How To Create Content Pillars To Maximize Your Social Media Presence

And what better way to reach your target audience than on platforms they already use, right? But achieving success on social media can be tricky – especially if you don’t have a solid social media strategy to support and guide your efforts. Whether your business is still relatively new to these platforms or you’re looking for ways to shake things up content-wise, one of the key things to turn your attention to are your content pillars. 

These broader themes and topics – sometimes referred to as “content buckets” – will help set the foundations of your content marketing, add structure to your existing social media strategy, and ultimately make navigating social media a lot easier for your brand. Today’s discussion pertains to the process of developing content pillars and their potential benefits. Specifically, we will explore the concept of content pillars, their strategic importance, and how to effectively create them.

What Are Content Pillars? 

Content pillars – also known as “clusters” or “content buckets” – are a combination of several themes and topics that you’ve previously identified as the most relevant to your specific industry and, more importantly, your target audience. And in that sense, they are a necessary foundation that can support the broader goals and objectives of your content strategy. 

One thing to remember here is that your content pillars heavily depend on your particular niche – and you can expect these “clusters” to look vastly different for different businesses. The content published by a makeup brand, for example, will focus on completely different topics and types of content than a marketing agency would. 

Keeping this in mind, while we cannot definitively determine what your content pillars should entail, we can certainly provide guidance as you navigate this process. Ultimately, your content pillars will depend on your specific industry, overarching business objectives, brand identity, and target audience, and we are here to help you uncover and refine these critical components.

You will need at least three to five pillars to guide your content creation process and ensure consistency across social media channels. So, take the time to consider what topics are most relevant to your niche and what your target audience would be interested in – and go from there. The good news is that if you’ve ever created content – even without a formal content strategy in place – you’ve likely done so while intuitively following certain themes and topics. All you really need to do now is define them. 

Why Are Content Pillars Important? 

Content pillars act as a “guide” of sorts – a way for you and your team to ensure that every bit of content you create and publish is on-brand and serves your broader goals and objectives. Even more so, they can help you stay focused and prevent you from spreading yourself too thin when it comes to your content. Without previously defined content pillars, you may find that your content lacks direction and consistency – which can, in turn, lead to lower engagement, reach, and brand recognition. 

So, with that said, taking the time to create content pillars can benefit your business’s online presence and marketing efforts in several ways – including the following: 

• Making it easier to plan your content and come up with new post ideas 
• Allowing you to demonstrate knowledge and authority in your niche by exploring certain topics in greater depth 
• Ensuring that you continuously create the right kind of content for your target audiences 
• Boosting your SEO and increasing your account’s visibility on social media platforms 

How To Create Content Pillars 

And now, for the exciting part – creating your first set of content pillars. Here are some simple steps to help guide you through the process. 

Understand Your Target Audience 

This bit should go without saying, but – understanding your target audiences and their needs is crucial for the success of your content. 

Take the time to answer these questions: 

• Who is your ideal customer, both in terms of demographics and psychographics? 
• What main points does your customer have, and how does your content help address them? 
• What kind of content has previously performed well with your target audience? 
• What kind of content are consumers generally interested in, what information are they looking for, and which keywords do they use? 

The more you learn about your online audience, the easier it becomes to “speak their language” and create meaningful content that resonates with them. 

Review Your Analytics 

Reviewing analytics is a great way to identify content that performed well in the past, received the most engagement, and resonated with your target audience. These valuable insights will tell you what works in your content strategy – and what doesn’t. You want to take note of your high-performing posts and review them in detail; the visuals, the captions, the hashtags – all the bits and pieces that make up your post. That said, the metrics you should focus on may vary depending on your goals. So, for example, if you’re primarily interested in boosting brand awareness, you may want to keep an eye on metrics like reach and engagement. 

Identify Your Core Content Pillars 

At this point, you’ll probably need a spreadsheet to keep track of all the keyword phrases and relevant topics you would like to cover in your content. Once you’ve done your research and gathered everything in one place, you can start grouping them into clusters based on related subjects. These clusters will essentially act as your core content pillars. Aim to have at least three to five of these “clusters” – but try not to get carried away and create more than ten clusters. Having too many content pillars can be just as ineffective as having none.

Create A Content Calendar 

Most, if not all, social media algorithms reward accounts that post regularly. Your content will likely perform better if you stick to a certain schedule rather than posting only when you feel like it – which could lead to you posting several times a day or not posting anything for weeks at a time. In short, consistency is key to social media success. Besides just improving your posting consistency, a content calendar can also provide structure, help you stay focused on your long-term goals, keep you organized, and allow you to execute social media campaigns without a hitch. 

If you’re struggling to create engaging content or put together an effective social media strategy, get in touch with our team and learn more about Pastilla’s services.