Tired of the Content Hamster Wheel? Build Content Pillars That Work Smarter and Don't Crack

Team Social Depot
Jun 14, 2024
5 min read

Updated: Feb 28

Hey there, fellow content creator survivors! Remember a time when social media wasn't a thing? Yeah, me neither. Now we're bombarded with #contentcreation and forced to become Instafamous (famous on Instagram...get it?). But who has the time (or patience) to churn out endless dance trends and avocado toast pics?

Enter the glorious concept of social media content pillars. Think of them like the scaffolding for your social media empire – a sturdy structure that holds up all your witty captions and fire memes.

But what the heck are content pillars, you ask?

Imagine your social media as a house party. You wouldn't just throw a bunch of random stuff at the walls and call it a night, right? No, you'd have a theme (80s night, anyone?), some snacks (because millennials need sustenance), and maybe even a playlist (because who doesn't love a good air guitar session?).

Content pillars are those themes. They're the broad topics that keep your content cohesive and your audience engaged. They're like your signature dish – something you can always come back to and reinvent in a million delicious ways (think leftover night gets a gourmet upgrade).

Social media pillars, also called content pillars, are the foundational themes that guide your social media strategy. They are like buckets that hold all the various content you create for your social media channels.

Here's why social media pillars are important:

Consistency and Focus: Having clear pillars keeps your content focused and consistent, which helps your audience understand what to expect from you.

Planning and Strategy: Content pillars give you a roadmap for creating content, making it easier to plan your social media posts in advance.

Brand Identity: The pillars you choose will reflect your brand's voice and values, helping you build a strong brand identity on social media.

There are a number of common social media pillars, but the best ones for you will depend on your specific goals and audience.

Promotional: Content that highlights your products or services.

Educational: Content that informs your audience about a topic related to your brand.

Inspirational: Content that motivates or uplifts your audience.

Entertaining: Content that is fun and engaging, such as jokes, quizzes, or games.

By identifying your social media pillars and creating content that aligns with them, you can develop a strong social media presence that resonates with your audience and helps you achieve your goals. There's no one-size-fits-all answer to how much promotional content you should have on social media. It depends on your overall goals and target audience.

However, here are some things to consider

The 80/20 Rule: A common recommendation is to follow the 80/20 rule, where 80% of your content is non-promotional and 20% is promotional. This means the majority of your content should focus on building relationships and providing value to your audience, with occasional promotion of your offerings.

Focus on Value: Even your promotional content should offer value to your audience. Highlight how your product or service solves a problem they have, or showcase its benefits in a creative way.

Audience Preferences: Consider what type of content your audience responds to best. If they're more interested in educational or entertaining content, you might want to lean more heavily on those pillars and weave in promotion subtly.

Here's why content pillars are important

Less Brainstorming: No more staring at a blank screen, desperately trying to come up with your next post. Your pillars give you a roadmap, so you can churn out killer content without the existential dread.

Know Your Audience, Duh: Pillars help you cater to your specific audience. Whether you're the queen of DIY crafts or the king of dad jokes, your pillars keep your content relevant and relatable.

Consistency is Key (Even if We Don't Like It): Posting regularly is crucial in the social media game. Pillars ensure a steady flow of content, because let's face it, remembering to post is hard enough without the pressure of variety.

Pillars ensure a steady flow of content, because let's face it, remembering to post is hard enough without the pressure of variety.

So, how do you build these content pillars, you ask?

Channel Your Inner-Rockstar: What are you passionate about? What keeps you up at night (besides existential dread about social media)? These are your potential pillars!

Think Like Your Audience: What kind of content do they dig? What problems can you solve for them? Craft pillars that resonate with their interests.

Variety is the Spice of Life (But Don't Go Crazy): Pick 3-5 core pillars to focus on. This gives you enough flexibility without becoming a content scatterbrain.

Track and Analyze: Pay attention to how your audience reacts to different types of content. See which posts get the most engagement (likes, comments, shares) and adjust your strategy accordingly. You can use social media analytics tools to track this data.

Here are some additional tips for making your promotional content more effective

Keep it short and sweet. People scroll quickly through social media feeds, so get your message across fast.

Use strong visuals. Images and videos are more likely to capture attention than text alone.

Offer a call to action. Tell your audience what you want them to do, whether it's visiting your website, signing up for a free trial, or entering a contest.

By following these tips, you can create promotional content that is informative, engaging, and effective in driving results.

Ready to Level Up Your Social Media Playbook? Discover Proven Strategies to Boost Engagement, Attract Followers, and Drive Real Results!

Are you feeling overwhelmed by social media content?

Fear not, warriors! These resources will be your content pillar cavalry:

StoryChief: Build a rock-solid social media foundation.

Buffer: Free template + step-by-step plan for content pillars!

Later: Make Social Media Magic Happen 2023 guide!

Bonus Content Pillar Info!

Deep dive with Social Champ.

Specific strategies from The Blog Social.

Let’s talk about batching content

Batching content is all about creating content in advance, in one concentrated burst, rather than scrambling to pump something out every time you need to post. Imagine it like prepping a bunch of meals on Sunday for the whole week – but for social media goodness.

Here's the breakdown

Instead of: Spending an hour agonizing over every post, crafting captions, and fiddling with visuals.

Do this: Dedicate a specific time slot (a few hours on a weekend, for example) to plan, create, and schedule a chunk of your social media content for the upcoming days or weeks.

This way, you're knocking out a bunch of tasks at once and taking advantage of your creative flow. It's a productivity win-win!

Here are some benefits of batching content

Saves Time: No more last-minute scrambles. You'll free up time to focus on other things, like conquering that ever-growing to-do list.

Boosts Consistency: Batching helps you maintain a regular posting schedule, which is key to keeping your audience engaged.

Improves Quality: When you're not rushing, you can focus on creating high-quality content that resonates with your audience.

Reduces Stress: Knowing you have a backlog of content ready to go can be a major stress reliever.

So, whether you're a social media pro or just getting started, content batching is a strategy worth considering. It's like a magic trick – you put in the work upfront, and then you have a steady stream of content flowing effortlessly (well, almost effortlessly).

Now go forth and conquer the social media realm! Remember, with a solid content pillar strategy, you can build a social media empire without sacrificing your sanity (or your precious free time). Just don't forget the snacks – millennials get hangry.