Has this age-old business reached a new limit?

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27 January 2023

Courier Weekly provides inspiration and tools to help you work better and live smarter.

Brought to you this week by Grand Seiko.

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Your weekly round-up of briefings, trends and news.

(Don't) give up the ghost

Ghostwriters have long been known for being the secret wordsmiths behind juicy celebrity memoirs (see Prince Harry's latest book drama). But the skill of writing on behalf of someone else is expanding out of traditional formats.

A new wave of social-media-savvy storytellers are quietly writing everything from venture capitalists' Twitter posts and LinkedIn hot takes to breakup texts for the avoidant dater. But, with copywriting tools powered by artificial intelligence (AI) threatening content at large (and with 44% of businesses in favor of using AI tech to lower operational costs), does the human voice still hold the same value?

Writing for the workfluencer

Since the shift to working from home, social media has become the online water cooler for founders and venture capitalists (VCs). But the hunt to invest in the next big startup requires more than just money; VCs need to establish themselves with a personable online presence to connect with young business owners.

Enter ghostwriting. Top investors are paying up to $100,000 to create Twitter posts on their behalf, while some ghostwriters focused on LinkedIn have raked in thousands of dollars to write thought leadership blog posts for CEOs (something that's likely to continue, given the uncertainty regarding Twitter's future and LinkedIn's growing influence on the back of heavy layoffs in the tech industry).

Samantha McKenna left her role as LinkedIn's head of enterprise sales in 2019 to create her own consultancy after growing client demand: ‘We were approached early on by a client of ours who needed a voice on LinkedIn but didn't know what to write, didn't understand the algorithm and certainly didn't have the time to manage their presence,’ says Sam.

Now, with 120 clients and earning up to $700 an hour, her 13-person team ‘takes time to interview clients to understand not only who they are professionally, but also personally’, she says, from ‘listening to old podcasts, reviewing old articles and even sitting in on team meetings to hear their clients' voices to build expertise on their persona’. The end result could be anything from reviewing content and offering analysis on LinkedIn's algorithm to writing up to 16 posts per month.

A better goodbye

But the new opportunity in ghostwriting isn't limited to the professional world. The continually growing online dating world has come with a phantom of its own: ghosting – when someone exits a relationship without any prior notice, often leaving messages ‘on read’. This modern-day disappearing act has been found to have negative mental health consequences – regardless of whether you're the ghoster or the ghostee.

Justine Ang Fonte, a consent educator and writer, set up @_good.byes_ in 2021 to counter the act of ghosting, inspired by their own dating life. They offer a unique ghostwriting service to create boundary-setting scripts in situations where clients need support to get their message across, to a client base of mostly women aged between 25 and 34.

‘I created this niche platform because my unique skill set as an educator in sexuality and health [means I] deeply understand the nuances in human relationships that challenge our abilities to assert our boundaries and honor those of others,’ they say. ‘I teach how to execute these values of communication and compassion to form meaningful human connection in a world of ghosters, even if you are saying goodbye.’

Ghost in the machine

With the rise of platforms like Jasper, an AI copywriting tool, and Microsoft's recent $10 billion investment into AI conversation tool ChatGPT, can ghostwriters continue to thrive, let alone survive?

Abu Dhabi-based Greeshma Bharathan is a Gen Z strategic marketer who offers LinkedIn ghostwriting as a service. She believes that until AI can pick up on feelings, there's hope for the human voice yet. ‘AI can't provide the emotions and the human touch that we can,’ she says. ‘When I ghostwrite, I talk to my clients… I pick up on the kinds of jokes they make, what they get excited about, what matters to them. That's what the content I write for them reflects, too. [You] can't expect AI to pick up these idiosyncrasies.’

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Inspiration for the home, plus things to eat, drink and wear.

Surf's up

From the beach to the concrete jungle, these surf-inspired brands will keep you feeling wavy.

•	By its own admission, Singaporean brand Dimension.uh is based in a place with ‘dismal waves’, but its colorful co-ords and linen trousers transport the wearer to better swell (at least mentally).
•	While most people might not associate Scotland with surfing, Surf Coo makes fleeces for those who head to cold water to find the best waves.
•	Mami Wata supports the African surf community through vibrantly patterned surfwear that's created through manufacturing and sourcing across the continent.
•	Surf culture has long inspired creatives well beyond the boardwalk – Stockholm Surfboard Club has turned that inspiration into an apparel line suited for any setting.

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BRAND PARTNER: Grand Seiko

Why every brand needs a place to call home

A flagship boutique gives brands an opportunity to talk directly to their customers and tell their story. Grand Seiko's new store in London's Bond Street does just that, with exclusive designs and a place to talk watches.

Welcome to your new home, Grand Seiko.

Discover the new boutique

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Tips and tools to become better at life and work.

A guide to community tools

Building a community is tough (and brands should think long and hard before they consider starting one) but, when done right, it can create a customer base that doesn't just buy your product but also finds a connection with what you're building – and they can become your best brand ambassadors, too. One key step is creating a place where people can connect and chat wherever they are. Here are three tech tools to check out.

01.	Discord. This is the OG of community tools. Originally, it gained popularity in gaming circles, but it's since become the go-to platform for big brands to facilitate discussion about product launches and other topics of interest to customers. With more than 150 million active monthly users, your customers are likely to be familiar with how it works. But its one-size-fits-all approach might not be right for more intimate chats.
02.	Geneva. This platform is aimed at improving the group chat – there's a forum feature and poll options, plus the option for live audio and video chat. It's a go-to platform for creators who are looking to build community.
03.	Discourse. If you're seeking to make your community offering more bespoke, Discourse has an open-source model that allows you to tweak its platform to your needs. The company intends to build a modern discussion forum, with a sophisticated flagging feature and incentives for positive behavior.

Go deeper

Snaxshot is focused on the consumer packaged goods industry and has an active snacks-obsessed community hosted on Geneva, with channels focused on packaging and promo codes. Leisure Project, a beverage brand, utilized its Discord server to drum up excitement even before it launched its product (and it's still going strong post-launch). Early Majority, a membership-based technical apparel company, utilizes its Discord server to seek feedback on design decisions from its community members.

Want more tips and tools on working effectively and living smarter?

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Other great stuff we loved this week.

1.	The DTC reckoning is coming to fashion.
2.	Could this be an alternative to palm oil?
3.	Viral memes are boosting piñata sales.
4.	What happens when grandma is a TikTok star.
5.	Speaking of Discord – meet its latest acquisition.

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Illustration: Jack Taylor.