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Ghostwriter vs personal brand strategist
A ghostwriter writes posts in your voice for you to publish. A personal brand strategist decides what you stand for, who it is for and the formats that carry it, then builds the system that ships it. Hire a ghostwriter when you know your position and need the words. Hire a strategist when you do not yet know what to say, or why it is not working.
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How do they compare?
| Ghostwriter | Personal brand strategist | |
|---|---|---|
| The main job | The words, in your voice | The position, the messages, the formats and the team |
| What you get | Written posts, ready to publish | One line, seven or eight messages and formats for every stage of the funnel |
| Your time | Interviews and approvals | Agreeing the line, then time on camera |
| Best when | You know your position and need the output | You are starting, or the content has stalled |
| What to watch for | Polished posts with no position behind them | A strategy with nobody to write or record it |
When should you hire a ghostwriter?
- Your position is clear and written down.
- Writing is the bottleneck, and your formats are mostly written posts.
- You have time to review every post before it goes out.
When should you hire a strategist?
- You cannot say in one line who you are, who you are for and who you are against.
- You want video as well as words: selfie videos, podcast clips and carousels.
- You need a team hired, writers included, and the cadence they will hold.
Where does Tom fit?
Tom is a personal brand strategist who hires the writers too. At Stoffel Media Group the first two hires were a script writer and producer, and a content producer and creative director, and freelance specialists covered LinkedIn. Sam Stoffel's brand went from 0 to 500,000 followers in 10 months.
His cadence target for a founder is two to three short form pieces a day and LinkedIn five times a week on weekdays: two to three a day, LinkedIn five times a weekday.
- Power hour session, £600. 60 minute video call. The fundamentals, applied to you. What to make, for whom and in which format.
- The three month sprint, by application (2 spots left). 6 fortnightly 60 minute calls. A seat in your team. The 3 month plan. Fortnightly accountability.
- Fractional Head of Content, £3,000 to £7,500 a month, 6 month minimum, then monthly (1 spot left). Fractional head of content, or fractional COO, for creator and founder-led businesses. I run your content function end to end. Strategy, cadence, team, hiring, tooling and reporting. A senior seat in the business for the cost of a fraction of a full time hire. Worldwide and remote.
Who else should you look at?
For a shortlist of UK personal brand strategists and agencies, each quoted from its own site, read Best personal brand strategists in the UK (2026).
Questions
Can I use a ghostwriter and a strategist together?
Yes. The strategy sets what gets written. At Stoffel Media Group the first hire Tom made was a script writer and producer, and freelance specialists covered LinkedIn.
How often should a founder post on LinkedIn?
Tom's target is five times a week on weekdays, alongside two to three short form pieces a day. LinkedIn takes the formats that already won on short form.
What does Tom charge?
Tom's Power hour session is £600 for 60 minutes. The three month sprint is by application. The Fractional Head of Content role is £3,000 to £7,500 a month, with a 6 month minimum, then monthly.
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Work with Tom
The same thinking, applied to you: an hour on what to make and for whom, or Tom in the business.