July 17, 2015

Tackling the CEO Ghostwriting Bottleneck Problem

For any business looking to bring credibility to its blog, ghostwriting for the company’s CEO can be invaluable. Having the company’s leader lend his or her byline to the blog automatically adds gravitas and offers genuine thought leadership to readers. And because many CEOs have a wealth of ideas but lack the time to write the content themselves, ghostwriting is a natural solution.

At the same time, a CEO’s busy schedule can also get in the way of steady content creation. Marketers often struggle to reserve time to talk with the executive to get the material they need to write a high-quality post. Furthermore, even after the interview is over and a draft of the piece is complete, most CEOs like to carefully review the content that will be attached their name, which may also cause significant delays in the posting process.

Solutions to this problem do exist, however. Unclogging bottlenecks requires that marketers think strategically and plan ahead. Here are a few ways to combat this common pain point:

Stick with evergreen content: If lengthy review turnaround times are the rule for a CEO, rather than the exception, marketers should consider prioritizing evergreen pieces over time-sensitive content. For instance, rather than sitting down with the executive to discuss the results of a recent industry survey, a marketer could discuss issues involving company culture or customer service. By focusing on these more “timeless” topics, content writers protect themselves against blog posts becoming obsolete during the review process.

Always have a backup plan: Whenever possible, marketers should have several alternate topics in the queue that can be turned into blog posts if a CEO is unable to review the ghostwritten piece in a timely manner. It may be beneficial to have other ‘go-to’ co-workers in other departments that marketers can ghostwrite for in a crunch. Additionally, content writers should always be on the lookout for timely topics—like a new industry report or survey—that can be written up as short, informational pieces for the blog.

Find an ally: Sometimes, if the same ghostwriting marketer is always the one chasing the CEO around for interview time and feedback on content, the executive may begin to subconsciously tune that person out. Marketers can benefit greatly from finding an ally in the C-suite who has the CEO’s ear and also believes in the value of content creation. This person may have more access to the CEO than the marketer and can act as another voice pushing the company’s top executive to prioritize blog content.

A content ally can also come from outside the organization. For instance, a content strategy vendor can provide expert ghostwriters who work with—and stay on top of—CEOs so that the business’s internal marketing team can focus its attention on other objectives. These content creators are experts in the ghostwriting process, including forming relationships with CEOs and other executives that help facilitate a steady stream of ghostwritten content.

Are you searching for a partner to act as your own content creation ally? Complete that search today.







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