Most people overcomplicate LinkedIn ghostwriting. They think they need years of experience, a massive portfolio, or some secret formula to land clients. That’s not true.
I started with nothing. No testimonials, no case studies, no fancy website. Just a LinkedIn profile, a solid understanding of what founders needed, and a willingness to figure things out.
If you’re willing to do the same, you can start landing clients faster than you think.
Finding Clients: Where to Start and What Works
The hardest part is getting your first client. Not because there aren’t enough of them—there are thousands of founders looking for someone to take LinkedIn content off their plate. The problem is most new ghostwriters don’t know where to look or how to position themselves.
You won’t find clients by cold messaging random people and asking if they need a ghostwriter. You also won’t find them by spamming Upwork or Fiverr. The best way to get clients is to go where they already hang out and show them what you can do.
Start with LinkedIn. Comment on posts from founders who might need help. Add something insightful, not just “Great post!” Make your name familiar in their notifications. If they consistently see you adding value, they’ll check out your profile. That’s your first foot in the door.
Another way is to post on your own profile. Write LinkedIn posts as if you were already ghostwriting for someone.
- Talk about the problems founders face with LinkedIn content.
- Explain why engagement doesn’t equal leads.
- Show how personal branding attracts inbound opportunities.
The goal is to make founders realize they need what you offer—without you having to pitch them directly.
If you’re starting from zero and don’t have samples, offer to write a few posts for a founder you respect. Pick someone with a small but engaged audience. Message them with something like:
“I love how you talk about [topic]. If you ever need help turning your ideas into LinkedIn posts, I’d be happy to write a few drafts for free. No strings attached—just looking to get my foot in the door with ghostwriting.”
Most people will ignore you. That’s fine. You only need one yes. And once you get that first testimonial, landing more clients becomes easier. Explore LinkedIn ghostwriting niches to write for and choose the one you’re best suited for.
Crafting an Offer That Makes Clients Say Yes
Clients don’t care about “content.” They care about business outcomes.
A founder hiring a ghostwriter doesn’t wake up thinking, “I need someone to write posts.” They’re thinking, “I need to get more visibility, attract leads, and close more deals.” Your offer needs to speak to that.
Instead of saying, “I’ll write 12 LinkedIn posts per month,” frame it as, “I’ll help you build a LinkedIn presence that attracts inbound leads and positions you as the go-to expert in your industry.”
Here’s a simple way to structure your offer:
| Basic Offer | Better Offer |
| 12 posts per month | A full content strategy that drives engagement and inbound leads |
| $500 per month | $1,000 per month (because you’re selling value, not words) |
| You write what the client tells you | You extract their insights and turn them into authority-building content |
If you sell based on “X posts per month,” you’ll always compete on price. But if you sell based on results, you can charge higher rates, even as a beginner.
Metrics: What to Track and What to Do if Posts Don’t Perform
A lot of new ghostwriters stress over metrics. They worry about engagement, impressions, and whether a post goes viral. That’s the wrong way to think about it.
Clients don’t pay for likes. They pay for business impact.
The right LinkedIn metrics to track are profile views, inbound connection requests, and direct messages from potential clients or partners. If your client’s LinkedIn profile is getting more visits, more people are reaching out, and their audience is growing, you’re doing your job—even if engagement is low.
But what if the posts aren’t performing? Simple: adjust the approach. If storytelling posts aren’t working, switch to tactical, advice-driven content. If thought leadership posts are falling flat, test a contrarian angle. Sometimes, all it takes is changing the hook.
The worst thing you can do is panic and assume you’re bad at this. Every writer has duds. The key is to analyze, tweak, and improve. Clients don’t expect every post to be a home run—they expect consistency.
Setting Up Your LinkedIn Ghostwriting Operations
The best ghostwriters have a system. Without one, you’ll burn out trying to manage multiple clients, come up with ideas, and keep track of approvals.
Start with onboarding. When a client signs up, don’t just ask them what they want to post about. Dig deeper.
- What are their business goals?
- Who’s their ideal client?
- What pain points do they solve?
If you don’t understand these things, you won’t write content that moves the needle.
Once you have that information, create a content calendar. Plan posts in advance so you’re not scrambling at the last minute. Use a simple Google Doc or Notion board to organize ideas, drafts, and approvals.
For the actual writing, batch your work. Writing one post at a time is inefficient. Instead, set aside one day per week to draft a full week’s worth of content. This keeps you ahead and reduces stress, which hampers creativity.
When it comes to posting, do it manually if needed (for example, if you need to tag other member profiles). Otherwise, lean on automation with tools like Taplio or Hypefury. We use Publer for all social media scheduling.
If you’re handling multiple clients, limit yourself to five at most when starting out. Anything more, and the quality of your work will drop. Once you have a process in place, you can scale by hiring junior writers or editors to help.
Scaling Up: What Comes After Your First Few Clients?
Once you’re getting consistent work, the next step is increasing your rates.
A lot of ghostwriters stay stuck at low rates because they’re afraid to charge more. But if you’re delivering results, clients will pay. The easiest way to justify a price increase is by showing impact—screenshots of profile growth, inbound leads, or client wins.
You can also expand your services. One of the biggest opportunities right now is LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads (TLAs). These are paid ads that promote organic posts to a highly targeted audience. If you learn how to run TLAs, you can charge extra for content distribution.
Another option is profile optimization. Most clients have terrible LinkedIn profiles. A well-optimized profile converts visitors into leads. Adding this as an upsell can be an easy way to boost revenue.
If you want to scale beyond freelancing, you can build a ghostwriting agency. That means hiring other writers, editors, and even outreach specialists. But don’t rush into this. Get really good at what you do first, then decide if scaling makes sense.
Why You Should Get Started Today
LinkedIn ghostwriting is one of the easiest ways to start making real money as a freelancer. No expensive tools. No need for ads. Just a laptop, an understanding of how LinkedIn works, and a willingness to execute.
The biggest mistake you can make is waiting. You don’t need more courses, more research, or more preparation. You just need to start writing.
Pick a founder you respect, turn one of their ideas into a LinkedIn post, and send it to them. Worst case, they ignore you. Best case, they hire you.
The only way to get clients is to put yourself out there. Start today. And if you need help, check out our LinkedIn ghostwriting course. We built it for writers just like you.
Mo is the founder and CEO of Column, helping leaders shape public opinion through content and research. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
