How To Create a Social Media Strategy With Content Pillars

Establishing a strong presence on social media involves making content that truly connects with your audience. One effective strategy is to develop content pillars — key themes that guide your content creation. These pillars help you maintain focus, ensuring that your posts are relevant and resonate with your audience’s interests.

In this article, we’ll break down what content pillars for social media are, why they’re important, and how to develop your own. 

What Are Content Pillars and Why Are They Important?

Content pillars are key topics or themes you center your social media presence around. By defining a few main pillars, you can create a clear content plan, making it easier to produce consistent and valuable posts that engage your followers.

Brands and creators with a well-developed social media strategy have multiple pillars in place, each catering to different goals and audience preferences. Here’s why they’re useful:

• Organization — Pillars bring structure to your content calendar. Instead of sharing random posts, you have a clear roadmap of what to share and when.
• Brand identity — Focusing on specific pillars helps you establish a strong sense of who you are as a brand, telling your audience what kind of content to expect.‍
• Building audiences — Consistently delivering valuable social media content within your chosen pillars helps attract loyal followers who share your interests.

5 Pillars for Social Media Posts

Organizing your social media content pieces into clear pillars can help you create a dynamic online presence that meets different audience needs and interests. Think about your followers — the ones you have and the ones you want — when deciding which pillars make sense for your brand. Here are five pillars commonly used in social media.

1. Entertainment

Most channels aim to entertain their viewers in one way or another to keep audiences engaged. The purpose of this pillar is typically to make people laugh, although it can also connect with them emotionally.

Examples of posts you could create include:

• Skits
• Storytime videos
• Parody content
• Reaction videos
• Blooper compilations
  

2. Education

This content typically focuses on sharing knowledge, expertise, and insights to help viewers. It’s also a good way to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry. 

Examples of posts you could create include:

• Tutorials
• Podcasts
• How-to guides
• Webinars
• Industry reports
• Case studies
• Glossaries
• FAQs
• Tips and tricks resources
  

3. Trust

The purpose of this pillar is to build credibility and establish trust with your audience by showcasing your expertise and values.

Examples of posts you could create include: 

• Customer testimonials
• Behind-the-scenes glimpses
• Social responsibility initiative highlights
• Employee spotlights
• Expert interviews
  

4. Promotion

Promotional content highlights your products, services, or brand to drive sales. By showcasing your offering's unique features and benefits, you can attract potential customers and reinforce brand loyalty among existing ones.

Examples of posts you could create include: 

• Product demos
• Special offers
• Customer success stories
• Limited-time discounts
• Contests and giveaways
• New product launches
• User-generated content
  

6. Inspiration

When creating inspirational content, focus on uplifting and motivating your audience with positive messages, stories, and quotes.

Examples of posts you could create include: 

• Inspirational quotes
• Success stories
• Motivational videos
• Personal stories showcasing achievements

3 Content Pillar Examples

Here are some examples of content pillars in the real world to inspire your own strategy. 

1. Budget Bytes (Beth Moncel)

Beth Moncel, a food blogger, cookbook author, and YouTuber, has built a dedicated following by focusing on budget-friendly recipes.

Two of her pillars include:

• Inspiration — Each type of content she produces inspires viewers to eat well, care for their health, and stick to their budget.
• Promotion — Beth’s content regularly encourages readers to interact with her brand more. Strategies like newsletter invites, app promotions, and book sales all drive further audience engagement.
  

3. Ali Abdaal

Doctor, YouTuber, and productivity enthusiast Ali Abdaal studies evidence-based strategies to build effective habits.

Two of his pillars include:

• Trust — Ali combines his background as a doctor with extensive research to create reputable content about productivity.
• Inspiration — Whether he’s talking about school, health, or income, Ali’s messaging focuses on becoming the best version of yourself.
  

3. Vsauce

Michael Stevens is the creator of the YouTube channel Vsauce. Originally a video game-focused channel, Vsauce has since moved onto scientific, mathematical, and philosophical topics.

Two of his pillars include: 

• Education — Regardless of the subject, the primary goal of most videos is to teach viewers something new. Michael also sells Curiosity Boxes, which are filled with toys and collectibles that demonstrate scientific principles. 
• Entertainment — Despite the educational aim, Vsauce videos have an iconic entertainment style meant to make viewers laugh. Most posts feature an unusual twist, keeping audiences engaged until the end.

How To Build Content Pillars for Social Media: 6 Steps

Now that you understand the basics of content pillars, it’s time to start creating your own. Crafting effective pillars requires thoughtfulness and a bit of strategy, but this step-by-step guide will help you decide which content categories will resonate with your audience most.

1. Research Your Audience

Understanding your target audience is crucial for determining what content will resonate with them.

To get a better sense of who’s watching your content, check your platforms’ analytics tabs for the following information:

• Demographics — Research your audience’s age, gender, location, education level, and income.
• Behavioral data — Look at how your viewers interact with your content, including view counts, likes, and shares.
• Content preferences — Determine what types of content your audience engages with most, such as videos, blogs, infographics, or podcasts.

Use these data points to create detailed profiles of your ideal viewers, capturing their goals, motivations, and preferred social media apps. By gathering the right information, you can tailor your content to their needs and interests.

2. Brainstorm Content Topics

Generate a comprehensive list of potential content topics related to your industry or niche. Don't hold back — write down every idea, no matter how wild it seems. 

You don’t have to pluck your topics out of thin air. Try using keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or Semrush to learn what your target audience is searching for. Stay up to date with the latest trends in your industry, and analyze competitors to see what others in your niche are posting and what seems to resonate with their audience. These strategies will all give you valuable insights into what might work — and what probably won’t.

3. Choose Your Content Pillars

Review your brainstormed topics and keyword research. Then, select three to five core content pillars that align with your brand, audience interests, business goals, and available resources. Each pillar should be broad enough to generate a variety of content ideas yet specific enough to maintain a clear focus.

If you’re a content marketer, consider creating a pillar page for each topic area on the brand’s website. A pillar page serves as a central hub of information on a particular topic. It links to more in-depth blog posts or articles related to that theme, helping organize your content.

4. Develop a Content Plan for Each Pillar

Create a detailed content calendar outlining when and where you'll publish content for each pillar. Be sure to include a mix of formats, like blog posts, videos, or social posts, considering the ideal frequency for each platform when making your schedule. You’ll also want to develop a plan to promote your content across various channels, like social media and email newsletters or even paid ads and influencer collaborations.

5. Focus on Quality Over Quantity

Put some thought into determining your content pillars, but leave some energy for the part your audience really wants — the content itself! Your posts should provide genuine value to your audience by educating, inspiring, or helping them.

Well-produced posts are more likely to capture attention and leave an impression, so make sure the content you deliver has high-quality visuals, audio, and editing.

6. Track Your Results

‍Social media platforms offer built-in analytics dashboards that provide basic data on reach, impressions, engagement, and demographics. Pay attention to this data to learn which pillars resonate with your audience and which content gets the most engagement.

Check in on your data regularly, and adjust your content strategy as needed. Double down on what’s working and experiment with new approaches for your less successful pillars.

Enhance Your Content With Captions

Creating a solid content strategy with clear pillars is important for building a strong social media presence. By focusing on key themes that connect with your audience, you can make sure your posts consistently provide value.

If you’re ready to produce high-quality content that your viewers will love, check out Captions. Our platform helps with every stage of the creation process, from generating scripts to writing captions. Whether you’re crafting promotional Instagram Stories or funny TikToks, Captions simplifies the process.