---
title: "Ghostwriter vs personal brand strategist"
description: "A ghostwriter against a personal brand strategist, for founders and personal brands: what each makes, what each takes of your time, when to hire which, and where Tom Sharman fits."
canonical: https://tomsharman.com/compare/ghostwriter-vs-personal-brand-strategist/
updated: 2026-10-26
---

# 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.

Last updated 26 October 2026.

## 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](https://tomsharman.com/lessons/two-to-three-a-day-linkedin-five-times-a-weekday/).

- **[Power hour session](https://tomsharman.com/consulting/#book), £600.** 60 minute video call. The fundamentals, applied to you. What to make, for whom and in which format.
- **[The three month sprint](https://tomsharman.com/consulting/#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](https://tomsharman.com/consulting/#fractional), £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)](https://tomsharman.com/guides/best-personal-brand-strategists-uk/).

## 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.

## Read next

- [Two to three a day, LinkedIn five times a weekday](https://tomsharman.com/lessons/two-to-three-a-day-linkedin-five-times-a-weekday/)
- [Personal brand strategist vs PR agency](https://tomsharman.com/compare/personal-brand-strategist-vs-pr-agency/)
- [Sam Stoffel](https://tomsharman.com/case-studies/sam-stoffel/)