Hiring a ghostwriter for LinkedIn should make your life easier.
You want to show up online with more intention. You want to share ideas that reflect your thinking without having to carve out hours to draft and edit every post yourself. And you want it to sound like you.
But many executives hesitate.
Not because they don’t see the value, but because they’ve had trouble getting good writing in the past.
They’ve worked with writers who couldn’t capture their voice. Who used jargon awkwardly or defaulted to generic language. Who added time and frustration instead of taking it away.
If that’s your experience, you’re not alone.
But ghostwriting can work beautifully. The right writer becomes a trusted partner: part sounding board, part strategist, part translator. They help you show up with clarity and credibility, without doing all the work yourself.
Here’s how to find the right ghostwriter and assess whether they can deliver.
Where to Start Your Search
If you’re looking for a LinkedIn ghostwriter who works with executives, avoid general content marketplaces or freelance platforms. You’ll get flooded with low-quality proposals, and most will be copywriters with no experience writing for senior leaders.
Instead, try one of these routes:
- Ask your network
Other executives in your circle may already be working with a ghostwriter, and the best ones are often referral-only. - Look on LinkedIn
Search for “LinkedIn ghostwriter,” “LinkedIn post writer,” or “executive ghostwriter.” The best ones have a strong presence themselves. Avoid anyone who has an empty profile or rarely posts. - Work with a specialized agency
Agencies that focus specifically on executive LinkedIn strategy often employ or contract experienced ghostwriters. This can be a faster way to find a match, especially if you want strategic support as well as writing.
Once you have a few names, the real work begins. You’re not just hiring a writer. You’re choosing someone who will speak for you. You want to be thorough in vetting them.
How to Evaluate a Ghostwriter
Once you’ve found a few promising candidates, the next step is evaluating whether they’re truly the right fit. Your writer will be writing in your voice, helping shape your message, and representing you online. You’re not just looking for writing skill. You’re also looking for someone who listens well, thinks strategically, and understands how to support your goals. Here’s how to assess whether a ghostwriter can deliver.
1. Can They Capture Your Voice?
This is the first — and most important — requirement.
You don’t want posts that sound like “content.” You want posts that sound like you on your best day.
- Ask for samples of ghostwritten LinkedIn posts, ideally ones written for executives in your industry or function.
- Ask how they learn a client’s voice. The best ghostwriters will mention listening to interviews, studying past writing, and reviewing transcripts of unscripted speaking.
- During your initial conversation, notice how they are listening. They should be listening to your ideas, but also for your tone, rhythm, and phrasing.
Red flags: Writers who only ask for a brand brief or questionnaire. Or those who say, “Don’t worry, I can match any tone,” but don’t have a process to show how.
2. Do They Understand the Nuances of Your Work?
A lot of content writers can summarize an article or crank out a post. That’s not enough. You need someone who can understand the complexity behind what you’re saying, and help you express it with clarity.
- Share an insight or opinion about a trend in your industry.
- Watch how they respond. Do they ask thoughtful follow-ups? Can they keep up with the conversation? Do they help you go deeper or just nod along?
- Ask whether they’ve written for leaders at your level or in your space. Industry knowledge is important, and business fluency should be required.
Red flags: They use vague summaries, buzzwords, or offer lightweight takes that don’t add much. If you find yourself explaining basic concepts or correcting misinterpretations, they’re not the right fit.
3. Will They Protect Your Time and Your Reputation?
The whole point of hiring a ghostwriter is to free up your time while showing up in a high-credibility way. If you’re consistently rewriting drafts, managing tone, or worrying about how a post will land, the process is broken.
- Ask about their process. Do they expect you to provide outlines or source material? Or will they come to calls prepared to ask smart questions and extract usable content from the conversation?
- Ask what their clients typically review or approve. Do they expect a lot of edits? How do they minimize friction?
- Ask how they ensure discretion and protect client confidentiality, especially if you hold a high-visibility role.
Red flags: Writers who need a lot of handholding, or who think fast turnaround means you’ll fix the problems later. You want someone who’s precise, careful, and thoughtful from the beginning.
4. Are They Focused on Strategy?
Some ghostwriters take a task-based approach: they’ll write whatever you tell them to. That’s fine if you already have a strong strategy and just need help executing. But most executives benefit more from a writer who can also help you shape the story you’re telling.
- Ask how they approach positioning. Do they help clients identify their key themes? Do they think in content arcs, not just one-off posts?
- Ask for examples of how they’ve helped a client shift perception, elevate credibility, or move toward a professional goal.
- Notice whether they connect content to business outcomes or if they’re just focused on volume and engagement metrics.
Red flags: If they say they can generate high volumes of thought leadership content without talking to you, keep looking.
The Right Ghostwriter is a Thought Partner
When it works well, a ghostwriter becomes someone who helps you think more clearly, not just write more frequently. They know how to turn a five-minute conversation into a post that gets people talking. They nudge you to share more of what matters. They help you build your reputation in a way that feels true to you.
And over time, the relationship becomes seamless. They anticipate what you want to say before you say it. Your presence becomes stronger, more intentional, more effective, with a lot less effort on your part.
That’s what you’re hiring for, and that’s what the right ghostwriter delivers.