Social Media & Ghostwriters

Often it is said that it is unethical to hire a ghostwriter for your Facebook or Twitter account. A majority of the masses don’t find the idea of ghostwriting on social networking websites to be objectionable and they sight transparency and authentic as the reasons for the same. Many reports suggest the same.

The American Marketing Association recently published a report titled, Social Media Ethics Shades of Gray: GhostTweeting and other Dilemmas. In it, Wayne Hurlbert, host of Blog Business Success on www.blogtalkradio.com, says that hiring a ghostwriter is a grievous error.

But speaking realistically, when one is ready to hire spokespersons for media interactions, branding experts for designing yoyour company logo and expert advertising personnel for scripting your advertisements then why not hire an expert for social media. There is no doubt that an expert can do a better job than others as he or she is more experienced as well
as knowledgeable about the same.

This logic can be easily applied for Facebook accounts, but when it comes to Twitter Accounts, things do change quite a bit. Though companies can also outsource them, the information sent out has to be a hundred per cent authentic and in-line with the company’s positioning and goodwill. When outsourcing a celebrity’s Twitter Account, you can consider the option of celebrity spokesperson in Twitter so that you can have a mental assurance of what is being said and can take care of any repercussions should anything go wrong.

Many experts and marketing gurus are of the opinion that social networking is not just about marketing but about adding a personal touch to what you do. And the same cannot be achieved by ghostwriters. This claim was refuted by many as social marketing experts were of the opinion that ghostwriters can connect better than company executives as they know what is required on different platforms and can connect better to the consumers.

Also, many people pointed out that social media is a highly interactive platform that is growing at a rapid pace and it deserves careful attention and nurturing. This can be given to experts if one does not have the time or does not know where to begin. Though the final responsibility lies on the company’s shoulders for all that is published on the social media platforms, and that for making sure that all of the information is authentic and consistent with the brand image, ghostwriters are the best to present it there.

Experts say, social media is not just about Tweeting a couple of times a day or uploading some images on your Facebook wall, it is about responding to your fan’s and followers comments and getting the best out of the social media. Though many experts may deny this as is seen in the AMA report, but in the end it is all about giving a human face to your company. Though the face may be seen as wearing a mask, but that very mask can work wonders.