Sure, it can feel uncomfortable to outsource your voice, especially when there’s so much talk about being authentic online. That said, it is common to at least have some content being posted on your behalf.
Being consistent on social media is one of the best ways to stay in front of your prospects and customers. But you only have so much time to do it, so hiring someone who can capture your thoughts and ideas and communicate them effectively with the world isn’t anything new. If you look at some of the top nonfiction books on Amazon, according to ghostwriters’ literary agent Madeleine Morel, at least 60% of those books are ghostwritten. That’s because many of the recognized names on the covers either lack the time or, more commonly, the writing skills to author a book.
It’s important to understand that your content team isn’t reinventing you; they’re crafting content based on your viewpoints, insights, and ideas. This distinction is what separates genuine representation from what may be perceived as deception.
But if you’re thinking about outsourcing your voice, here are some things to consider:
Define What You Want to Outsource
How do you want to show up online? What kinds of things do you want the content team to post about? Perhaps they are just posting industry reports, quotes, or carousels of ideas, and you take on a once a day or week approach to write some of your own posts that express your views and voice.
Employ a Tactic Like Journaling
Journaling is a great way to refine your thoughts before expressing them publicly. Reflecting and revisiting your thoughts ensures they’re clear and precise when presenting them publicly or directing a ghostwriter or poster to do it for you. You can use something as simple as the Voice Memos app on your phone to capture your thoughts.
Schedule Regular Check-Ins with Your Content Team
Even if you don’t have time to post to your social media accounts regularly, you must be disciplined and committed to generating engaging content.
Despite what you may have heard, there’s no Crock-Pot strategy for your thought leadership efforts. Simply put, you get what you put in.
While your content team does the heavy lifting, you have to meet them halfway – and then some. Ultimately, they’re relying on you for your unique perspective. Without you providing insights on your industry, area of expertise, and business, you leave your content team to generate ideas on their own – and that may not be ideal.
Avoid this by scheduling a recurring meeting with your content team to generate ideas. Share what’s been on your mind, even if it’s only an hour a month.
Noteworthy Webinars, Articles, and Discussions
The more material your content team can pull from, the better.
If you’ve authored articles or been quoted in stories, pass these along to your content team. Encourage them to attend the webinars you’re part of, or to catch you on conference panels. They need to understand your thoughts, phrasing, and personality. Do anything you can to make your content team generate more authentic content.
While sharing content on your social media accounts is only a part of your thought leadership efforts, it’s essential. Customers, prospects, and industry peers spend much of their days scrolling on their phones, so having a content team behind you to effectively communicate your messaging puts you in a better position to grab their attention and bolster recognition.
CJ Arlotta
CJ Arlotta is founder and managing member of Stony Brook, NY-based B2B public relations agency CJ Media Solutions LLC. Read more about Arlotta’s expertise on channelWise.
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