Target Markets for Business Ghostwriters

Credit: Cesar Bojorquez on Flickr

While many business rely on hired writers to generate content, whether marketing material or documentation or training guides, “ghostwriting” business communications is a somewhat more rarefied skill. I’ve written previous posts on Freelance Switch about this kind of ghostwriting as a satisfying and lucrative specialty.

I’m talking about writing where you truly impersonate an individual, not just a corporate view, and that goes well beyond writing a marketing brochure or a web page for a company. For example, I’ve worked with clients where in addition to producing training content for them, I wrote presentations and speeches for their top executives, to launch the training. And those presentations had to be in the style of those executives, they had to use the words, pet phrases, and favorite analogies that their audience would recognize.

I also ghostwrite trade journal articles and newsletters for other consultants. Again, their readers are expecting a certain style, familiar vocabulary and themes, and that’s what adds the ghostwriting touch to the project.

And it is easier too in this kind of business when you focus on a well-defined target market.

Target Markets

The essence of a target market is narrowing your focus to work only with certain types of clients or projects. Yes, that can mean walking away from some projects that don’t fit your niche. In fact, that’s often a sign that a business has matured and is really ready to grow, when the freelancer has learned to say “No” to marginal prospects to put more time into pursuing ideal clients.

For a business ghostwriter, how can you identify your market? Here are just a few schemes that may work well for you:

• By industry. This is a great one, because working with businesses that belong to the same industry means that you learn the vocabulary they all use. For instance, I have written for clients in the banking industry for more than twenty years, so when my clients need to talk about collateral or loan covenants or guarantees, they don’t have to waste any time explaining that stuff to me.
• By type of product. Some writers specialize in white papers and do little else. Others write newsletters or journal/magazine articles. Some focus on web content.
• By topic/function. Human resource issues, safety and compliance, ethical conduct in the workplace are all areas that often have individuals within corporate clients who communicate regularly with the workforce about concerns and best practices. They welcome the additional impact of a consistent personal style in those communications. And again, you master a vocabulary that will work for, say, the HR department at many companies.

The Benefits of Being a Specialist

If you define your target market by industry or by type of content, you use the same vocabulary over and over again. You become more efficient in taking on the client’s voice.

And, similarly, if you focus on certain types of projects, such as newsletters, white papers, or training,you know the format and structure that is required to engage your audience. Again, you can be more efficient.

Greater efficiency means more money in your pocket in the end (as long as you don’t make the mistake of charging by hour of writing time).You can produce the same quantity of output in less time, leaving you more time for additional work.

Not only that, specialization opens the door to charging higher rates. Clients can find many writers who can churn out generic marketing stuff, but they will find few who can mimic their own voice, and who consistently use the right terms and style. A few successful projects with a client can lead to a very long term relationship, one that competitors will find hard to disrupt.

It is hard, at first, for many freelancers to give up any prospect or project. But find the discipline to stick to the heart of your target market, to focus on your ideal clients, and it will be good for your business, and good for your clients at the same time.

Photo credit: Some rights reserved by Cesar Bojorquez.