Ghostwriter vs. In-House: How Founders Should Create LinkedIn Content

Introduction

LinkedIn ghostwriting and the rise of ghostwriters for LinkedIn content have increased as more companies and startups embrace personal branding. In fact, it has seen a boom in demand since 2022. The challenge now is writing high-performing posts consistently, which takes time that many executives or startup teams don’t have. This raises the question: should you hire a ghostwriter for LinkedIn content or create it in-house?

LinkedIn has become the go-to platform for thought leadership. As a result, leaders recognize the importance of consistent storytelling and branding in their LinkedIn content strategy.

According to the B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report, 52% of business decision-makers and 54% of C-level executives spend an hour or more per week reading through thought leadership. It also says, “75% say that a piece of thought leadership content has caused them to research a product or service they weren’t considering.

Knowing that, the relevance of whether to hire a ghostwriter or not becomes more crucial. So, in-house vs ghostwriter. Let’s talk about it.

When Does it Make Sense to Hire a Ghostwriter or Agency?

Knowing when to hire a LinkedIn ghostwriter or LinkedIn content agency makes sense when:

• Executives don’t have time. If founders wear too many hats, they become distracted. While posting thought leadership on LinkedIn may sound manageable, producing high-performing, strategic content consistently is another story. In cases like this, hiring a ghostwriter can help maintain visibility and credibility without pulling focus from core business priorities.
• No one in-house has social-native experience. Writing content for LinkedIn isn’t like writing blogposts. You have to have the right social media know how to get conversational tone, rhythm, and storytelling. When you outsource, you ensure your content feels organic, not corporate, while also following best practices.
• To test if social is an effective channel. Rather than committing to a full-time content hire, you can contract a ghostwriter or agency for 3–6 months to measure impact.

With LinkedIn ghostwriting, the help of external experts, and a well-structured LinkedIn content strategy, leaders can accelerate growth while keeping staff small.

When Does it Make Sense to Keep Social Content In-House?

Some businesses come to realize that it makes more sense to keep LinkedIn content in-house. It’s ideal when:

• Social is already a proven growth channel.  If you have consistent drive engagement and leads from your posts consistently, then instead of hiring a ghostwriter, it’s best to just bring the process closer to your core marketing operations and that means working with someone in-house.
• You have a clear content strategy and tone of voice. There’s nothing like a solid brand direction. And if this is evident, bringing someone in-house just to execute the strategy could be all you need.
• You want tighter brand control and faster collaboration. Keeping content in-house gives you full control of your brand story. Your team can move fast, adjust messaging instantly, and stay in sync with leadership decisions.

Keeping social content in-house works best when a company has a strong in-house LinkedIn strategy and seasoned employees who have been with the company for a longer period of time enough to understand the voice, values, and direction of the brand. With these, you maintain control, consistency, and authenticity without relying on external ghostwriters.

How to Find a Ghostwriter

Finding the right LinkedIn ghostwriter or LinkedIn content agency can be tricky. We’re talking about someone else writing on behalf of you and your brand. So, it can take some trial and error. But here’s a smart approach.

• Ask your founder network. Start with the people you already know. Other founders in your network. Chances are, at least a few of them already use ghostwriters. These reliable sources can share trusted referrals.
• Define your scope and needs. Ghostwriting for founders ****covers a wide scope. ****So, before even hiring one, you need to know exactly what you need. Do you need just writing, or strategy too? Will the ghostwriter also handle community engagement or analytics? Knowing these helps you narrow down your search in looking for the best candidate.
• Be specific with topics. A clear direction from you as the executive will be the basis of their work. If you are specific with your topic, you know whether to look for ghostwriters who excel in product marketing or in storytelling or leadership content.
• Set a clear budget and timeline. Be upfront about your budget and timeline. Basic content posting may cost around $500 per month, while high-level strategic ghostwriting with analytics and engagement tracking can exceed $3,000.

To make the search easier, we strongly recommend checking out the Directory by Assembly. This is a curated directory where you can find vetted ghostwriters and content agencies that work with startups and are experienced in founder-led content.

Conclusion

In-house vs ghostwriter? The answer really depends on three things - your resources, goals, and growth stage. If you want to build momentum quickly without putting more work on your internal team, then go with LinkedIn ghostwriting. But if you have a proven, scalable LinkedIn channel, then in-house content makes sense.

Once you’ve decided between hiring a ghostwriter or keeping things in-house, it’s just as important to have the right tools in place. That’s where Assembly comes in - an all-in-one platform that helps you plan, schedule, and analyze your LinkedIn content while keeping your team aligned every step of the way!

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