Red Flags to Avoid When Hiring a LinkedIn Ghostwriter

Written By Lisa Trabin

You want to start creating LinkedIn content. But you’re already time-poor, or don’t know where to start. Maybe you’re bursting with ideas but the thought of sitting down to write fills you with dread. So how is everyone else doing it? For many execs and busy founders, a professional LinkedIn ghostwriter is the answer. But finding the right writer is the real key to success and avoiding the hiring red flags below is a good place to start. 

Do You Need a LinkedIn Ghostwriter?

LinkedIn content grows your professional reach, cements industry authority, and gives you a chance to leave a real digital legacy. But if organizing your thoughts or finding the time to write is difficult for you, finding a ghostwriter who hones your voice quickly can shift you out of procrastination mode and finally launch your LinkedIn personal brand. 

Just show up with your goals in mind and your writer turns your thoughts, industry predictions, and spicy takes into content that sounds just like you. So many leaders who’ve found their writing partner are surprised how easy the process can be.

A LinkedIn ghostwriter might work for you if:

  • Personal branding is a critical part of your industry 

  • You have ideas, but no time to execute

  • You’re not confident in your writing skills or you’d rather do anything but write

  • You’re done procrastinating on this 

  • You want genuinely want to help others and leave a real legacy 

In Case You Need Reminding Why LinkedIn Content is Important

LinkedIn is a digital town square for business. Jobs are filled, industry news is discussed, and leaders share content to grow their business or create a hub of expertise to pass along. When your career is so much more than just a job, LinkedIn content can:

  • Create new connections and leads

  • Boost your personal brand and industry authority

  • Help you help others by sharing knowledge 

LinkedIn Ghostwriter Red Flags to Avoid

When you hire a LinkedIn ghostwriter, their words are presented as yours. So finding the right match matters. Avoid wasting time, money, and lots of future upside by avoiding these common red flags when hiring a writer.

1. They Don't Interview You

When a writer or agency doesn’t interview you, they don’t care about you or your real voice. And it’s the biggest of LinkedIn ghostwriter red flags. To give readers the experience of sitting down to hear you speak, a good writer will need to do just that. Copying your writing style from some memos and old blogs just won’t cut it for real results.

It takes a little time in the beginning, but interviews are the most critical part of ghostwriting so writers can:

  • Tune into your real voice 

  • Capture your best ideas and most controversial takes

  • Start forming a relationship to build on for future content 

When someone sells you ghostwriting without virtually meeting you, they only care about the sale. 

2. They Promise Virality

A viral post is a great opportunity, not to mention a nice spike of dopamine in the moment. But a flash of virality is not legacy building. And it doesn’t show consistency to potential clients. Writers and agencies love to show vanity metrics, but the goal should always be long-term gain. If your writer focuses too much on virality promises, you may not be on the same page for your long term goals. Your writer should understand from the outset what success looks like for your brand. 

3. They are suspiciously fast

Speed is a virtue for executives and businesses. But custom suits are not tailored in an afternoon. If a writer or agency can get you content within hours, it is surface level at best. At worst, they simply ran a headline through a GPT, saving you three whole minutes of work and charging you real money for the privilege. 

4. They Can't Explain Their Process

Content strategies are different for every client. But LinkedIn ghostwriters should have their general process down already. 

Using a system shows experience, an understanding of relationship building, and saves everybody precious time. But more importantly, it allows for your personal strategy to be layered over the top a winning system for best results. 

5. They Focus Only on Engagement Metrics

Engagement is one goal of creating content. But if the posts don’t sound like you, who are people really engaging with? Will those people really be the right leads for your business? And can you really call it a digital legacy?

LinkedIn growth is only meaningful when it actually serves its purpose, making the right connections and creating the kind of business legacy you’re proud to put out into the world. 

When a writer or agency is too focused on metrics, they might be straying from your real, long-term goals. 

How Much Does LinkedIn Ghostwriting Cost?

Partnering with a writer or LinkedIn agency is an investment in your business growth or personal branding. And it should be treated as such. Ghostwriting for LinkedIn posts is usually billed on a monthly retainer for a pre-determined number of posts and varies from a few hundred dollars a month to over ten thousand, depending on:

  • Your goals

  • Number of deliverables per month

  • Rate of desired growth

  • Industry specific needs

  • Experience and previous results of your writer or agency

For start-up founders, c-suite execs, and those ready to step into a strong personal brand, the investment in a ghostwriter quickly becomes an invaluable investment and one of the easiest ways to get hands-off ROI while your content is in safe hands. 


Freelancers vs Agencies for LinkedIn Ghostwriting

Contrary to popular belief, freelancers are not always a cheaper alternative to working with agencies for LinkedIn. Nor should they be. When you pay for a LinkedIn ghostwriting service the value comes from the results, experience, and creating a real digital legacy for your brand, not the size of the business you work with. 

Professional freelancers, boutique agencies, or big companies can all accomplish this. Just as the misaligned ones can be equally disappointing. 

Working with a freelancer might offer:

  • Direct communication with your writer from the outset

  • More flexible working styles and packages

  • An personal understanding of a business owner’s mindset

Hiring an agency for LinkedIn ghostwriting can give you:

  • A choice of writing partners with industry knowledge

  • Fast coverage if your writer is unavailable so you’re not left in the lurch

  • Experience and metrics from a greater number of clients to develop your strategy

A smaller, boutique agency is a good choice for:

  • Personal attention, hands-on work, or oversight from founders

  • Direct communication with your writer

  • Fast coverage for gaps in availability

  • Potential for a wider range of industry expertise

Avoid LinkedIn Ghostwriting Red Flags When You Connect with Trabin Communications

We’ve heard the horror stories. Execs paying big retainers to get impersonal service, AI generated content, or posts that sounds like they could have been written by anybody. For any piece of branded content, most of the work happens before a word is written. The interviews where you feel comfortable enough to be yourself, the real research into your readers, and constant alignment checks with your goals are what makes working with a boutique agency like Trabin Communications a natural choice for execs and founders ready to build and leave a real legacy. 

Our high-value LinkedIn relationships are managed by our founder. Connect with us today for a consultation and if we’re not for you, we probably know a writer who will be.  


Lisa Trabin
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