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Everyone talks about how important it is to publish content frequently. But coming up with ideas can be difficult. It becomes even harder when you factor in the different social media algorithms and demographics. But there is a way to ease your burden - content pillars. They help you build a solid foundation for your content.
You should give content pillars a shot if you struggle with organizing your ideas or just creating content. If you want to find out just how to do that, keep reading. Here is what you stand to learn from this article:
- What Are Content Pillars?
- Why Use Content Pillars?
- Types of Content Pillars
- How To Create and Use Content Pillars
- Content Pillar Examples
Let’s get into it.
What Are Content Pillars?
A content pillar is a central idea or theme that your content strategy is built around. That central idea can then be broken down into subtopics or sub-pillars that you can explore with different forms of content. The sub-pillars are in-depth and detailed individual content pieces surrounding the chosen theme.
A combination of content pillars forms a topic cluster. The topic cluster represents the interlinking between the pillars. The end goal is to create a niche for your brand based on your chosen form of content.
Why Use Content Pillars?
You stand to gain a lot from using content pillars. Here are a few benefits of utilizing them:
Distinct Brand Voice/Identity
It is easier to develop a brand identity once you identify your preferred themes and begin publishing content centered on them. People will inevitably begin to relate your brand to those themes and your brand will have a distinct voice.
Higher Conversion Rates
Having several content pillars means you are building or have already built a topic cluster. This means that each time one of your pillars is visited, people find other related content which keeps them on your site for longer. This will inevitably lead to elevated conversion rates.
Enhanced Traffic & Engagement
You will have more people engaging in your work when you use content pillars. This is because you are mainly inviting people who have a genuine interest in your content and by extension, your business.
Improved Organization
It is easier to organize your thoughts and ideas when you have a central theme rather than publishing randomly. You do not have to come up with content for various topics. You can simply pick one theme and explore it. This also means you will have a more consistent publishing schedule.
Deeper Insight
While trying to determine the theme(s) for your content pillar, you will have to do some research into what your target audience enjoys. This enables you to gain a deeper understanding of their preferences which you can always use to your advantage.
Types of Content Pillars
Content pillars are more common than you think and after running through the types, you will realize that you have most likely interacted with one before. Here are the three main types of content pillars:
The Guide
A guide pillar usually aims to provide an overview of a particular topic. Each aspect of the topic is usually comprehensively discussed under various related subtopics. As the name suggests, it exists to guide you to understand a specific topic. Ordinarily, it aims to answer any popular questions about the topic.
The How-To
This is quite similar to the guide content pillar but rather than giving you information about a topic, it is usually more proactive. It provides step-by-step advice on how to carry out a specific task. It aims to teach you ‘how to’ do a particular thing. For example, this article aims to teach you how to create a content pillar.
The What-Is
These content pillars exist to answer a question and supply the reader with ample information regarding a topic. The information is usually more substantial than what is contained in the guide pillar. Furthermore, this type of content pillar is great for driving traffic to your page because you can strategically recommend your business as the solution to any problems.
How To Create and Use Content Pillars
Follow these steps to create bomb content pillars and enjoy the benefits attached:
1. Determine Your Main Theme(s)
Content pillars are building blocks for a topic cluster. Before you begin creating your content pillar, it is best to have a theme or topic for your topic cluster. When picking a central theme, make sure it has enough substance for several pillars. Furthermore, ensure that the theme has great keyword potential and performance. You can use keyword research tools such as Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool to make things a little easier for you.
A great topic cluster should be relatable yet useful to your target audience. Therefore, you should factor in your preferred audience’s wants, tastes, and needs when brainstorming for your theme. This will ensure you reap the full benefits of having content pillars. Fundamentally, your topic should be in a sweet spot; catering to your intended audience yet having great ranking potential to help you get to the first page of Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).
2. Carry Out Research on Your Competitors
It would be naive to think that you are the sole brand with your central theme. Inevitably, other business owners are doing the same thing you are. This is why you need to do some competition research. You can check for any lapses or gaps in their techniques. Look out for which content is doing better than others. You can also find content your competition does not adequately explore and use that to your advantage.
You should avoid outrightly copying your competition’s strategy as much as you can. Instead, look for advantages you have over them. Ensure that you are providing something that your competition isn’t and use their strengths to improve what you already have.
3. Audit Your Current Content
You need to review your existing content before you start creating and publishing your content pillars. Pay attention to your engagement levels so far; it can give you key insight into what your audience prefers. Furthermore, you need to ensure that you are not duplicating content with your new theme. Categorize everything you have published so far. If none of them relate to the topic cluster you are about to create, think of topic clusters for them.
4. Map Out Your Content Pillars
You have a main theme but how do you plan to execute this theme? How many content pillars do you want to have? What do you want them to contain? An easy way to find answers to these questions is by using a keyword tool. Type in your pillar’s keyword and find subtopics related to it. This can help you build the content pillars that will build your topic cluster.
Also, you can check out similar pages or even online courses to see how their topic is structured. You can then use that as a guide for yours. For example, if your main theme is solar power, you can have content pillars such as:
- How to switch from fossil fuels to solar power
- Government incentives for solar power
- Debunking common myths about solar power
- How to access solar power without being a homeowner
5. Create, Distribute, and Promote Your Content Pillars
Now that all is set, you have to create your content pillar. Choose your preferred form of content and generate high-quality content. Ensure that your content is being optimized for the best Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) practices and that it is enriching yet visually appealing.
Creating the pillar is only half the work. You need your target audience to actually find and see it for it to have an impact. You have several channels you can use to consistently distribute and promote your content. Try publishing on any social media platform you use, email newsletters, websites, and even partnering with influencers in your niche. However, you may need to adapt your content to each of your distribution channels to ensure optimal visibility.
6. Create an Interlink Between Your Pillars
Remember we said that content pillars are building blocks? To fully realize the usefulness of content pillars, you need to use them to build a topic cluster. After creating multiple content pillars, create a link between them such that once a user clicks on one pillar, there is a link to others. A good way to do this is by using internal links in each pillar that refer or lead the user to another pillar.
7. Track, Measure, and Analyze Your Performance
Do not create your pillars and abandon them. Revisit them often to measure your engagement levels. If your audience is interacting with your content, try to meet them halfway by further interacting with them. Tracking the performance of your pillars will also enable you to spot any issues with your structure and quickly rectify them. If you are mainly publishing on social media, you can use the built-in analytics systems to measure your performance. For websites, most search engines also provide analytics you can use.
Content Pillar Examples
If you are not sure what a good or successful content pillar looks like, we have compiled a few examples for you. Remember, you can use them to your advantage but do not blindly copy.
Here are some websites that use content pillars expertly:
BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed is a popular news and entertainment company. Over the years, they have established several content pillars. They are mostly known for their Quizzes, pop culture news, videos, recipes, and much more. They are a classic example of a successful content pillar strategy because they have several pillars but have not watered down any. Their pillars are also broad enough to allow several content pieces but not so broad as to lose meaning.
Zikoko
Zikoko is a social magazine that also has several established content pillars. They are known for publishing content surrounding the lives of Nigerian youths. Their strategy is unique because their pillars have distinct names which help their readers easily recognize and interact with the content they are interested in. For example, the magazine has Naira Life, Her, Inside Life, and so many other pillars.
HubSpot
HubSpot is a software company that is famed for its pillars of marketing, sales, commerce, and content management. Their website is a textbook example of accurate topic clusters and the importance of interlinking your content pillars. Their blog has distinct pages for each pillar and one click will introduce you to a host of content pieces on each theme.
Selar
Selar is an e-commerce tool that entrepreneurs use to sell their products and services with ease. Their content pillars revolve around spotlighting creators, case studies, guides on how to use their website, tips on how to sell online, and social media marketing. Their social media and blog contain similar content pillars but each content piece is optimized to the particular platform.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a software company whose content pillars include general SEO practices, general marketing, content marketing, product reviews, and data and studies. Their blog is structured in such a way that each content piece is categorized under a topic cluster and this makes for easy organization.
Using content pillars guarantees you consistency and organization amongst a host of other benefits. It is easier to engage your target audience when you have developed a brand identity and voice. If your content marketing strategy requires a little pick-me-up, try following the steps in this article to create a content pillar. You will be catering to your users while elevating your brand.
