In the world of freelancers/solopreneurs and digital marketing agency owners, your online presence is your storefront. It's where first impressions are made and lasting relationships are built. If you are not utilizing your socials, you are definitely missing out.
Social media is a powerful tool for any business, but especially for website design and digital marketing agencies. It can help you showcase your work, attract new clients, build relationships, and establish your authority in the industry.
But If you are trying to create new content every single week it can be seriously exhausting.
If you've ever felt uninspired or have had no idea what to post, well maybe because you are missing something....Content Pillars.??
Content pillars are the main topics or themes that you want to cover on your social media channels. They help you plan, organize, and create content that is relevant, engaging, and consistent.
In this article, I will show you how to create content pillars for your digital marketing agency and freelance/solopreneur business, and give you some examples of what to post under each pillar.
What are content pillars?
Content buckets, content categories, or whatever you want to call them are the core topics or themes you want to discuss on your social media channels. They reflect your brand’s mission, vision, values, and expertise. They also align with your target audience’s needs, interests, and pain points.
Content pillars help you create content that is:
- Relevant: It matches your audience’s needs and expectations and provides value to them.
- Engaging: It captures your audience’s attention, sparks their curiosity, and encourages them to interact with you.
- Consistent: It reinforces your brand identity, voice, and message while building trust and loyalty.
Content pillars are not specific posts or pieces of content, but rather broad categories or themes that you can use to generate ideas for your content. These are the key themes that your audience can expect to see from you consistently.
So why are content pillars important for your social media strategy?
First of all, having a clear focus on the topics that you want to cover helps you create more targeted and relevant content for your audience. it also helps you stand out in a crowded social media landscape by establishing your brand as a go-to source for information on those specific topics. It also makes it easier to plan and schedule your content because it gives a roadmap to follow. You can always have a list of topics that you can touch at a later date.
Content pillars can also help you get clarity on your niche. If you show that?
you are an expert in one area or a few specific things on social media, this will help your audience grow faster.
For example, if you are a digital marketing agency owner or a digital marketing freelancer, some of your content pillars could be:
- Website design tips and best practices
- Digital marketing trends and insights
- Case studies and testimonials of your successful projects
- Behind-the-scenes and team culture of your agency
- Industry news and updates
These are the main topics (depending on your niche) that you want to cover on your social media channels, and that your audience would be interested in learning more about.
So how do you find your content pillars?
First, you have to identify your business goals and audience needs.
You need to figure out what you are trying to achieve with your social media presence.
What value do you want to provide to your audience? If you can answer these questions, they will help you determine the themes that should be at the center of your content pillars.
There is no one-size-fits-all formula for creating content pillars, but here are some more detailed steps that you can follow to create your own:
- Define your goals and objectives: You need to figure out what are you trying to achieve with your social media presence. What are the key metrics that you want to measure and improve? For example, do you want to increase your brand awareness, generate more leads, or boost your conversions?
- Identify your target audience: Who are you trying to reach with your social media content? What are their demographics, psychographics, and behaviors? What are their needs, interests, and pain points? What are their goals and challenges? How can you help them solve their problems or achieve their goals? Or consider what gaps exist in the current conversation in your industry and how your brand can fill those gaps with unique and valuable content.
- Conduct a content audit: What kind of content are you currently creating and sharing on your social media channels? How is it performing in terms of engagement, reach, and conversions? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your current content? What are the gaps and opportunities that you can fill or explore?
- Brainstorm content ideas: Based on your goals, audience, and content audit, brainstorm some content ideas that you can create and share on your social media channels. Think about what kind of content would resonate with your audience, provide value to them, and help you achieve your objectives. You can use tools like keyword research, social media listening, competitor analysis, and content curation to generate ideas.
- Categorize and group your content ideas: Once you have a list of content ideas, sort and group them into different categories or themes. These categories or themes will become your content pillars. Try to limit your content pillars to 3-5, as having too many can make your content strategy too complex and confusing. Make sure that your content pillars are relevant, engaging, and consistent with your brand and audience.
- Create a content calendar: After you have defined your content pillars, create a content calendar that outlines what, when, and where you will post your content. A content calendar helps you plan, schedule, and organize your content in advance and ensures that you have a steady flow of content across your social media channels. You can use tools like Google Calendar, Trello, or Buffer to create and manage your content calendar.
What to post under each content pillar?
Now that you have your content pillars, you can start creating and posting content under each pillar. Here are some examples of what you can post under each content pillar for your website design and digital marketing agency:
- Website design tips and best practices: You can post content that showcases your expertise and skills in website design, and that educates your audience on how to create effective and attractive websites. For example, you can post: Tips and tricks on how to improve your website’s usability, functionality, and aestheticsTutorials and guides on how to use different tools and platforms for website designInfographics and videos that explain the principles and elements of website design quizzes and polls that test your audience’s knowledge and preferences on website design questions and challenges that invite your audience to share their opinions and feedback on website design
- Digital marketing trends and insights: You can post content that demonstrates your knowledge and awareness of the latest trends and developments in digital marketing, and that informs your audience on how to leverage them for their own businesses. For example, you can post: Articles and blogs that analyze and discuss the current and future trends and insights in digital marketing webinars and podcasts that feature interviews and conversations with experts and influencers in digital marketing reports and studies that present data and statistics on digital marketing performance and best practices. Reviews and recommendations on the best tools and resources for digital marketing. Stories and reels that highlight the benefits and challenges of digital marketing
- Case studies and testimonials of your successful projects: You can post content that showcases your work and results, and that proves your credibility and authority in the industry. For example, you can post: Case studies and testimonials that highlight the challenges, solutions, and outcomes of your projects. Portfolios and galleries that display your work and designs. Awards and recognitions that you have received or given for your work and achievements. Client reviews and ratings that show your customer satisfaction and loyalty. Referrals and leads that you have generated or received from your work and network
- Behind-the-scenes and team culture of your agency: You can post content that reveals the personality and culture of your agency, and that humanizes your brand and builds rapport with your audience. For example, you can post: Behind-the-scenes and team culture that shows the process and people behind your work and projects. Employee spotlights and introductions that feature your team members and their roles and stories. Fun and casual content that shows your agency’s values, mission, and vision. Celebrations and milestones that mark your agency’s achievements and growth. Social responsibility and community involvement that show your agency’s impact and contribution to society
- Industry news and updates: You can post content that keeps your audience updated and informed on the latest news and events in the industry, and that positions your business as a thought leader and a source of information. For example, you can post: News and updates that cover the latest happenings and announcements in your industry. Opinions and perspectives that share your views and insights on the industry news and updates. Curated content that features relevant and useful content from other sources and experts in the industry. Live videos and Q&A sessions that answer your audience’s questions and concerns on the industry news and updates. Predictions and forecasts that anticipate the future trends and scenarios in the industry
Please note that it is important to consistently create and share content that aligns with the pillars you've chosen. And regularly reviewing and adjusting your content pillars as needed.
?As your brand grows and evolves so should your content strategy and what you might be posting this year will probably be different than what you should be posting next year.
By following these steps and using content pillars as the foundation of your social media strategy you'll be able to create a focused, consistent, and valuable presence on social.
I hope that this article has helped you understand how to create content pillars for your freelance/solopreneur business or digital marketing agency, and what to post under each pillar. Content pillars are a great way to plan, organize, and create content that is relevant, engaging, and consistent for your social media strategy.
If you need any help with creating or implementing your social media strategy, feel free to message me or book a free consultation call.?
