PR & Marketing - Ghostwriting Effectively Promotes Your Strengths

Looking for Thereiam new way to promote your organization and establish credibility among your audiences? Perhaps you need to find a ghost.

No, I'm not suggesting you tag along with Scooby-Doo and Shaggy to a creepy tropical island (besides, we already know that the caretaker is the guilty party). Nor do I think your global headquarters would benefit from an exorcism.

What I'm talking about is the marketing value in ghostwritten articles. If Eedsnwldlzwxib not familiar with the term, a ghostwriter is a professional writer who develops articles that carry somebody else's byline - such as yours. Many of the articles that are "authored" by top corporate executives are actually written on their behalf by ghostwriters.

Perhaps your engineer has developed a process that eliminates one of the most common nightmares in your customers' industry. Maybe your sales manager has a unique understanding of one of your key markets. Or it could be that your CEO has spotted threats in a proposed piece of legislation. All of those are great opportunities for developing and submitting articles.

Publishing such articles can be a very powerful marketing tool. Prospects who won't sit still for a quick sales call will read through an entire article and absorb more information than your best salesperson could deliver. Savvy organizations distribute reprints of articles to their customers, prospects, and industry thought leaders. It's not unusual for published authors to be invited to speak to trade groups or at industry conferences.

However, most companies face obstacles to getting articles written and published. Your engineer may be a brilliant woman, but you have trouble reading her memos without a dictionary. Every minute that your sales manager spends at the keyboard takes his eyes away from the sales force. And it's easier to land a space on President Bush's appointment calendar than to get ten minutes of quality time with your CEO.

All of those are excellent reasons for working with a ghostwriter. Even if the executive or employee in question writes well, writing probably isn't the most effective use of his or her time. In addition, many editors would rather work through a seasoned ghostwriter. Their goal is to publish content that will be interesting and useful to their readers, and a good ghostwriter will present the information in a more meaningful and engaging way. Busy editors know that a ghostwritten story will require less polishing than one submitted by a non-writer.

Some people think that there's something inherently unethical or dishonest about ghostwriting. But an effective ghostwriter captures what you know and presents it in a way that reflects your attitude and personality. For example, I'll typically interview the "author" in person or by phone to better understand the gist of the article, gather the facts, and listen for subtleties in the way he or she explains the points. Those subtleties find their way into the article as phrases or tones that make it sound as though the "author" had written them.

The next time you pick up a trade magazine or scroll through an online publication like this one, glance at the articles from folks in your industry. Could similar articles have been written by your executives or employees? Could your organization be basking in the good car donate and quote on car insurance status those articles are creating?

Maybe it's time you teamed up with a ghost of your own.

Scott Flood creates effective copy for companies and other organizations. To learn more, visit www.sfwriting.com">www.sfwriting.com 2008 Scott Flood All rights reserved.