How Content Pillars Can Improve Your Social Media Marketing

One of the most time-consuming tasks as a marketer is coming up with content ideas for your social media calendar. It can leave you feeling overworked and even uninspired. If you feel this way, you could be missing a key part of your social media strategy — content pillars.

What Are Content Pillars?

Content pillars, also known as content buckets or content categories, are the core topics that make Up the foundation of what you post about, discuss Online and share. These topics are themes that your Audience can expect to see from your brand. While This might seem like a “no brainer”, have you ever Actually developed and written down what those Categories are?

Lessons Learned

As small business owners, what lessons can we take away from the EE experience?

When you’ve been running a business for a while, it’s easy to get stuck in a groove. “This is what we do and this is how we do it.”

If you’re looking to activate growth or breathe new life into your brand, could you follow EE’s suit and reposition your offering?

How Content Pillars Boost Your
Marketing Strategy

Being consistent in your marketing strategy is key to success. When you’re sharing content about the same themes or topics, it can really help establish Your brand as a thought leader within your industry. Because content pillars make it easier to plan and schedule your content in advance, they can help you

Be more consistent in your posting schedule. Content Pillars give you a roadmap, so you’ll have plenty of Sub-topics to talk about and rotate through. You’ll no Longer be struggling to come up with posts, meaning You’ll be able to post on a more consistent schedule, Which helps improve your score with the algorithm.

Content pillars also provide clarity to your social Strategy. These themes help you develop more relevant And targeted content for your audience. The more Relevant your posts, the better engagement they Get, which also helps improve your score with the Algorithm, pushing your content out to new audiences.

Finally, content pillars help clarify your niche Within your industry. Ask yourself what you have To offer that your competitors don’t or what gaps you Are able to fill in the discussion. When you show That you’re an expert in a particular area within your Industry, you can grow your audience faster.

How To Develop Your Content Pillars

No two brands are alike, so your content pillars will Be unique. Let’s take a look at an example using a sports Equipment store. Their content pillars may include:

• • Brands we love — showcasing a different sub- Brand and a product from that brand, which can Tie in well with sales
  • Sports tips — such as how to not injure yourself While running; this can also translate well to Blog posts
  • Local hot spots for sports enthusiasts — best Hiking trails, ice skating rinks, football pitches, etc.
  • Behind the scenes — posts featuring staff working in the store or even an employee of the month
  • Share your story — where the brand encourages Their followers to share their personal journey in sports

So, what should you be thinking about to develop Your own content pillars? Here are some tips for Creating them:

• • Write down your business goals — understanding Your goals can help you figure out what themes You should be talking about online
  • Identify your audience’s values and needs — Figure out what your audience is searching for Online by doing some keyword research; these Keywords can help identify your themes or pillars
  • Identify gaps in your industry — how can your Brand fill those gaps?
  • Keep up with trends in your industry — what Current trends align with your audience's interests?
  • Research your competitors — take note of what Your competitors are doing and what is and isn’t Working for them; this can help you identify Discussion and audience need gaps in your industry

 Putting Your Content
Pillars Into Action 

Once you’ve developed your brand’s unique content pillars, plan out your social calendar, deciding what you want to talk about each day of the month. Each day’s post or topic should fall into one of your content buckets.

Then create your copy and any graphics or video for that post. Schedule them out in advance. This will free up some time for you to then engage with your audience online, further building trust with your target audience and boosting the feeling of community around your brand.

Be sure to regularly analyse your content and adjust your content pillars if you find something isn’t working as successfully as you had hoped.