The Advantages & Disadvantages of Ghost Blogging

As with Ghost Writing, the practice of Ghost Blogging is becoming an increasing phenomenon-especially in the corporate world.

What is Ghost Blogging?

It's when someone hires another blogger or writer to write their blogs for them and they slap their name on it as if they wrote it themselves.

Many people feel this is deceptive and unethical.

I believe it is expected in the corporate world where many CEO's don't even answer their own email and phone calls and haven't written their own letters for years. It's "understood" that their Secretary or Administrative Assistant is writing their letters, emails, and responses.

The issue with blogging is that it's suppose to be a modern tool for transparency and a way to personally connect with one's readers--whether those readers are clients, patients, customers, students, or fans. Busy people claim they don't have time to blog like clockwork on a regular schedule. Yet, they feel obligated to blog because everyone else is doing it, like their competitors, and it truly is a great promotional tool if utilized effectively.

Should authors Ghost Blog or Hire Ghost Bloggers? 
If we hire someone to Ghost Blog in our name, are we deceiving our readers? Shouldn't we be spending our time writing those great novels that our readers can't wait to read? Don't we have an obligation to meet the deadlines looming over us like a big fat cloud that is turning darker every minute we do something else? The temptation could be great for some of us--especially if we just need to get past a deadline for a short month or two.

I believe an author should carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages--and Christian writers should seriously pray about it. It may also depend on the type of blog you own. For instance, I've made my personal decision not to hire Ghost Bloggers on my author blog--my main blog, but I do have Guest Bloggers who use their own name, and it is very different. However, I wouldn't think twice about hiring a Ghost Blogger for my Today in Carolina History Blog, which is no longer active, since all I do is post historical events that took place on that day. I'm not really writing. I'm not giving writing tips, marketing tips, opinions or any insight into my personality or life--only stating facts.

If you decide to hire a Ghost Blogger, I would like to caution that if your readers find out, you may risk them feeling betrayed or deceived. You also risk losing them as readers on both your blog and your books. A certain amount of trust in you as a leader, as well as your knowledge and authority in authorship could be broken.

What are your thoughts? How do you feel about Ghost Blogging?