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You’re busy, and you might not have time to keep up with your blog. So, what are you to do? Shut your blog down and miss out on the chance to increase brand awareness, engage your target audience, drive traffic to your website, generate leads, make sales, and so on? Of course not!

Instead, you should consider getting outside help in the form of a ghost blogger. A ghost blogger is someone who will write posts for your blog which will be published under your name. Now, some out there don’t like the idea of using ghost bloggers, claiming that it’s deceptive, inauthentic, and dangerous, but I disagree. And the truth is that it doesn’t really matter what you or I think about it; companies are hiring ghost bloggers and that’s not going to change. My goal is to help people hire the right ghost blogger.

That said, here are a few tips that will help you hire the right writer for the job.

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I recently wrote a post outlining some of the major reasons your blog could benefit from a ghost blogger. Of course, with those benefits comes some potential risks, so it’s only fair that I share them with you.

Here are 4 possible dangers you face when using a ghost blogger.

1. Your audience will find out and label you a fraud—If you don’t disclose to your readers that you use a ghost blogger, you run the risk of them one day finding out and losing trust in you. Social media is all about authenticity and transparency. It’s about building relationships. When you don’t tell your readers that you’re using a ghost blogger, it could be interpreted as you trying to deceive them. That could cause serious damage to your credibility.
2. The ghost blogger won’t be on the same page as you—Finding someone who truly understands your brand, your vision and goals for your blog, and your voice can be a challenge. You need to make sure that the ghost blogger you hire is truly on the same page as you. You can’t have them sharing viewpoints you disagree with or undermining your brand in any way.
3. You won’t be able to afford a ghost blogger—Ghost bloggers cost money, and if you want a good ghost blogger, you’re going to have a pay a little bit. Paying a blogger to produce multiple posts on a weekly basis might get too expensive for your budget over time.
4. The ghost blogger is just writing for a paycheck—Let me clarify. Of course your ghost blogger is writing to get paid, but for some bloggers, that’s all that matters. They get paid by the post, and they just crank out as many posts as they can without giving any real thought to the bigger picture—the direction and goals of the blog.

Do the risks outweigh the rewards? What do you think?

Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Ghost blogging has long been a controversial topic. Some people say that having someone blog under your name is deceptive and violates the authentic nature of social media, but others argue that ghostwriting is an age old practice that is totally ethical and offers a number of benefits.

As someone who does some ghost blogging for a few clients, I think you can guess fairly easily which side I’m on. I think, when handled responsibly, ghost blogging can be a great thing.

Here are just some of the reasons I’ve found people tend to hire ghost bloggers.

1. You don’t have the time to write for your blog—Let’s face it, blogging takes time. If you update your blog even just a few times a week, it could take several hours to come up with content and get it posted on your blog. Your plate is probably already full as it is, so the last thing you have time for is another project. But with all of the benefits that blogging has to offer, you want to have a blog. That’s where hiring a ghost blogger can help. It gives you all the content you need with a minimal investment of time.
2. You aren’t a great writer—Not everyone is skilled with the written word. Some people are terrible writers, and others might have the skills but just don’t enjoy writing. Hiring a professional ghost blogger helps ensure that you’re publishing the best possible content. Quality content will help you attract quality readers.
3. You lack proper perspective—You know your brand and your industry pretty well, but you might actually be too close to it all. Often times, executives don’t truly understand what it is that their target audience cares about. A ghost blogger is approaching your company with an outsider’s perspective, which could be more in line with what your customers want to see.
4. You don’t know how to build a good blog—If blogging is new to you, it could be in your best interest to let a professional help. Ghost bloggers know how to help create a blog that attracts readers. This way, you’re not just spinning your wheels, getting nowhere with your blog.

What’s your opinion on ghost blogging? Do you use a ghostwriter on your blog? Would you ever consider it?

Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.