Let’s talk about brand authority. Building brand authority in the age of the internet can be overwhelming. Chances are, as your business becomes more demanding you will begin to have less and less time to create content. A common practice, and natural step, is to hire someone to help you create that content. Ghostwriters are exactly what they sound like. They are in the background, unseen like the ghosts they are named after. These talented individuals are often the ones creating the bulk of content you might know someone for in all of their days as thought-influencing your mind. This can be a fine strategy as long as you aren’t asking the ghostwriter to do all of the heavy lifting when it comes to creating new thoughts in “your” area of expertise. The one you are building a brand and understanding as a “hero” is in the space.
All too often, I have been eager to meet someone so I can talk with them about something they’ve published, only to realize they didn’t have a full grasp on the content. This will actually harm your brand over time if you are providing this as a consistent experience for anyone meeting you. So, yes you might need help with creating authority building content, but it’s also important to make sure not to lose touch with having the actual authority to be publishing that content under your name. If your ghostwriter has surpassed your own understanding on the topic you are building your brand upon, you will eventually be in trouble, because it will be obvious to people when they meet you.
— Amy
