they should be writing, and how. This includes tone, audience, the content’s end goal, and any topics/thoughts/words that should be avoided. Again, they won’t know your field as well as you do, but the more you can give them from the start, the more accurately the writer can produce something you will love.
Be Clear in Each Step
This part will go both ways. As the employer, be clear on what it is you want to be written and what you expect. Ghost writers, especially since they are not experts in your field like you are, will inevitably make a mistake. Expecting perfection might be a bit of a reach in this area, but being crystal clear on the expected outcome will help you get exceptionally close.
On the flip side, it is important to work with a ghost writer or a ghost writing company that is honest about their qualifications and their experience. When searching for a ghost writer for WordPress blogs, do not be afraid to ask for writing samples or to ask for their previous work history. If it is a company, do not be afraid to check out reviews or client testimonials. If you’re handing over an important part of the business to someone else, you will want to make sure you will be happy with their services.
Prices and Fees
Since you will be outsourcing this service to someone else, you will want to pay close attention to pricing. There is no set price for ghost writing services which means you will want to find a company or a ghost writer for WordPress blogs that can fit your budget.
Look at the Contract
Whether a company or an individual, there will be a contract involved. While most people don’t really read contracts in-depth, it might be a good idea to do just that. You will want to ensure you are covered and that both sides are equally protected. There are stereotypes that ghost writers are only out for themselves. A good ghost writer will care about the content they are producing.
Encourage Collaboration
The first draft that a writer sends does not have to be the end-all-be-all. Not only does this put extra stress on both sides, but it limits the potential of each piece that is created. If the first draft isn’t exactly as you had hoped it would look, send them feedback. This will also help them to write more spot-on articles in the future. If it is a ghost writing company, the same idea applies. Working together can help you to produce content that really shines.
Many ghost writing companies will actually be a team of workers that all have different skill sets. The writer will create the bulk of the content based of prompts and guidelines, but there will also be editors to ensure the writing ensures the standard they profess and catch possible errors the writer may have committed. The more the article is looked over, the less chance for errors once it gets to you.
Conclusion
A ghost writer for WordPress blogs is merely a craftsman that bring their skill of writing to the table. You reap the benefits of having content that you did not have to take the time to write. This is particularly advantageous considering how important content and relevant data is to SEO campaigns and efforts. There are going to be signs to watch out for, but it is not difficult to find a ghost writer or a ghost writing company that can help you achieve your content goals.
Some will prefer to write their own content. This is a choice that each brand must make for themselves. Either way, it will still be crucial that companies regularly publish new and exciting content for their audience to read and share.
I believe that early on it is best to write your own content. That being said, having a ghost writer sure makes things easier when you already have traffic and an audience.
Great post. I read this blog post out of curiosity because I am going to re-launch my blog soon and this article helped me a lot to decide which articles to update (and keep)
Content is an essential part of marketing nowadays and it is important for businesses to know that they need to invest in it.
Excellent post, need to step up my WordPress SEO game.
Great post – I feel like this would help to bring a LOT of traffic over time.
What would you advise someone who has started with a brand new blog and zero subscribers ?
Great post! Really informative and useful. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Isn’t getting a Ghost-writer a kill-the-real-meaning-of-blogging thing?
Nice Article!
Thank you so much for sharing insights!