LinkedIn ghostwriting for CEOs: how it works and what it costs

Most CEOs and founders know their name should be visible on LinkedIn. Few have the hours to write, design and publish consistently. Ghostwriting is how busy leaders solve that, and it is also one of the easiest services to buy badly. This guide explains how it works, what it costs, and how to judge any provider, including us.

What LinkedIn ghostwriting is, and what it is not

Done well, ghostwriting takes what is already in your head, your decisions, your mistakes and your opinions, and turns it into posts that sound like you. The ideas are yours. The writing, research and packaging are done for you.

It is not a stream of generic posts about leadership. It is not publishing on your behalf without your say. And it is not asking software to invent opinions you never held.

How the process works

Here is the process we follow.

1. A free profile audit. We look at your profile and where it falls short, and recommend a plan.
2. Positioning and profile. We agree what you want to be known for, then rebuild the banner, headline and About section around it.
3. A weekly conversation of about 30 minutes. We use that time to draw out your stories, decisions and opinions. This is the only regular time we need from you.
4. Research and writing. We research your market in depth, using AI to find angles before your competition does, then write posts from your own material.
5. Your approval. You review every piece, add input if you want to, and approve it. Nothing goes live without your explicit approval.
6. Publishing and review. Approved posts go out on a planned schedule, and we review what is working so the next round improves.

What the work can include

Depending on the plan, the work can include founder interviews, original LinkedIn posts, designed graphics and carousels, short video scripts, a content calendar and publishing direction, and analytics with a strategy review. We recommend the right mix for you after your free profile audit.

What it costs

Our plans start at $500 a month and go up to $3,000 a month, across four tiers: $500, $1,200, $2,000 and $3,000. Which tier fits depends on what you need, and you get a clear recommendation after your free profile audit.

There is a second cost to count: your time. For us that is about 30 minutes a week. If a provider says it needs none of your time, ask where the ideas will come from.

How to judge any LinkedIn ghostwriter

Ask these questions before you sign with anyone.

• Who interviews me, and how often? Posts built on your own stories beat posts built on guesses.
• Do I approve everything before it is published? The answer should be yes, every time.
• Where do the ideas come from? They should come from your experience, not a template.
• Do they work on my profile as well as my posts? Posts bring people to your profile, so it has to be ready.
• Can they show results on their own account first? Ask to see them.
• Do they understand who I sell to? Content aimed at the wrong audience can bring the wrong followers.

What a strong CEO post is made from

A post that works carries five things: what you have built, the decisions and experience behind it, the problem you see differently, what you believe, and why you have earned that view. We call this the point of view, and it is the material we help bring into the open. You can see how we frame it in the point of view section on our homepage, and test your own ideas with the 4-part founder POV test.

Proof from our own account and our clients

We tested the method on our own founder first. Over the last 365 days his LinkedIn impressions reached 356,221, up 423% on the prior 365 days, and followers went from 740 to 8,056. The full story is in the Vaibhav Yadav case study.

For a senior executive at a global conglomerate, followers grew from 2,937 to 7,348, with 73% of reach coming from outside his existing network. Read it in the executive case study. Results differ for every founder.

Is it right for you?

It is a good fit if you have real expertise and a profile that does not show it yet, and you are willing to give about 30 minutes a week and approve what goes out. It is not a fit if you want posts published with no involvement from you, or if you want a quick shortcut with no point of view behind it.

To see how it works in full, read our LinkedIn ghostwriting service page. If your priority is how leaders are seen more broadly, see executive branding. If your profile needs work first, start with LinkedIn profile optimization.