How to Create Content Pillars for Your Social Media Strategy

Summary

This video provides a clear guide to creating content pillars for small businesses. It explains that content pillars are categories for organizing your posts strategically, ensuring they align with business goals. The video distinguishes between content pillars and goals, offering examples and a simple method for categorizing content. The speaker also shares a unique approach of aligning content to specific days of the week to maximize audience engagement. With practical steps like analyzing analytics, identifying successful content, and grouping ideas, the video helps businesses streamline their content creation process for consistent and impactful posts.

Takeaways

• 😀 Content pillars are categories that help systematize content creation for your business, making it strategic and goal-oriented.
• 😀 Content pillars are not content goals like education or inspiration—they are ways to organize content into meaningful categories.
• 😀 Align content to specific days of the week for a more predictable and effective content calendar.
• 😀 Example content pillars for a business might include content creation tips, business tips, strategy, systems, and goals.
• 😀 Always align your content with your target audience’s behavior and needs throughout the week.
• 😀 Post lighter, more engaging content on Fridays when your audience is winding down and gearing up for the weekend.
• 😀 Analyzing past content performance through analytics helps identify top-performing content and generate new ideas.
• 😀 Use insights to categorize content and create strategic content pillars based on what works best with your audience.
• 😀 Develop a content list by brainstorming at least 50 content ideas related to your business or profession.
• 😀 Once you have your content ideas, categorize them into pillars using color-coding or digital tools to visualize patterns.
• 😀 Consistency is crucial in maintaining the focus of your content pillars and ensuring alignment with your business goals.

Q & A

What are content pillars?

Content pillars are categories or buckets that help organize and systematize content creation for a business. They ensure that every piece of content aligns with the business goals and strategic objectives, avoiding random or aimless posting.

Why are content pillars important for small businesses?

Content pillars help businesses create content consistently and strategically, ensuring each post contributes to the business's goals. They help avoid wasted effort by categorizing content in a way that aligns with both the audience's needs and the business's objectives.

What is the difference between content pillars and content goals?

Content goals are the objectives you want to achieve through your content (e.g., educate, inspire, promote). In contrast, content pillars are the categories or themes that organize your content, ensuring it's strategically aligned with those goals.

Can you give examples of content pillars for a social media manager?

Examples of content pillars for a social media manager might include: social media tips, social media strategy, client results and transformations, and content creation ideas.

How should I align content pillars with the days of the week?

Aligning content pillars with specific days helps create a predictable posting schedule and ensures the content matches your audience's mindset. For example, you might post educational content on Monday when your audience is planning their week, while lighter content like fun tips could go out on Fridays when people are winding down.

What is the process for creating content pillars?

The process involves reviewing your past content performance, analyzing top-performing posts, and brainstorming related content ideas. Then, categorize those ideas into groups or pillars based on themes or topics that align with your business and audience.

How can I figure out what content works best for my audience?

By reviewing your analytics and insights on social media platforms, you can identify what content has performed well in terms of engagement (likes, comments, shares). This data helps determine the types of content your audience enjoys and engages with most.

What should I consider when selecting content pillars for my business?

When selecting content pillars, consider your business goals, your expertise, and your audience's interests. Ensure that your content pillars are aligned with both the value you provide and the types of content that resonate with your audience.

How can I categorize my content ideas effectively?

You can categorize content ideas by grouping similar topics together. Using tools like highlighters or color-coding in Google Sheets or notes apps helps visually organize ideas into themes, which can then become your content pillars.

How often should I review and update my content pillars?

It's important to regularly review your content pillars to ensure they remain aligned with your business goals and audience preferences. Every few months, check your analytics and refine your pillars based on any changes in your strategy or audience engagement trends.