5 Tips for Successfully Working with a Ghost Blogger

Working with a ghost blogger isn’t something you probably hear about often. (Or maybe you do, if you were at the Design Influencers Conference last week!)  But it’s no secret that a growing business will have to hire help or outsource at some point. We can’t and shouldn’t do everything by ourselves.

So, if blogging isn’t something you have time for, really enjoy, and are good at — imagine how amazing it will feel to have an expert do it for you!

Today I’m sharing 5 tips for a successful experience working with a ghost blogger. And by successful, I mean…

• publishing topics that appeal to your ideal clients

• writing copy that’s authentic to your voice, vision and brand

• having a content strategy that supports your business goals

• boosting your peace of mind and freed up time!

Here’s what you need to know…

 

1. Find an Expert You Trust

This is likely true for anyone you’re hiring in a professional capacity, but I think this is doubly true for someone who will be writing as if they were YOU, formatting blog posts in your website, and creating content that is aligned with your business goals.

If you’re scouring the internet for a ghost blogger (maybe that’s how you found us), take them up on that discovery call and make sure you’ve found a person you genuinely like.

Or better yet, ask your industry friends for recommendations. Not only do you get their blessing, but knowing that you’re a “friend of a friend” almost always sets you up for a great experience.

 

2. Openly Share Your Business Goals

Quick story. I was talking with a new client recently during our Strategy Session, and I asked her what her business goals were. I could hear her hesitate for a moment, as if she wasn’t sure whether to share what they were really up to, but eventually she let me in on new service her design firm is launching in the next few months.

THANK GOODNESS she did!

We were then able to look at her business goals and create schedule of engaging content that would naturally lead readers from where her business currently was to where she wants it to go. We could not have created such a strategy without this info!

When you create an initial content strategy with your ghost blogger, be open about goals, what you’re working on, and the destination you have in mind. This is invaluable info for strategic marketing!

 

3. Get Excruciatingly Specific About Your Dream Client

I don’t know any writer who can write well for an ideal client they know nothing about. That’s just not how marketing works, and yes, your blog is DEFINITELY marketing.

Most ghost bloggers or copywriters will have an on-boarding process (or an in-depth conversation) where you’ll share all the details about the people you love to serve. I can’t urge you enough to get as specific as possible about these awesome people. If you’re finding it difficult, think about your top 3 favorite clients, and ask yourself these questions:

• What did these clients have in common?

• What did I love about these clients?

• What did I love about their projects?

• How did these clients find me?

• What surface-level and deep needs did I solve for these clients?

• What is the lifestyle of these clients?

Then share these answers with your ghost blogger. They’ll know what to do with them!

 

4. Keep Your Ghost Blogger in the Know

Okay, another story. (Don’t you love stories?) To set the stage, you should know that I make it a point to follow all of O&B’s clients on social media. This helps me “hear” their voice to be able to write like them and keeps me updated on what’s going on in their work, the office, and even their lives.

These are the details that bring authenticity to our blog posts AND this practice allows us to quickly change topics if time allows! Because it never fails, I always see our clients posting things on social media that would make great blog posts.

Just the other day, one of our clients announced on Instagram that she’s going to an international design event next month. Her ideal clients would definitely be interested to see what’s going on abroad, but this was the first I’d heard of it! I messaged her immediately and said, LET’S BLOG ABOUT THIS! She agreed.

So, be open during the content strategy process, but also remember to pop in from time to time with updates! Such as projects that will be wrapping up soon, events you’ll be attending, that question new clients are always asking you. They could be blog-worthy, my friend!

 

5. Have Your Photo Files Well Organized

Though we can supplement blog posts with stock photos, most of our clients have high-quality portfolio photos or even lifestyle/office shots from a brand photoshoot. Your own photos are the BEST resources to have on-hand for blog posts, and I highly encourage them.

However, if your photos are scattered willy nilly across your desktop, DropBox, Google Drive, your iPhone, and beyond (I know how it is!), you’re setting yourself up for a tough time. While you will be saving time on writing and formatting the posts, you’ll end up losing precious moments looking high and low for photos to share.

The best case scenario in our book? Shared folders. Keep your projects/brand photography in ONE, well-organized and easily navigable place (such as DropBox). Then, share it with your ghost blogger. This will allow them to quickly find what they’re looking for, and you’ll save time (and emails) hunting them down.

The other option is for your ghost blogger to create a shared folder for you (we do this in some cases), where you can add photos that are relevant to each topic you’ll be blogging about.

It’s up to the two of you to decide which process is the most convenient, but in either case, being organized in advance will make the process easier!

 

 

Final Thoughts

Working with a ghost blogger can feel like unknown territory at first, but as soon as you’ve found the right person and gotten in your rhythm, you’ll be wondering why you didn’t do it sooner.

Case in point: We have several clients who have literally been with us for the last 2 YEARS. And that is the biggest compliment we could receive.

So take these tips, find somebody great, and go blog with peace and marketing power!

Til next Monday,
Jaquilyn