How to Know If Hiring a Ghostwriter or Using ChapGPT is Best for Blogging

In my experience, blogging is one of the most effective ways to market your business, connect with your target audience, and establish yourself as an authority in any industry – including the health and wellness space. However, not everyone has the time or writing skills to consistently create high-quality blog posts. This is where hiring a ghostwriter or using a language model like ChatGPT can be incredibly helpful.

So How Do You Know Which Option Is Best for You?

My hope is that you’ll be able to tell which, if either, is best for you by the end of this blog. I’ll share the pros and cons of each approach and provide tips and resources to help you make an informed decision.

Pros and Cons of Hiring a Ghostwriter

Hiring a ghostwriter can be an effective way to outsource your blog writing while still maintaining control over the content. Here are some points to consider:

Pros:

• Saves time

  Hiring a ghostwriter can free up your time to focus on other aspects of your business. Just keep in mind you’ll still need to review and/or edit the posts before publishing at least until you and your ghostwriter gel.

• Professional writing

  Ghostwriters are skilled at crafting high-quality content that’s engaging, informative, and error-free. Keep in mind that some ghostwriters are better than others, so you may need to work with a few before finding the right one for you.

• Consistent blogging

  Ghostwriters can help you maintain a regular blogging schedule with on-brand and on-topic content. For them to do this well, you’ll need to provide them with your brand voice guidelines and a list of topics or blog titles (and hopefully keywords) to write about.

• Expertise

  Ghostwriters can bring a fresh perspective to your blog and provide expert insights into your industry if they’re familiar with it.

Cons:

• Cost

  Hiring a ghostwriter can be expensive, especially if you want high-quality content from an experienced writer.

• Lack of control

  You may not have full control over the content, tone, or style of your blog posts. However, you can mitigate this by making sure you communicate well with the writer about your expectations which includes sharing your brand voice guidelines.

• Confidentiality

  You may need to trust your ghostwriter with confidential information and potentially sensitive topics. If that’s the case, you’ll want to be sure to have an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) in place.

• Limited voice

  Your ghostwriter may not be able to capture your unique voice and personality in their writing – at least at first. The better and usually more experienced the ghostwriter is, the better they’ll be at capturing your voice.

Tips for Hiring a Ghostwriter

If you decide to hire a ghostwriter, these tips will help you find the right one for you:

1. Define your goals and expectations

   This really can’t be emphasized enough. As with any contractor or employee, you need to explicitly state what your goals and expectations are. So, before hiring a ghostwriter, be clear about what you want to achieve with your blog and what type of content you’re looking for.
   
   Unfortunately, I had to learn this the hard way! It takes time to train someone about the way you like things to be. So, be sure to allow time for learning.

2. Research potential ghostwriters

   Look for ghostwriters who have experience writing in your industry and who have a portfolio of high-quality work.
   
   At one time I had a ghostwriter working for me who was amazing at writing deeply emotional blogs. I asked her to write something for a client that was more factual in nature and she just couldn’t do it. In fact, she said the topic was too boring to be able to write it well.
   
   The moral of the story is you need to be sure, the person you hire to write for you likes to write about topics pertinent to your industry.

3. Set a budget

   Decide how much you’re willing to pay for high-quality content. Then let your ghostwriter know what your budget is. This will help prevent any surprises when you receive your invoice.

4. Establish clear communication

   Make sure you have a direct way of communicating with your ghostwriter. You’ll want to be clear about things like deadlines, revisions, and expectations for confidentiality.
   
   This is another one I had to learn the hard way. I hired a ghostwriter who took deadlines as a wish. If didn’t work for her she just wouldn’t deliver the piece until she felt like delivering it. As you’ve probably guessed, I don’t work with her any longer.

5. Test their skills

   Before committing to a long-term partnership, consider hiring a ghostwriter or two for trial projects. This will help you know whether they’re really up to the tasks you have in mind for them.

Now, that we’ve covered the topic of hiring a ghostwriter, it’s time to examine using ChatGPT for your blogging needs.

Pros and Cons of Using ChatGPT

Using ChatGPT is a relatively new approach to blog writing, but it can be a cost-effective and efficient way to generate high-quality content. Here are some things to consider:

Pros:

• Cost-effective

  Using ChatGPT is typically more affordable than hiring a ghostwriter. In fact, you can use Open AI’s version for free. (It doesn’t get any more cost-effective than that.)

• Quick turnaround

  ChatGPT can generate blog posts with the click of a button. This can go a long way toward helping you maintain a consistent blogging schedule.

• Customizable

  ChatGPT can be trained on your brand voice guidelines and industry-specific terminology to ensure the content is on-brand.

• 24/7 availability

  ChatGPT doesn’t take vacations or have other scheduling conflicts. So it’s available anytime. So if you wake up in the middle of the night with a great blog idea, ChatGPT can help you get the blog written right then.

Cons:

• Lack of personalization

  ChatGPT is a program and doesn’t have emotions. So, it’s not capable of writing with emotion and may not be able to capture your unique voice and personality in its writing.

• Limited expertise

  ChatGPT may not have the same level of industry expertise as a ghostwriter. ChatGPT only knows what it’s been trained to know.

• Prone to hallucinations

  ChatGPT can create fictitious content or stretch the truth a lot. So, you’ll want to fact-check what it creates.
  
  When I use ChatGPT I always go back through the content carefully to make sure all of the “facts” are factual.

• Can abruptly stop in the middle of creation

  Yes, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked ChatGPT to write something when it suddenly stops. If it has ever happened to you, then you know how extremely frustrating this is especially when you’re in the middle of work or facing a deadline.
  
  Luckily, there is hope. I’ve had some luck getting ChatGPT to continue by using a command something like “Continue from ‘…the last 5 words written…'” Where ‘…the last 5 words written..’ are literally the last 5 words it spat out.

• Not always original

  ChatGPT has been known to copy content that it’s been trained on, so you’ll want to use a plagiarism checker on what it creates for you before posting it.

Tips for Using ChatGPT

If you decide to use ChatGPT, here are some tips to help you get the most out of it:

1. Train your ChatGPT model

   To ensure that ChatGPT produces content that’s on-brand and consistent with your voice, take the time to train your model on your brand guidelines, tone, and style.

2. Edit and revise

   While ChatGPT can generate high-quality content quickly, you’ll still want to edit and revise the content to ensure that it meets your standards and is error-free.

3. Use a plagiarism checker

   To avoid any potential issues with duplicate content, use a plagiarism checker to ensure that the content generated by ChatGPT is original.

4. Use as a supplement

   Consider using ChatGPT as a supplement to your own writing or as a way to generate content ideas that you can then expand upon. There are times I find it’s loads easier to edit and expand on something than to stare at a blank page.

5. Test and monitor results

   As with any new approach to blogging, it’s important to test and monitor the results of using ChatGPT to make sure it’s meeting your goals and providing value to your audience.

Resources for Hiring a Ghostwriter or Using ChatGPT

Whether you choose to hire a ghostwriter or use ChatGPT, there are many resources available to help you get started:

1. Upwork

   Upwork is a platform that connects businesses with freelancers, including ghostwriters who specialize in blog writing. You can search for ghostwriters based on their experience, rates, and reviews.
   
   I’ve used Upwork a few times. It takes a bit to get used to the system, but I’ve found some great writers there.

2. Fiverr

   Fiverr is a platform that offers a variety of freelance services, including blog writing and ChatGPT services. You can browse freelancers’ profiles, reviews, and pricing to find a suitable match.

3. Copyscape

   Copyscape is a plagiarism checker that can help you ensure that the content generated by ChatGPT or your ghostwriter is original and unique.

4. Grammarly

   Grammarly is a writing assistant tool that can help you edit and improve the quality of your content, whether it is generated by ChatGPT or a ghostwriter.
   
   I use the free version of Grammarly on just about everything I write. It’s good, but it’s not perfect. So, if you’re sure you’re correct, it’s OK to ignore its recommendations.

5. ChatGPT platforms

   There are various platforms available that offer ChatGPT services, such as OpenAI’s GPT-3 and Hugging Face’s Transformers. These platforms can be trained on your specific needs and preferences to generate high-quality content.

Deciding whether to hire a ghostwriter or use ChatGPT for your blogging needs depends on several factors, including your budget, time constraints, and desired level of control over the content. While both approaches have their pros and cons, the key is to determine which option aligns best with your goals and preferences. Hopefully, the resources and tips listed above will help you make the best decision for your business about creating engaging, informative, and effective blog content.