Founder Content Strategist and LinkedIn Ghostwriter

Overview I am looking for an experienced LinkedIn thought-leadership strategist and executive ghostwriter to help me build a distinctive, credible and commercially valuable personal brand. I am the founder and Managing Director of The Local Agency, an African culture, creator and communications agency working across influencer marketing, creator partnerships, experiential marketing, public relations, content production and brand strategy. I have substantial experience, strong opinions and a growing body of thinking around: * influencer and creator marketing; * building and scaling a modern African agency; * the African creator economy; * brand relevance and cultural marketing; * entrepreneurship and leadership; * talent, partnerships and campaign execution; * Africa’s growing cultural and commercial influence; * operating and building relationships across African and international markets. However, I do not currently have the capacity to consistently turn this thinking into high-quality LinkedIn content. I am not looking for somebody who simply waits for me to provide topics, rewrites generic AI-generated posts or schedules content. I need somebody who can build and operate the complete system around my LinkedIn presence. The primary objective The objective is to establish me as one of the most credible and recognisable voices in South Africa—and eventually across Africa—on creator marketing, cultural marketing, agency building and the business of influence. Over time, my LinkedIn profile should become a destination for founders, creators, marketers, brand leaders, agency leaders and other decision-makers who want informed, practical and original thinking about these subjects. The content must help position me as: * a founder actively building an ambitious African business; * a practitioner with direct experience, rather than a commentator observing from the outside; * a thoughtful authority on influencer and creator marketing; * a credible voice on African culture, creativity and commercial opportunity; * somebody capable of challenging established industry thinking; * a potential partner, speaker, adviser and collaborator. This personal brand should also support the broader growth and credibility of The Local Agency without turning every post into an advertisement for the company. What I need from you You will be responsible for developing and operating an end-to-end LinkedIn thought-leadership system. This includes strategy, idea extraction, research, writing, editing, publishing support, content analysis and ongoing optimisation. 1. Personal-brand strategy You will help define and continuously refine: * what I should become known for; * the audiences we are trying to reach; * my differentiated point of view; * the major subjects and conversations I should own; * how my personal brand connects to The Local Agency; * the balance between industry expertise, founder storytelling, personal perspective and commercial relevance; * the longer-term pathway from LinkedIn content into speaking, media, partnerships, advisory opportunities and business development. You should be able to challenge my assumptions and advise against ideas that are unlikely to support the overall positioning. I do not need somebody who agrees with every suggestion I make. I need a strategic partner who can explain what is likely to work, what is unlikely to work and why. 2. Extracting ideas and information from me A major part of the role will involve drawing the content out of me. You should not expect me to arrive every week with five completed post ideas. You will need to create a low-friction system for extracting my thinking through methods such as: * weekly or fortnightly recorded interviews; * guided strategic conversations; * WhatsApp or platform-based voice notes; * questions based on recent business experiences; * reviews of proposals, presentations, reports and campaign materials; * observations from meetings, negotiations and decisions; * opinions on current industry conversations; * reflections on building the business; * lessons from both successful and unsuccessful projects. You should be an excellent interviewer who knows how to move beyond surface-level answers. The strongest content will often be hidden inside a story, decision, frustration, disagreement, observation or experience that I may not initially recognise as content. You should be able to identify those moments and turn them into useful, original LinkedIn posts. 3. LinkedIn content strategy You will create and maintain a structured editorial system that includes: * clearly defined content pillars; * an organised content and idea bank; * recurring formats and editorial series; * a monthly or rolling content calendar; * a balance of timely and evergreen content; * different post formats and narrative structures; * strategic experimentation; * recommendations on when written posts, photographs, documents, carousels, video or other formats should be used. The content should not feel as though it was produced from a generic LinkedIn template. Each post should have a clear purpose, such as: * establishing authority; * introducing a new idea; * challenging common industry thinking; * teaching something useful; * telling a meaningful founder story; * demonstrating experience; * creating a relevant conversation; * strengthening trust; * supporting a commercial or strategic objective. 4. Ghostwriting and content production The intended publishing capacity is up to five high-quality LinkedIn posts per week. However, quality, originality and strategic relevance are more important than filling a quota. You should be comfortable recommending a lower publishing frequency when there is not enough strong material. You will be expected to: * write posts in my authentic voice; * develop strong openings without relying on empty clickbait; * construct clear narratives and arguments; * preserve nuance rather than oversimplifying every idea; * edit for clarity, rhythm and readability; * create different types of posts rather than repeating one formula; * incorporate relevant examples, evidence or research where necessary; * fact-check claims before they are published; * revise posts based on my feedback; * prepare content for efficient batch approval. The writing should sound direct, intelligent, conversational and human. It should not sound overly polished, corporate, motivational or artificially profound. AI tools may be used to support research, organisation and editing, but they must not replace original thinking, interviewing or high-quality writing. I will reject generic AI-style content, including: * manufactured personal stories; * exaggerated vulnerability; * recycled motivational lessons; * predictable list posts; * empty controversy; * copied creator formats; * statements that could have been posted by any founder; * posts filled with clichés and unnecessary line breaks. 5. Research and thought-leadership development You should be capable of strengthening my ideas through research. This may include: * monitoring relevant LinkedIn conversations; * following developments in influencer and creator marketing; * identifying shifts in South African and African marketing; * reviewing reports, articles and credible industry research; * identifying questions that brand and agency leaders are currently discussing; * finding gaps in existing industry commentary; * recommending timely issues on which I have a credible perspective; * validating statistics, claims and examples. The objective is not to chase every trend. The objective is to help me contribute original, relevant and well-informed thinking to important conversations. You should also be prepared to stress-test my opinions before publication. Where my argument is weak, unsupported, unclear or likely to be misinterpreted, I expect you to raise it. 6. Performance analysis and optimisation You should understand LinkedIn performance beyond likes and impressions. You will be expected to review performance regularly and identify: * which subjects attract the right audience; * which posts generate high-quality comments; * which ideas lead to profile views and relevant followers; * which content generates direct messages, introductions or enquiries; * which formats create meaningful reach; * which themes strengthen my intended positioning; * which content attracts attention but does not support our business objectives; * where the strategy should be adjusted. You should produce a concise monthly performance review containing: * posts published; * content performance; * relevant audience growth; * profile and engagement trends; * meaningful conversations or opportunities created; * key lessons; * recommended experiments; * priorities for the following month. You must be comfortable using LinkedIn analytics and translating the information into practical recommendations. Initial content territories The final strategy will be developed collaboratively, but the starting territories are likely to include: Creator and influencer marketing Practical and critical thinking about creator selection, talent relationships, campaign strategy, measurement, content, pricing, brand expectations and the future of the creator economy. Building The Local Agency Honest lessons about building an African agency, winning and retaining clients, managing growth, designing services, hiring people, making difficult decisions and developing a stronger business. African culture and commercial influence Perspectives on African creators, music, entertainment, youth, brands, cultural exports and how African cultural influence can translate into stronger businesses and institutions. Leadership and entrepreneurship Lessons from managing people, developing as a founder, operating across markets, navigating uncertainty, making mistakes and building something meaningful. Work behind the work Useful, appropriately anonymised insights from campaigns, proposals, negotiations, partnerships and agency operations. All confidential client, creator and commercial information must be handled carefully and may only be used with explicit approval. Desired working process I want this engagement to require limited weekly administration from me. An effective working process may include: * an initial deep-dive interview and profile audit; * a personal-brand positioning document; * a voice and writing guide; * a weekly or fortnightly content interview; * asynchronous voice-note capture; * a shared content and idea bank; * drafts delivered in batches; * one structured approval window each week; * revisions and scheduling support; * a monthly strategy and performance review. I am open to your recommendations, but the process must be organised and proactive. You should own the content pipeline and follow up when information or approval is needed. I do not want to spend every week assigning tasks or reminding somebody what needs to happen. First 90-day outcomes During the first 90 days, I would expect us to achieve the following: Month 1: Foundation * Audit and improve my existing LinkedIn profile. * Conduct a comprehensive founder interview. * Review my previous content and relevant business materials. * Define my positioning, audience and content territories. * Develop a voice guide. * Build an initial idea bank. * Create a structured production and approval workflow. * Begin publishing consistently. Month 2: Consistency and experimentation * Establish a reliable publishing rhythm. * Test different subjects, formats and writing structures. * Identify which ideas resonate with the intended audience. * Improve the accuracy of the voice through continued feedback. * Begin building recognisable recurring themes or editorial series. Month 3: Optimisation and commercial relevance * Analyse which content is strengthening the intended positioning. * Connect the strongest themes more clearly to relevant commercial opportunities. * Improve strategic audience engagement. * Develop a forward-looking content roadmap. * Report on results, lessons and recommendations for the next phase. What success looks like This engagement will not be evaluated solely on follower growth or viral posts. Success will include: * consistent publication of strong, original content; * a recognisable and credible point of view; * content that increasingly sounds like me with minimal revision; * relevant audience growth in South Africa and across Africa; * meaningful interaction from brand, marketing, agency and creator-economy professionals; * increased profile views from relevant people; * inbound conversations, introductions and business enquiries; * speaking, media, partnership or advisory opportunities; * increased awareness and credibility for The Local Agency; * a growing intellectual library of my ideas; * a process that requires limited time and administration from me. Essential experience You should have demonstrated experience in several of the following areas: * LinkedIn ghostwriting for founders, executives or subject-matter experts; * executive or founder personal-brand strategy; * B2B content strategy; * thought-leadership development; * interviewing senior or highly experienced professionals; * translating spoken ideas into clear written content; * LinkedIn analytics and content optimisation; * marketing, communications, agencies, creators or entrepreneurship; * working independently with busy founders. Experience in African markets, South African business, marketing, advertising, public relations, media, creator marketing or the creator economy would be a significant advantage. However, strong strategic thinking, interviewing and writing ability are more important than location. You are probably not the right fit if: * your primary experience is scheduling posts and making Canva graphics; * you need the client to provide every content idea; * you mainly produce generic motivational content; * your writing depends heavily on AI-generated first drafts; * all your LinkedIn posts use the same structure; * you focus exclusively on impressions, follower numbers and engagement hacks; * you cannot provide examples of founder or executive writing; * you are uncomfortable challenging a client’s ideas; * you do not conduct interviews or source original thinking; * you are applying as a general virtual assistant or general social-media manager; * you plan to outsource the writing to an undisclosed third party; * you cannot maintain confidentiality; * you send the same proposal to every job without responding to the brief. What to include in your proposal Please provide the following: 1. A concise explanation of why you are a strong fit for this specific role. 2. Two to five relevant examples of LinkedIn content you have written for founders, executives or experts. 3. A clear explanation of your involvement in those examples. Please distinguish between strategy, interviewing, writing, editing, publishing and analytics. 4. A description of how you extract original ideas and stories from a busy founder. 5. An example of how you learned and reproduced a client’s voice. 6. A brief explanation of how you evaluate whether LinkedIn content is working. 7. Your recommended process for producing up to five strong posts per week. 8. Your proposed monthly fee or retainer structure. 9. Your current availability and the number of clients you actively manage. 10. Confirmation of whether you personally perform the strategy and writing or use a team. Please do not send a generic proposal. Begin your application with the words: “Original thinking cannot be outsourced.” Applications that do not begin with this sentence may not be considered. Paid trial Shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete a paid trial. The trial is likely to include: * reviewing background information about me and the business; * conducting a short recorded interview; * identifying several potential content angles; * writing two or three LinkedIn posts in different formats; * explaining the strategic purpose of each post; * recommending how the ideas could become part of a broader content system. The trial will be used to evaluate: * listening and interviewing ability; * strategic thinking; * originality; * understanding of my business and audience; * ability to capture my voice; * writing quality; * judgment; * responsiveness to feedback; * ability to distinguish genuine thought leadership from generic content. Please do not apply if you are unwilling to participate in a paid trial. Engagement structure This is intended to become a long-term monthly engagement following a successful trial and initial 90-day period. The exact scope and publishing frequency will be finalised with the selected candidate. I am looking for a committed strategic partner, not a once-off copywriter.