LinkedIn ghostwriting for B2B founders: how it works and what to look for
By Defne Gencler, copywriter and strategist with 10+ years in B2B positioning, messaging and content
LinkedIn ghostwriting means a writer drafts your LinkedIn posts in your voice, from your ideas, and you publish them under your name. Done well, it's interview-based: the ghostwriter pulls your opinions and stories out of you, turns them into posts, and nothing goes live until you've approved it.
If you're a B2B founder, you probably know LinkedIn matters and probably don't have the hours to write for it. That gap is what ghostwriting fills.
What does a LinkedIn ghostwriter actually do?
A good one does four things:
- Works out what you should say. Content strategy comes first: your pillars, the topics you can credibly own, and who you want to reach.
- Captures your voice and point of view. Usually through a monthly interview, so the posts carry your real experience instead of generic advice.
- Writes and schedules the posts. Drafts for your review, then publishing on a consistent schedule.
- Reports on what matters. Qualified conversations, not just likes.
What they shouldn't do: invent opinions you don't hold, post engagement bait, or publish anything you haven't seen.
Is ghostwriting on LinkedIn inauthentic?
Not if the ideas are yours. Executives have worked with speechwriters, editors and comms teams forever. The question isn't who typed the words; it's whether the post says something you believe and would stand behind.
The test I use: if a customer brought the post up on a call, could you talk about it for ten minutes? If yes, it's yours.
How LinkedIn ghostwriting works, step by step
- Goals and story. We define the content strategy, pillars and topic areas. If your positioning and messaging isn't settled, that gets fixed first, because posts built on fuzzy positioning stay fuzzy.
- Interviews. A short call each month (or every two weeks) to capture what you're seeing in the market, what you disagree with, and what your customers keep asking.
- Drafting. Posts written from the interview, in your voice, without the humblebrags and one-sentence-per-line broetry.
- Approval and scheduling. You review, edit, approve. Then it's scheduled.
- Reporting. Monthly review of what's landing and which conversations it started.
What to look for in a LinkedIn ghostwriter
Shortlisting? I compared nine options in best LinkedIn marketing agencies. Whoever you pick, look for:
- An interview process. If they write from a questionnaire and a few past posts, the content will sound like everyone else's.
- B2B positioning chops. Good LinkedIn content for a founder is positioning in action. A ghostwriter who doesn't understand your market will write safe, interchangeable posts.
- A real approval flow. You see everything before it's published.
- Reporting tied to pipeline. Impressions are nice. Conversations with the right buyers are the point.
- Proof from clients like you. Ask for a founder or exec client you can talk to.
When to hire a ghostwriter, and when to write it yourself
Write it yourself if you enjoy it, have time for it, and can hold a weekly rhythm. Hire a ghostwriter if LinkedIn keeps losing out to the rest of your week, or you want the content tied to a strategy and not just posted when you remember.
Here's how one client put it: "Before, I was posting on LinkedIn sporadically. But once we launched, I started getting DMs from potential clients and partners within just a few weeks." That's Craig Graham, a founder who runs a paid media agency for DSOs and healthcare organisations.
What does it cost?
Done-for-you LinkedIn ghostwriting is a retainer, not a one-off. My Presence plan is €2,500 a month (about $2,750) and covers a profile and competitive audit, content strategy, monthly interviews, 12 posts, scheduling and monthly reporting. If you want LinkedIn to start conversations with buyers, the Pipeline plan adds bi-weekly interviews, 15 posts, and warm outbound.
If you'd like to see how this works in practice, take a look at my LinkedIn content services. For the bigger picture on why this matters in long B2B sales cycles, read B2B content strategy for long sales cycles or my notes on thought leadership.
Frequently asked questions
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