If you spend any time on LinkedIn, you have almost certainly read content that was not written by the person whose name is on it. The polished thought leadership post from a CEO who works 80-hour weeks and somehow also finds time to write 800 words about resilience three times a week. The perfectly structured commentary from a founder who, if you know them personally, barely writes emails.
LinkedIn ghostwriting is widespread, entirely accepted on the platform, and increasingly common among business owners, executives, and professionals who understand the value of a strong LinkedIn presence but do not have the time or inclination to maintain one themselves. Here is what you need to know about it.
What is LinkedIn ghostwriting?
LinkedIn ghostwriting simply means having someone else write your LinkedIn content on your behalf. That might be a freelance writer, a content agency, a social media management team, or a virtual assistant who specialises in the platform. The content goes out under your name, in your voice, representing your views, but the words were written by someone else.
It is the same practice that has been standard in political speechwriting, business publishing, and executive communications for decades. The principle is identical; the platform is newer.
Is it allowed?
Yes. LinkedIn has no policy against ghostwritten content. The platform’s terms of service govern behaviour like spam, fake accounts, and data misuse, not who typed the words in a post. Ghostwriting on LinkedIn is not deceptive in any meaningful sense, any more than a business using a PR firm to draft a press release is deceptive.
Does it work?
When done well, yes. The key phrase is when done well. Poor LinkedIn ghostwriting is easy to spot: generic observations, over-polished language, a complete absence of anything personal or specific, and that slightly odd quality of content that could have been written about any professional in any industry. It gets little engagement because it offers nothing distinctive.
Good LinkedIn ghostwriting is the opposite. It captures a specific person’s voice and point of view, draws on their real experience and opinions, and produces content that genuinely sounds like them, because it is grounded in real conversations, interviews, or briefings with them. That kind of content builds real audiences and generates real results.
What makes a good LinkedIn ghostwriting process?
The quality of ghostwritten LinkedIn content depends almost entirely on the quality of the collaboration between the writer and the person they are writing for. The best processes usually involve:
- A proper briefing where the writer gets to understand the person’s background, values, opinions, and voice.
- Regular input from the person themselves, either through interviews, voice notes, or bullet-point briefings that give the writer raw material to work from.
- A review process where the person reads and approves content before it goes out.
- Ongoing refinement of tone and voice based on what lands well and what does not.
What should you look for in a LinkedIn ghostwriter or service?
Whether you are hiring a freelancer or working with a social media management agency, a few things are worth looking for: evidence that they understand LinkedIn specifically, examples of content they have produced for others, a clear process for capturing your voice and input, and transparency about how the collaboration works.
At 99social, LinkedIn management is part of our social media packages. We take the time to understand your voice and your business before writing a single post, and everything goes out with your approval.
Ready to hand it over? Find out more about our affordable social media management and get started today.
This collaborative approach is also why most small businesses don't need a full-time social media manager but can achieve excellent results with the right external partnership. Beyond content creation, managing LinkedIn conversations and engagement effectively is equally important for building genuine professional relationships on the platform.
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