Learn How Nicolas Cole Leveraged His Brand Into a 8 Figure Ghostwriting Business

*This is Nicolas' total engagement numbers from his 8-year journey (through August 13, 2024) 

Introduction

Building a personal brand allows you to create a media empire (if you execute it correctly). 

That's exactly what Nicolas Cole has done.  

I first found out about Cole when I was looking for some help with digital writing. 

That ballooned into learning about a program he started called Premium Ghostwriting Academy.  I joined that in March/April 2024.  It has since grown from 200 to almost 1000 members.  This space is rapidly GROWING.  

Nicolas Cole is the leading voice that is helping individuals become Premium Ghostwriters. 

Here’s some of highlights of his career (so far): 

• Authored multiple books, including Confessions of a Teenage Gamer (2016) and The Art and Business of Online Writing.
• Recognized as one of Quora's most-read writers, with over 50 million views across his work.
• Co-creator of Ship 30 for 30, an online community aimed at helping aspiring writers develop their skills.
• His writing has been featured in major publications such as TIME, Forbes, and Fortune.
• Regularly conducts workshops and speaks about writing, personal branding, and the business of content creation.

These are just a few of the key things that he's done over the past 10 years.  

But... 

One of the most impactful things he's done has been a Premium Ghostwriter for key B2B SaaS tech leaders.  This is why I starting following him and ultimately joined his training program.  

So, what exactly is a Premium Ghostwriter?  

Let's get into it... 

Content Style: Premium Ghostwriter

I wouldn't necessarily call this a content style - more of a career and approach to thinking about HOW you frame your services.  

Cole shares his learnings on all the platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, etc.) about how to become a better digital writer.  Because of this, it has led him to become the expert in helping others find the content voice of individuals looking for help.  Help with how to stand out from the noise that exists on the internet.  

So, what is a Premium Ghostwriter? 

It's someone who can help someone looking to frame their ideas, thoughts, frameworks and unique POV into words that resonate on their platform of choice.  Part of what I offer is a service (Pipeline Catalyst) that helps people tell their story on LinkedIn (with video, writing and design).  

Cole has been able to build a program that trains individuals to start with an Educational Email Course (EEC) that is a unique lead magnet that ghostwriters can start with. 

Over time, you'll find your unique angle and I've found mine through this newsletter and Pipeline Catalyst.  

Now, let's get into Cole's journey on LinkedIn and figure out what we can learn from his journey. 

We All Start Somewhere

Nicolas Cole officially started using LinkedIn in 2016, even though he started posting on the platform as a creator long afterward.

He shared his first post on September 27, 2016, with the hook: 

More people should really do this.

Is this really the hook?? 

It was more like the entire post.

For real, that was all Nicolas wrote for his first post. 

However, he shared the link to a copy titled “This 1 Networking Hack Will Never Let You Forget Anyone's Name Again”.

Today, Nicolas has posts with thousands of reactions and several hundreds of comments and reposts. Isn’t it surprising that his first post didn’t get any reaction, comment, or repost. Not a single one!

But hey! We all start somewhere, and this was the very beginning for Nicolas Cole on LinkedIn. Today, he has built a virtual community of over 80k followers, and still growing. 

Nicolas went on to post 12 more times in 2016, getting a total of 22 reactions, 1 comment, and 3 reposts. 

October 14, 2016

Get ready. (3 reactions, 2 reposts)

December 26, 2016

Some of my personal recommendations. (3 reactions)

February 28, 2017

Why haven't you taken the leap yet? (6 reactions, 1 comment, 1 repost)

August 24, 2017

People think work-life balance means: some hours you work a job, some hours you go on vacation. That's not what I believe. (14 reactions, 3 reposts)

Despite not having any comments or tons of reactions, this post is by far the best-performing post.

Of course, it’s only been a few months, but you can tell that he has a unique view about a subject matter that resonates with his audience, and that’s also the talk of the time. 

No matter how different your view is about any subject, air it!

Your uniqueness is what makes the difference. 

October 17, 2017

For four years, nobody understood why I didn't go out much. (20 reactions, 4 reposts)

Nicolas basically posts on LinkedIn when he has something to share. On this day, for instance, he shared two posts, check out the first one here; while in January, he only posted once. 

He shared a total of 99 posts in 2017.

Testing Phase

February 16, 2018

I have had multiple mentors in my life, all in varying industries, niches, and interests. (10 reactions)

June 10, 2018

Looking for some all-star writers and editors for Digital Press…(27 reactions, 12 comments)

August 23, 2018

Before I started my own company, I never understood when busy people would respond to me with hyper-short emails. (27 reactions, 2 comments)

2018 was indeed a year that Nicolas took posting seriously on LinkedIn. In all, he shared 229 posts in the same year - a huge improvement from his previous 99 posts in 2017.

If there's one thing to pick from Nicolas' 2018 journey, it's the power of consistency in building your personal brand.

Your views and opinions don't have to conform to that of others.

Your posts don't have to be that perfect.

You don't have to be that good.

Just hit "POST" consistently.

January 14, 2019

Nobody owes you their attention. (31 reactions, 3 comments)

Surprisingly, Nicolas took a break from LinkedIn after his last post in October 2018, only to resume in January 2019.

Although he posted less time in 2019 - only 66 posts, one thing is obvious. He has indeed improved on his copywriting skills. 

May 29, 2019

What's the ROI of regularly writing articles on the Internet, BESIDES $$$? (25 reactions, 8 comments)

October 1, 2019

THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE WHO WRITE BOOKS. (19 reactions, 4 comment)

January 3, 2020

Inspired by Ben A. Wise, who shared a story about the first time he got paid for his writing. (141 reactions, 15 comments, 4 reposts)

This is the first time Nicolas had 100+ reactions on LinkedIn. Since this is pivotal in his journey, let’s check out some of the obvious things about this performance. 

• Great use of white space
• The story - stories are always fascinating. People tend to relate to stories more than any other thing in a copy.
• Mentions - Mentioning other people on LinkedIn compels them to react, comment, and possibly share your post. 
• Have I mentioned that his copywriting skills are dope at this time?

May 14, 2020

I am looking for early readers for my next book, The Art of Online Writing. (23 reactions, 15 comments)

January 8, 2021

Atomic Essay #5: Thought Leadership Equity Is Transferrable (7 reactions, 2 reposts)

As you may have noticed, this is a series that Nicolas started sharing on LI. That’s another key to constantly engaging your audience. 

Maintaining a flow of thought that constantly resonates with your audience will maintain a good performance level. Here are some other hooks from the same series;

• Atomic Essay #3: Nobody Owes You Anything
• Atomic Essay #4: You Can't Steer A Stationary Ship
• Atomic Essay #6: The Bigger You Get, The Harder It Is To Stay Small

March 24, 2021

Net-net, companies tend to cluster into 3 buckets: (22 reactions, 1 comment)

October 2, 2021

90% of what we’ve been taught about entrepreneurship, business strategy, and marketing is wrong. (31 reactions, 4 comments)

Did you see that hook??

Good hooks drive good performance. Of course, the copy should also be great.

It is the first and probably the most important factor that determines whether someone will stop a few seconds on your post or just scroll along. 

Even you won't read a post with a terrible hook!

December 13, 2021

In the digital world, visibility trumps ability. (31 reactions, 4 comments, 1 repost)

Finding Nicolas' Creator Style

February 25, 2022

Don't launch a company, create a product. (53 reactions, 7 comments)

At this point, Nicolas found his voice on LinkedIn - he started posting (as a creator) and really meant it. And his performance is a testament to that. 

2022 was a big dive for Nicolas.

In total, he shared 720 posts as against the 126 posts he shared the previous year.

There were days Nicolas posted up to 5 times in 24 hours. That's explosive!

You want to be heard? Speak Louder!

March 23, 2022

Over the past 5 years, I have ghostwritten more than 4,000 articles for startup founders, C-level executives, Silicon Valley investors, and more. (1215 reactions, 111 comments, 29 reposts)

This is the first time crossing 1k reaction. But this performance is not just in isolation. 

He almost reached 1k the day before and has been having his LinkedIn posts perform in hundreds of reactions over the past few days. 

See the previous day's post here!

April 7, 2022

When I graduated from college, I moved into a studio apartment. (3016 reactions, 262 comments, 109 reposts)

Since Nicolas found his style, his performance on LI has changed.

Here, his first time crossing 2k, he also crossed 3k.

Sharing value from a personal story also counts. 

Check the use of white space in the post - readability is awesome. 

Nicolas also finds the perfect image for his post - a picture, they say, is worth a thousand words.

One important thing here - Nicolas also started engaging his comments. This is one move that I’ve found to be common with top creators on LinkedIn. 

The more you engage your audience in the comment session, the more human you appear.  Your audience needs the human-to-human (H2H) interaction.

Responding to every single comment on your post shows that your audience matters to you and you see value in their opinion as well, no matter what that is. 

And yes! It’s another opportunity for you to share more ideas and give more value. Check this out; 

See Nicolas shared more resources that could potentially help others become better writers.

He also took the chance to mention other creators. 

Finally, your comments during engagement boost your metrics. 

Here's another one: 

June 30, 2022

I have completely switched my stance on entrepreneurship. (2175 reactions, 232 comments, 45 reposts)

Your unique view is very important.

However, when you find other creators whose views are parallel to yours, sharing their posts while adding your unique bit makes your voice stronger.

Nicolas typically did this with Codie Sanchez’s post - their viral posts with your inputs can help your post go viral as well. 

August 5, 2022

I re-read this at least 1x per week.

It's all the foundational rules of copywriting, compressed into a single screenshot. (1706 reactions, 64 comments, 62 reposts)

See! Nicolas did the same thing with Dickie Bush here.

December 7, 2022

Arguably the greatest “growth hack” on the Internet. (1534 reactions, 114 comments, 32 reposts)

Same here with Justin Welsh. Nicolas just got great hooks with these reposts .

March 22, 2023

7 signs your job is about to be replaced by ChatGPT-4: (1690 reactions, 387 comments, 169 reposts)

July 11, 2023

The average social media user has an attention span of 1 second. (179 reactions, 34 comments, 11 reposts)

One common trait of top LinkedIn creators is constantly trying different things out. 

This time with Nicolas Cole, it was Carousels.

And just like he did with other previous creators, he reshares his viral post on X, making it the first page of the carousel. 

October 16, 2023 

There was a study that came out a few years ago that said: (52 reactions, 117 comments, 16 reposts)

December 13, 2023

17 rules for a life well lived: (1904 reactions, 221 comments, 265 reposts)

December 20, 2023

When I graduated from college, I moved into a cramped studio apartment. (1244 reactions, 188 comments, 33 reposts)

Remember the post from April 7, 2022??

This is a repost of the same content - Well, not exactly the same content. 

This time, Nicolas shared two pictures - then and now.

He also tweaked the post, improved it and made it more detailed. 

In short, he made it better. 

In April 2022, the post had 3016 reactions, 262 comments, 109 reposts. This time, it had 1244 reactions, 188 comments, 33 reposts.

Tweaking and reposting a highly performed post will still give a high performance - if done right. 

March 18, 2024

5 dead-simple steps to write a 60,000-word book in 30 days—even if you've never written a book before: (1422 reactions, 242 comments, 100 reposts)

August 7, 2024

The easiest way to 10x your writing: (451 reactions, 206 reactions, 21 reposts)

Conclusion

Here’s what you should take away from Cole's journey:

• Repurpose your top post(s)
• Leverage those ahead of you (Justin Welsh) 
• Consistency pays off (don't give up)

We're really starting to see some themes across large creators - the more I dig into creator journeys, the more correlations we're starting to see.  

Just like Kyle Coleman's 'hiring bartenders' post, Cole's posts about moving into a studio apartment after college was similar.  He tweaked it a little like we talked about but it's clear that repurposing is a key way to continue to build consistent attention. 

Cole's journey to leverage those around him in the network is another key differentiator that allows him to continue to grow his brand on LinkedIn. 

And like I've talked about before, it's about consistency.  You're not going to win this game if you post and ghost or do it for 1-2 months.  You've got to play the long game, which is hard to do.  

If you can build a team around you, it will be come easier, but getting to that point takes time and effort. 

Breaking this down has been a wonderful exploration of how another big creator of our time has built their brand. 

Stay consistent and remember that everyone has a unique point of view and journey. 

Just get out there, share your perspective and you'll find your way to capturing your piece of the internet. 

I hope you enjoyed this edition!

See you next week.