Tag Archives: content creation

Why blog ghostwriting is an honourable gig

Content marketing, Marketing, messages that matter, Persuasive message, , ,

You might think there would be a degree of angst in blog ghostwriting – creating original social media content in helping business people tell their stories.

After all, the egos of many writers are attached to seeing their own names in print.

But, in my case anyway, it is the opposite.

Blog ghostwriting is the art of translating disparate ideas into a thoughtful story

Blog ghostwriting, on behalf of someone else allows everyone to win – the client, the reader (and potential customer) and me.

The ‘art’ of translation

Now, putting another person’s idea, in their own words and language is both tricky and rewarding.

Particularly if someone is trying to tell a story that has a technical bent, then simplifying without losing meaning can be a challenge.

However, ultimately I’m articulating someone else’s thinking.

The story is their’s – I am merely its translator.

(In that regard, ask yourself the question, do you ever see a translator’s name mentioned in the credits?)

Why I enjoy being an organisation’s unnamed storyteller (a ghostwriter) is:

  • It helps solve a problem (many companies start off a blog, but find it difficult to maintain)
  • The challenge of simply telling what are often technical stories, is a fantastic one to have
  • It helps me improve my own writing – which benefits both my clients and my own novel writing

At the same time, I’ve seen my name in print enough times that, while the thrill hasn’t gone, it isn’t the same as it was over 25 years ago.

Equally, having interviewed thousands of people over that time, many of them experts in their field – the opportunity for me to learn by tapping into their wisdom is tremendously valuable. The number of times I (mentally) go, ‘that’s a very good point’ while ghostwriting occurs quite often.

Sometimes I almost feel as if I should be paying for picking up such new knowledge.

In those cases in particular, if it is a new point to me, there’s a good chance it will be to a reader as well.

Without original content, a website looks like no one is at home

Content marketing, messages that matter, Persuasive message,

Not maintaining a business website’s blog and news makes it appear as if no one is at home.

Put another way, there’s nothing worse than checking out the news or blog part of a site and seeing that the last entry was July 2013.

As colleague, Fraser Carson of Flightdec says, people can spend a lot of money designing a fantastic looking website. However, looks don’t reflect thinking, or the deep thinking that people within an organisation always have, and that can and should be expressed.

So, if content isn’t regularly updated, preferably with original news or views, then a website is regarded as being static. What does it mean?

  • Google’s search algorithm is dependent on new content
  • Original content shows clients that you’re in their game too
  • Original content shows someone is peddling the bike

 

Given that the above points are negative reasons to regularly update content, why else should businesses regularly blog?

  • Establish and maintain thought leadership
  • Maintain contact with shareholders
  • Provide a means for staff to express their own original thinking around the business’s products and services

 

This is why content is king.

At the same time, creating such content can be problematic for many organisations.

While there is no shortage of ideas to write about, getting them into a written form is often the challenge.

People are often too busy doing their own job within an organisation, and, as even experienced writers sometimes find, a blank canvas is a tricky beast at the best of times.

What’s the solution in this case?

Hire a writer; get him or her to interview and draft up a story, and publish under the interviewee’s name.

Simple…content…creation.

P.S.

A confession. I’ve been guilty of not maintaining content on my own website. Call it the plumber with leaky taps syndrome, or the mechanic with a smokey car.

Seeing as I’ve been suggesting to clients and potential clients that static content is a no no, and to partly avoid being labeled as a hypocrite…note to self; maintain my own original content!