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Want to know what content pillars for social media are? Maybe you’ve been looking into creating a social media marketing strategy or plan and heard come across the term content pillars but aren’t really sure what they are or how to use them within your own social media. Keep on reading to find out what content pillars for social media are and how you can choose and use content pillars to market your business on social media.
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What is a content pillar for social media?
A content pillar is sometimes referred to as a content category, content theme or content bucket. In social media marketing a content pillar is a core topic that you create content about. Ideally it should be a fairly broad topic that enables you to be able to have multiple subtopics beneath.
Why are content pillars important?
Content pillars are important for a number of reasons. Firstly, content pillars should be closely related to your brand and what you sell. By using content pillars you can easily ensure that your content is on-brand. Secondly, using content pillars helps ensure that you are creating cohesive content. Even if your pillars aren’t all directly related, by having content pillars your audience will start to understand that you create about X, Y and Z. Thirdly, content pillars allow you to make content quicker. It reduces the time you spend thinking ‘What should I create about’ and also helps you maximise repurposing your content too.
| NOT SURE IF YOUR CONTENT PILLARS ARE RIGHT?STRUGGLING TO BUILD A CONTENT PLAN YOU ARE HAPPY WITH?
I offer Strategy Days specifically for content planning. In just one day I’ll review your content pillars, help you identify your subtopics, choose the structure your posting schedule (format and frequency) and ensure you leave with a plan for the next 3+ months. |
How to choose your content pillars for social media
In relation to social media marketing it is common for a business to choose 3-5 content pillars. As mentioned earlier, when choosing your content pillars for social media you want to ensure that your content pillars are closely aligned to your brand. A content pillar should also be a big enough topic that you are able to have enough sub-topics or different angles to be able to create content about. For example, a financial coach might set their content pillars as: getting out of debt, saving, investing and money mindset. Within each of these areas there are a lot of different angles that content can be created around.
Using your content pillars to ensure you never run out of content ideas
Depending on how often you are posting on social media it is easy to feel as if you are constantly having to come up with new ideas and sometimes you might not be inspired. Having content pillars helps ensure that you never run out of content ideas.
As I mentioned earlier, a content pillar is a core topic. This means that for each content pillar you should be able to come up with a list of ideas, or subtopics, for you to create content. I would argue if you can’t find at least 20 subtopics that your content pillar isn’t broad enough.
For example, one of my content pillars is pricing. This is a content pillar that relates directly to my services because I offer a Pricing Power Hour where I help business owners to quickly and confidently set their prices. And pricing is always something I cover in my Strategy Days and Business and Marketing Mentoring programme. I could talk about pricing for days so I could easily write 20 subtopics.
- Pricing your services when fully booked
- Pricing your services when first starting your business
- Pricing mistakes that online service providers commonly make
- Should you put your pricing on your website
- Pricing your services to achieve your financial goals
- Raising your pricing
- Pricing your services for profit
- Common pricing strategies
- Why setting your pricing based on your competitors isn’t wise
- How to properly price packages
- Moving from an hourly/day rate to packages
- How to set your prices when you have multiple offerings
- How to set your prices to encourage clients to buy the service you want them to buy
- Dangers of discounting
- Setting your prices so you can pay yourself properly
- Revising your pricing when going VAT registered
- How to confidently raise your prices
- Pricing group programmes
- Pricing courses
- Pricing passive income products
Like the sound of some of those topics? You can check out all my blog posts on pricing here.
I recommend you create a spreadsheet and have a list of subtopics underneath that you add to on an ongoing basis. This should mean that you always have something to create about. Also, don’t forget that you can talk about the same subtopic multiple times.
How to use your content pillars when planning your social media content
By this point you should hopefully see the power of using content pillars. You now have lots of ideas, but how do you turn a list of ideas into an actual social media content plan?
There are a few different ways that you can use your content pillars to help plan out your content.
Method 1: Theme your week
If you are creating high-value content (blog, YouTube channel or podcast), as well as using social media marketing for your business then one way to plan your content is to theme your week. This means you choose one of your content pillars and create a high-value piece of content around that. Then for the rest of the week all of your social media content is also around that same content pillar. Then the next week you choose a different pillar. This will mean every 3-5 weeks depending on how many content pillars you have you’ll have rotated through all of your pillars and be back at the beginning.
If you go with this option then it is a good idea at looking at how you can use all of the different posting features a social media platform allows. For example, if you are currently marketing your business on Instagram then you might decide to do a live video, create a Reel, create a carousel and do a static post. You could make 4 different types of posts, but all are closely related to your high-value content, which was created based on a content pillar.
Method 2: Rotate through pillars on a weekly basis.
If the thought about having to only talk about one content pillar all week bores you then another option is to rotate through pillars on a weekly basis. So if you have 5 pillars it might be that you do the following:
Week 1
Monday – Pillar A
Tuesday – Pillar B
Wednesday – Pillar C
Thursday – Pillar D
Friday – Pillar E
You’ll then have a choice. For week 2 you can continue to create for each pillar in the same order or you can mix it up. Either way is fine and usually it comes down to personality types. Some people prefer to know on Monday I post about X and on Tuesday I post about Y. Whereas some people prefer the variety. The one advantage of having no fixed structure in the week is that it will give you more flexibility to tap into awareness days, holidays etc.
Once you’ve chosen your method you are start creating your content plan. I walk you through the whole process of creating a content marketing plan for your business here.
And then you can access the free accompanying workbook by filling in your details below and if you want to get great weekly emails to grow your business be sure to join my mailing list too!
That’s it. You now know what content pillars for social media are and how you can start using them.
Using content pillars will not only make your life easier when creating content, but it will also mean you can be confident that you are creating content that is on brand.
In the comments I would love to hear what your 3-5 content pillars will be.
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Social media marketing should just be one part of your marketing. I’m a Chartered Marketer that specialises in supporting solo coaches, consultants and online service providers to improve their marketing so they can shine online, attract their dream clients and ultimately build a business they love. The key to this is having an integrated marketing strategy that you can manage by yourself alongside all of the other hats you have in your business. Just need a marketing strategy? Check out my Strategy Days Want a marketing strategy AND ongoing training, support and accountability? Check out my 1:1 business and marketing mentoring programme click here And to discuss your precise needs book a free, no-obligation, introduction call to discuss your business here. |
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