LinkedIn Ghostwriting: How to Hire One (or Become One)

LinkedIn ghostwriting is one of the worst-kept secrets on the platform. That founder posting three times a week with polished insights and a 50,000-follower audience? There's a decent chance someone else is writing those posts.

That's not a knock. It's a business decision. Your time is worth more than the three hours it takes to draft, edit, and format a week of content. And for writers, LinkedIn ghostwriting has quietly become one of the most lucrative niches in freelance writing.

This guide covers both sides: how to hire a LinkedIn ghostwriter who actually sounds like you, and how to break into LinkedIn ghostwriting as a career.

What Is LinkedIn Ghostwriting?

LinkedIn ghostwriting is the practice of hiring a writer to create LinkedIn content — posts, articles, newsletters, or profiles — under your name. The writer does the work. You take the credit. Both parties agree to this upfront.

It's been standard practice in publishing, speechwriting, and PR for decades. LinkedIn is no different. The only thing unusual is that people still clutch their pearls about it.

Common formats a LinkedIn ghostwriter handles:

Feed posts — the 150–300 word updates that drive most engagement
Long-form articles — published through LinkedIn's native article tool
LinkedIn newsletters — subscriber-based content series
Profile copy — About section, headline, experience summaries
Comment strategy — strategic replies to build visibility in relevant conversations

Why Executives and Founders Use LinkedIn Ghostwriters

The honest answer: they have things to say but no time to say them well.

Building a LinkedIn presence that actually generates business results requires consistency, strong hooks, and an understanding of what performs on the platform. That's a skill set. Most executives are deeply expert in their field but not in social media writing.

Common reasons people hire a LinkedIn ghostwriter:

1. Consistency is hard to maintain solo Posting three to five times a week while running a business is genuinely difficult. A ghostwriter handles the pipeline so your profile stays active even when you're in back-to-back meetings.

2. They know LinkedIn writing mechanics A good ghostwriter understands hook structure, optimal post length, formatting for mobile, and how the algorithm rewards engagement. They write for the platform, not just for the topic.

3. They extract your ideas efficiently The best ghostwriters run structured interviews (30–60 minutes every two weeks) to pull out your opinions, stories, and insights. You talk; they write.

4. ROI is measurable For consultants, founders, and executives, LinkedIn visibility translates to inbound leads, speaking invitations, and partnership opportunities. If one post generates a $50,000 consulting engagement, the ghostwriter's monthly retainer looks like a bargain.

What LinkedIn Ghostwriting Costs

Pricing varies widely based on experience, output volume, and whether strategy is included.

Starter package: 8–12 posts/month, no strategy — $500–$1,500/month Mid-tier: 12–16 posts + basic strategy — $1,500–$3,500/month Full-service: 16–20 posts + strategy + comments — $3,500–$8,000/month Premium: Full content system + team management — $8,000–$20,000+/month

One-off engagements (profile rewrites, article series) typically run $500–$2,500 depending on scope.

Rates are climbing. As LinkedIn has become a primary B2B marketing channel, demand for skilled ghostwriters has outpaced supply. A writer with a proven track record of growing executive accounts can command premium rates.

How to Hire a LinkedIn Ghostwriter

Step 1: Get clear on your goals

Before you reach out to a single writer, define what success looks like:

Are you trying to generate leads? Build thought leadership? Attract talent?
What topics do you want to be known for?
How often do you want to post?

Without this clarity, you'll waste time briefing writers and be disappointed with results.

Step 2: Know what to look for

A strong LinkedIn ghostwriter should:

Have a LinkedIn presence of their own (they practice what they preach)
Show samples of ghostwritten content or publicly attributed work in a similar style to yours
Ask about your voice, opinions, and stories — not just your industry
Understand LinkedIn specifically, not just content writing in general

Red flags: writers who send you a content calendar before understanding your POV, or who promise follower growth numbers upfront.

Step 3: Run a paid trial

Don't commit to a three-month retainer before seeing actual work. A standard trial structure:

Pay for 3–5 posts at a flat rate ($200–$500)
Give the writer a voice guide, a few example posts you like, and one Zoom call
Review the drafts honestly — do they sound like you?

Voice accuracy is everything in ghostwriting. If the first drafts feel generic, that won't improve at scale.

Step 4: Build a solid briefing process

The best ghostwriter relationships run on structured input. A typical workflow:

Bi-weekly 30-minute voice capture call (recorded, often transcribed by the writer)
A shared doc with your opinions on current industry topics
Feedback on drafts via comments (not rewrites — the writer needs to understand your edit, not just execute it)

The clients who get the best results treat their ghostwriter as a writing partner, not a vendor.

Step 5: Set expectations on voice ownership

Your ghostwriter will develop a strong sense of your voice over time. Document it. A good writer will build a voice guide after the first month. This protects you if they ever leave, and keeps onboarding fast if you add a second writer.

How to Become a LinkedIn Ghostwriter

LinkedIn ghostwriting has become a legitimate career path. Writers are earning $5,000–$20,000/month working with a handful of clients. Here's how to build it.

Build your own LinkedIn presence first

This is non-negotiable. If you're pitching yourself as a LinkedIn ghostwriter, your profile and posting activity are your portfolio. You don't need 10,000 followers — but you do need to demonstrate that you understand how the platform works.

Start posting consistently. Use a LinkedIn Post Generator to get volume up while you're developing your rhythm, and experiment with formats until you know what performs.

Your headline matters too. "LinkedIn Ghostwriter for B2B Founders" is clearer and more searchable than "Freelance Writer | Content Creator | Storyteller." Try the LinkedIn Headline Generator to sharpen yours.

Develop a clear niche

Generalist ghostwriters compete on price. Niche ghostwriters compete on expertise.

The most defensible niches:

Industry-specific: SaaS, fintech, healthcare, real estate, law
Role-specific: CEOs, VPs of Sales, HR leaders, investors
Outcome-specific: lead generation posts, executive thought leadership, fundraising narratives

Pick a niche you have genuine knowledge in. If you've spent five years in SaaS, ghostwriting for SaaS founders is a natural entry point.

Create a ghostwriting portfolio

You can't show ghostwritten work by definition — but you can:

Write sample posts "in the style of" hypothetical clients
Do two or three free projects for people in your network, with their permission to reference the engagement
Show before/after profile rewrites
Publish case studies with client permission (follower growth, inbound leads)

A portfolio page doesn't need to be elaborate. A clear landing page or even a LinkedIn article works.

Price for value, not time

New ghostwriters often underprice because they're thinking in hourly terms. Switch your mental model early. A $3,000/month retainer for 12 posts is $250 per post — reasonable for the time it takes. But the client isn't paying for your time; they're paying for a consistent, high-quality content presence that generates business results.

As you get results, raise your rates. Document everything: follower growth, inbound inquiries, posts that went viral. That evidence is what justifies higher pricing.

Your workflow as a ghostwriter

A sustainable ghostwriting workflow for each client:

Monthly or bi-weekly strategy session (30–45 min, recorded)
Transcribe or take notes on key ideas, opinions, stories
Draft posts using those ideas — aim to write in their voice, not yours
Deliver via Google Doc or a shared content platform with comments enabled
Revise based on feedback, ship approved posts
Track performance and report monthly

Use tools like the LinkedIn Post Previewer to QA formatting before sending drafts to clients. Formatting errors in a LinkedIn post look amateur and reflect on you.

How to land your first clients

Cold outreach on LinkedIn works if it's specific. "I saw your post about [specific topic] and noticed your posting has been inconsistent — I help founders like you build a consistent LinkedIn presence" is a real pitch. "Are you looking for a ghostwriter?" is not.

Other channels that work:

Your own LinkedIn content (write about ghostwriting, LinkedIn strategy, content creation — clients find you)
Referrals from your first two or three clients
Twitter/X — a lot of LinkedIn ghostwriting work gets sourced through Twitter DMs
Freelance platforms like Contra or LinkedIn ProFinder for early traction

LinkedIn Ghostwriting: Ethical Questions

The conversation about ghostwriting ethics comes up a lot. Here's the short version: it's fine, and it's normal.

Every major business book has an acknowledgements page thanking the person who actually wrote most of it. Political speeches are written by speechwriters. Corporate blogs are written by content teams. The idea that a LinkedIn post must be personally typed by the account holder is a standard invented roughly five minutes ago.

The only real ethical line: don't fake credentials, personal experiences, or first-hand expertise you don't have. A ghostwriter can sharpen your ideas and stories. They shouldn't be manufacturing fake authority.

If you're a founder sharing genuine insights about your business, hiring someone to help you communicate those insights clearly isn't deceptive — it's just delegation.

Tools That Make LinkedIn Ghostwriting Easier

Whether you're a ghostwriter or an executive managing your own content, having the right tools saves time:

LinkedIn Post Generator — draft posts fast from a topic or talking point
LinkedIn Hook Generator — sharpen your opening lines, which drive 80% of engagement
LinkedIn Text Formatter — format posts for readability before publishing
LinkedIn Post Previewer — see exactly how a post looks before it goes live

These are especially useful in the drafting and QA stages of a ghostwriting workflow where speed matters.

The Bottom Line

LinkedIn ghostwriting is a legitimate business arrangement on both sides of the table. For executives: it's efficient delegation of a high-value task. For writers: it's a well-paid, growing career with strong demand and recurring revenue.

If you're hiring, prioritise voice accuracy over volume and run a paid trial before committing. If you're building a ghostwriting business, niche down early, build your own presence first, and price on value.

Either way, the LinkedIn content that actually builds authority and generates business isn't accidental — someone put serious work into it. Make sure it's working as hard as it should.

Need to write LinkedIn posts faster? Try the free LinkedIn Post Generator — no login required.