Are LinkedIn ghostwriters making $700/hour?

I came across an article by Business Insider the other day covering the rise of the LinkedIn ghostwriter. It would make sense, since LinkedIn is where the majority of executives can be found online today. They’re too busy to write their own articles, yet they want to claim credit for them. Enter the ghostwriter.

I have been ghostwriting for almost 8-years, so I know it’s a lucrative industry. But I did not realize it could be $700/hour lucrative - on LinkedIn no less.

LinkedIn is working hard to pivot from a place for digital resumes to a marketplace and content hub. Their LinkedIn articles allows people to reaffirm their expertise and publish thought-pieces to their followers. Plus, LinkedIn now has more than 810 million users across 200 countries and territories. They also launched a newsletter feature in March of 2022, confirming that they plan to be just as formidable in the content development game as TikTok or YouTube.

Therefore, why wouldn’t LinkedIn want to be a place where writers can make some serious bank?

Executives want to grow their personal and professional brands on LinkedIn. Being seen as a LinkedIn influencer is one of the quickest ways to boost your career prospects as well - we can’t help but look at that follower count today.

Articles online have included quotes from people saying that LinkedIn has transformed from a place to post job experience, to one where you can really showcase expertise in a particular field or topic. Posted articles are a great way to go about doing that.

Ghostwriting on LinkedIn

Ghostwriting is nothing new - but on LinkedIn it is. The Business Insider article claims that freelance writers and LinkedIn influencers have seen a huge increase in the demand for ghostwritten content. The article claims that ghostwriters are averaging $2,500 to $10,000 per month, with the most in-demand writers charging $500 to $700 per hour.

And if that sounds like it’s too much money and no one is going to go for it, think again.

Writers are reporting charging around $2,500 per month for 5 positions, which takes the ghostwriters as little as 30-mins each to complete. That means they are earning $2,500 for 2.5 hours of work. Not bad at all.

Ghostwriters on LinkedIn have claimed that the more time you put into the beginning and outlining of the content for the executive, the less work you will have to put into the editing and revising of the content. Communicating with them and understanding their strategy, outline, angles, and ideas is important - executives are often more difficult clients. But, that’s where a freelancing questionnaire and spending time fleshing out all of the details can ensure the process goes swimmingly.

Executives are more than happy to get the outline set up so they can get back to work while you write their content. One example is Anthony J James, CEO of Trinity Consulting and a LinkedIn influencer with nearly 4 million followers, who uses LinkedIn ghostwriters  so he can focus on growing his following. He cited paying his ghostwriter around $800 per article for posts that range from 800 to 1,200 words.

A tech public relations firm, Crackle PR, headed by Parry Hedrick charges around $5,000 per month for its LinkedIn ghostwriting services, stretching it up to $10,000 depending the demands.

LinkedIn continues to brand itself as an alternative to a Fiverr or Upwork for securing freelancing work. It even launched a creator fund to encourage influencers to use the app. It’s expected that the demand for ghostwriting services on LinkedIn is only going to increase, especially as the crowding continues. Executives need a way to outshine the competition. 

Where are freelancers securing these deals on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn does allow freelancers to set up their own standalone pages promoting their services today. Known as LinkedIn service pages, I set mine up last year as a content writer. This makes it easier for executives to find you when they search keywords like ghostwriting.  I have read the keywords are everything when it comes to being found on LinkedIn for your services.

The service pages also include a requests portal, currently submitted client projects, and reviews or testimonials.

To be honest, I had no idea people were earning this much on LinkedIn. As I researched this topic, I am considering hooking my freelance writing team up with some LinkedIn executive jobs.

Have you tried freelancing on LinkedIn? I am excited to report back my findings as my team shifts to paying this social media platform more attention. Let me know if you have had any success with it! I believe it’s just the beginning of this entire movement, so buckle up. Lots and lots to come.

Don’t forget to check out the YouTube video based on this script! It includes screenshots, videos, and more. Access it here.