Content pillars are central to your brand’s content strategy. They are the core themes that drive your messaging and shape your identity across platforms.
Developing strong content pillars is crucial for all brands looking to attract and engage online followers. They help you make connections with your target audience by creating informative, inspiring and entertaining content.
This article explains how to develop content pillars that properly convey your brand values.
What is a content pillar?
A content pillar is a fundamental theme that forms the backbone of a brand’s content strategy.
Content pillars establish the overarching themes and messages that shape a brand’s identity and voice across its online platforms and social media presence.
Effective content pillars resonate with a brand’s target audience and reflect interests, values, areas of expertise and business goals.
They provide a consistent framework for creating content that educates, inspires, entertains and fosters connections with followers.
Brands can leverage content pillars to develop cohesive and engaging messages and experiences across their digital properties.
Identifying your brand’s main themes
Your content pillar will often be a mix of areas of expertise alongside business values and a more personal view. For example, for an SEO agency, you might have:
SEO journey and case studies
Sharing personal stories of SEO challenges and successes, including detailed case studies from past clients or projects. This pillar humanizes the agency, showing the team’s experience and the tangible results achieved through its strategies. It provides inspiration and evidence of your capabilities.
Practical SEO tips and tricks
Offering actionable SEO advice based on personal experience and professional practice. This could range from basic to advanced techniques, always with a personal touch or unique perspective that reflects the agency’s deep understanding of SEO.
Future trends and predictions in SEO
Analysis and opinions on current trends in the SEO industry, combined with future predictions, based on the agency’s collective insight and experience. This pillar positions the agency as avant-garde and knowledgeable in the direction of SEO.
Behind the scenes of the agency
Content that reveals the day-to-day running of the agency, including team introductions, office culture, and the tools and techniques used to achieve success. This pillar encourages connection with the audience by offering insight into the personal side of the business.
animal welfare
Sharing information about the agency’s fundraising activity and pet-friendly work environment. This instills fun into the content by introducing one of the most popular content types on the internet: animals. It also reflects the agency’s commitment to animal welfare and shows a softer, funnier side to the business.
Dig deeper: Content strategy: why less is more
11 tips for creating content pillars that resonate
Making content pillars that really connect with your audience is like tuning a guitar. You have to find the perfect mix that makes people pay attention, like a great song. It’s all about being consistent and creative at the same time, making sure your content educates, inspires and entertains.
Think of your content pillars as a living thing that grows and changes with what your audience likes and how your brand develops.
1. Make your content relevant to your audience
In order for your content pillars to match what your audience wants, you need to listen carefully to what they’re looking for and what their problems are, just like a tailor carefully measures a suit to fit perfectly.
Your messages should speak directly to your audience, making each post seem like it was made just for them.
When you make sure your content meets your business goals and fits the needs of your audience, every piece of content will feel personal and meaningful.
Putting your brand story in your content pillars can help you by adding an interesting story to your social media posts.
It’s not just about the words you use; it’s about making your audience feel part of your adventure, sharing your ups and downs.
When your content pillars show what your brand is about, they become more than facts – they become memorable stories.
2. Mix up your content
Having a variety of topics in your content pillars means giving your audience many different posts to enjoy, from simple guides to exciting behind-the-scenes looks. Changing your post types and topics keeps your audience interested and keeps them coming back to see what’s new.
Be flexible and ready to change, making sure your topics match what your audience is interested in, but also remember that the pillars of your content should fit perfectly with your company’s values, goals and ethos.
3. Adapt your content according to each platform
It’s all about making sure your content is appropriate for each social media platform. You want to create different types of posts within each content pillar.
Much of this can be tweaked, reused and cross-published. If you’re new to this, focus on one or two platforms first and build from there.
4. Maintain a consistent voice across platforms
It’s important to maintain a consistent brand voice across content, regardless of platform. This helps make your brand easily recognizable to your followers, whether they’re viewing your content on your website, LinkedIn, or TikTok.
Even with different media and platforms, you need to maintain this consistency to avoid confusing your audience.
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5. Plan your content with a calendar
Creating a detailed plan for your content helps you keep track of what to post, make sure you cover all the important topics, and stay organized.
You can choose a general theme each month and then fit the different pillars into that theme.
Taking the example of the SEO agency again, the topic of the month could be Google algorithm updates. Then for the different pillars you can do the following:
SEO journey and case studies: Sharing a story of how a client’s website was hit hard by a Google update and what you did to get it back. You can include real examples of analytics data and testimonials.
Practical SEO tips and tricks: Top 10 things to consider if your website traffic drops after a Google update. Give your audience actionable ways to identify potential problems and how to solve them.
Future trends and predictions in SEO: A look at possible upcoming updates and how you can try to mitigate the risk of your website’s performance suffering.
Behind the scenes of the agency: Video clips of team members’ thoughts on the latest Google updates and their top tips.
Animal welfare: Talk about Google’s animal friends (Panda, Penguin) and take a poll on new animal names Google might use for future algorithm updates.
6. Post at the best times
Posting when your audience is most likely to see your content can make a big difference.
Using tools to schedule your posts for these times helps keep your brand in the spotlight and increases the amount of people interacting with your posts.
Experiment, analyze and experiment some more.
7. Use real customer content
Adding content from your users brings a real, personal touch that hard marketing alone can’t.
Showing real people using your products or services and giving testimonials builds trust and makes others want to join.
Dig deeper: 4 ways to find unique content ideas from real-life insights
8. Make your content easier to find
Adding keywords to your content on social media posts can help you reach a wider audience. It makes your content easier to find and more relevant to what your audience is looking for.
9. Adjust your strategy based on data
Regularly updating your content strategy based on what’s working helps keep your content current and relevant. It’s like pruning a plant to help it grow better.
10. Learn from successful brands
Looking at how successful brands use the content pillars can give you great insights. It’s like a behind-the-scenes look at what makes their strategies work so well.
11. Use proven tactics
Applying what works well for other brands to your own strategy helps you build on a strong foundation. Learning from the best practices of others can streamline your efforts.
Content pillars are key to a strong content strategy. From choosing your top topics to tailoring them to your audience and testing their impact, they help create a unified online presence and keep your content unique to you and your business.
The views expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
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