How Ghostwriters and Content Writers Differ: A Guide for CEOs

These days, most brands connect with their audiences online. With the internet taking up an increasingly larger portion of our daily lives, the importance of online marketing keeps growing, and companies that neglect it risk fading into obscurity. Whether it’s through social media, blog posts, vlogs, eBooks, or targeted ads, every business out there is spending lots of time and money on marketing, so it’s become crucial to have a good writer on board to ensure the company’s communications are clear, concise, and error-free. After all, once you post something on the internet, you can never truly delete it, and any embarrassing errors could haunt your brand for eternity.

However, it’s not just companies that stand to benefit from professional writing services. CEOs and entrepreneurs are discovering that publishing a book—whether to share their business insights or their life story in the form of a memoir—can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool. It can boost their careers and establish them as thought leaders in their industry. There’s nothing quite like a published book to add credibility to one’s claims, and the opportunities it offers—book tours, speaking engagements, media appearances, and more—can elevate one’s career to heady heights.

The obstacle for most business leaders is the writing itself. It requires a specific skill set that few people possess, and even if you have these skills, you likely don’t have the time. That’s why most CEOs hire ghostwriters to pen their books for them. The same goes for content marketing—it is crucial to have a professional writer produce all your branded content, giving your company a clear, consistent, and professional voice. 

So, which kind of writer should you hire? Well, that depends on what you need. To learn more about what a content writer can do for you, check out our writing and rewriting services for businesses. If you’re interested in publishing a book, take a look at our ghostwriting services for CEOs and get a free, no-obligation consultation today. 

Let’s now explore the basics. 

What do ghostwriters do?

Ghostwriters are professionals who anonymously write material for someone else, with the client receiving credit as the author. It’s imperative to point out that all the ideas must come from the credited author—the ghostwriter is merely organizing these ideas and picking the right words to express them. The practice is perfectly ethical—it’s simply a way for people with great ideas to share them with the world even if they lack the time or technical skills to write a book on their own.

Most CEOs who hire ghostwriters do so with the intention of publishing a book as a means to promote their business, establish their personal brand, and boost their clout. The majority of business books on the market have been ghostwritte—CEOs simply have too much on their plates to spare the time. Instead, they look at ghostwriting as an investment, a business decision that can further enhance their brand. 

Publishing a book can open up all kinds of opportunities for business owners and their companies, but it also requires a lot of time, effort, dedication, and creative writing skills. Therefore, hiring a ghostwriter can be an ideal solution for business leaders who are too busy growing their enterprises to write a full-length book or for those who lack confidence in their writing skills and want a professional to help them express their ideas in eloquent prose. 

It’s important to note that the process is not entirely hands-off for the author—they need to sit for interviews with the ghostwriter to present their ideas and materials and give their collaborator a chance to learn how they think and speak. The author must also provide feedback through the different drafts of the manuscript.

What do content writers do? 

Content writers are like ghostwriters, but instead of composing books, they produce blog posts, press releases, web copy, and other shorter-form marketing materials for a business. Depending on a client’s needs, they can improve existing texts or produce new, unique content, adjusting their writing style to mirror a brand’s voice.

A content writer will adopt a company’s style to produce written materials that can be used in marketing campaigns, trade events, social media channels, and press conferences. Essentially, they can create whatever content you need as long as you provide the ideas. They are also SEO experts who know all about getting your online content to the top of search engine results, which translates into more clicks and revenues. SEO is at the heart of online marketing, making it crucial for modern businesses to master. Effectively, all companies are at the mercy of search engines. Website traffic is vital for any commercial enterprise, regardless of the services it offers, and having a professional optimize your online content is a critical step toward achieving your business goals. 

Both ghostwriters and content writers can produce high-quality content for you and your business—you just have to decide what you need. Our team of professionals will craft engaging content to help you promote your brand and forge stronger connections with your clients. If you wish to publish a business book, check out our ghostwriting services for CEOs. If you would like to outsource your content writing to an expert, reach out to our business writing and rewriting specialists.