Ever find yourself grasping to work out what you should be creating content about?

Or perhaps you have the opposite problem, and have so many ideas and topics you could create content for but struggle to know where to start, or how to streamline your thoughts?

A key element of Content Strategy can help with both of these problems.

Content Pillars, Content Themes and Content Topics are key to creating better content.

But what are they exactly? How do they relate to each other? And how should you be using them to help you deliver relevant content more easily for your audience?

That’s exactly what we’re going to explore together here.

What Are Content Pillars, Content Themes and Content Topics?

As usual in the world of marketing and content, there’s lots of different terminology that gets thrown around when it comes to what Content Pillars, Themes and Topics actually are.

So we’re all on the same page, here’s my definitions of each of these critical content strategy elements

What are Content Pillars?

Content Pillars (sometimes called Content Buckets) are key subject material your brand can use to guide the development of your content.

Think of them as different categories that represent the content you create.

They should be specific to your brand and align with your business and your audience.

They are useful for several reasons.

First, they help you streamline your content creation. You can easily work out what you should write about (and what you shouldn’t) because you can focus in on the key categories of subject matter that you want to focus on.

Second, they help with content planning. If you know that at a couple of times a year you’re going to run a promotion for a product or service, you can use your Content Pillars to create alignment with those promotions and make sure you’re maximising the possibility of making the sale by sharing relevant content at the right time.

Third, it helps you create a balanced content catalogue that targets all the key areas of expertise you want to be known for. You can spread your Content Pillars out across the year, and not miss any important subject matter that you should be communicating to your audience.

What are Content Themes?

Content Themes allow you to break your broader pillar, down into more specific areas.

Sometimes called Content Clusters, your Content Themes are the smaller sub-topics of your larger Content Pillar subject.

For example, one of my Content Pillars is Brand Story Strategy. Under that, there are the themes of Brand Vision, Brand Mission, Brand Personality, Brand Differentiators, Tribe, Brand Strategy, Brand Story, Brand Development etc.

Themes are helpful because you can link all the content for Themes under a Pillar together.

For example, if you write a blog article about one Theme, but mention another Theme, it’s easy to link them together on your website to create a “cluster” of interconnected content that helps to lead your audience on a journey of relevant information.

What are Content Topics?

Content Topics are the actual topics you’re going to write about within your content themes.

Topics are where you’re going to get specific. I often don’t capture my topics within my Content Strategy and save them for my Content Calendar.

This article for example is on the Topic of Content Pillars, under the Theme of Content Planning, that fits under the Pillar of Content Strategy.

Your Pillars, Themes and Topics are a Content Map

To recap –

Pillars are the broad categories of subject matter that you create content about.

Themes are the sub-categories that fit within the pillar.

Topics are the actual content topic you’re going to cover.

Together, they make a map for your content creation that will keep you focussed, streamline your content creation, and help you find inspiration when you get a little lost.

How You Can Work Out What Your Content Pillars Should Be

Ideally, you want to have three to five Content Pillars.

Working out what they are can be tricky. So, if you’re finding it hard to nail down your broader Content Pillars, then know that you’re not alone.

The best way to get started is to look at your area of expertise.

What do you teach? What are your areas of expertise?

What do your audience need from you? What problem do you solve for them?

What do you sell? What are your products? How can you weave your Content Pillars around them?

You might even include things that relate to your point of difference, or your brand values.

I have several clients who have Sustainability as a value and also as a Content Pillar. They then have Content Themes under Sustainability that relate to the specific ways they want to talk about it.

Do a Mind Map and get it all out on paper.

Once you’ve got it mapped, you’ll be able to find the common denominators and work out what your Pillars are, versus what your Themes are.

What Content Pillars are NOT

They are not content types or styles

If you’re a regular reader you’ll know my issue with the way terminology is used and creates confusion in the marketing industry. Social media has taken the foundational premise of Content Pillars and changed it to suit their usage.

You’ll find plenty of articles on the internet that tell you that tips, quotes, reviews and the like are content pillars – particularly when it comes to social media.

But they aren’t.

These are content types or styles.

You can easily apply a Content Pillar to many content types and styles. For example, you might have a Content Pillar that is Work/Life Balance and create a quote, a tip and a blog article that come under that pillar and are on the same theme or topic.

Customer Stories can absolutely be a Content Pillar, but then you use those stories for different styles of posts. Testimonials on their own are not a Content Pillar.

They are not Pillar Content

Pillar content is content you use to go in-depth on a particular topic.

It’s long-form and often takes shape as a website page, an eBook or guide.

The goal of pillar content is to create a piece of foundational content that establishes your expertise and allows you to link to other clusters of content related to that topic.

Pillar content is 100% built from your Content Pillars.

But they aren’t the same thing.

Why should I use Content Pillars in my Content Strategy?

It gives you a content creation guide

Want to be able to plan ahead for your content?

Of course you do!

Content Pillars will help you do that.

Look at your promotional calendar for the year – how can your Content Pillars help to support that?

What’s the best time of the year to be talking about a particular Pillar or Theme? Having your Pillars and Themes documented will help you to work it out.

Want to be able to use AI to help come up with blog, podcast or lead magnet ideas? Your Content Pillars will help to guide this search.

Content Pillars give you a content creation guide that will help you to better plan, and implement your Content Strategy.

You won’t get distracted by bright shiny objects

The more consistent you are, the better your content will be (and the better your authority on Google will be – but more on that in a moment).

In addition to helping you work out what you should create content about, Content Pillars will also help you decide what you don’t create content about.

Content Pillars help you focus so you don’t get distracted creating content that isn’t right for your audience or your brand.

You’ll stay in control of tags on your website

If you have a blog or a podcast, then you’ll know that you can group your content based on categories and tags.

What you might have noticed over time (and it’s a mistake that lots of people make) is that your categories and tags lists can get a bit out of control (especially if you have more than one person managing your content).

When you’ve got double-ups and irrelevant tags, you make it harder to control your content. And harder for your audience to search it based on common categories.

Content Pillars help you to create categories for your content, wherever that content is hosted.

And this leads into the next reason Content Pillars are so useful.

**Google (and Instagram and LinkedIn) will get you**

Looking to build authority and improve your organic ranking on Google? Or perhaps you want to be easily found by people who are interested in your topic on social media?

Then Content Pillars will help you with that.

Because Pillars help you be consistent, categorise your content and narrow down the niche of your expertise, Google will be able to easily see you have authority in the areas you want to be known for.

You’ll rank better in search results, and be more likely to be found by people who are looking for the type of expertise you provide.

Content Pillars help Google to understand who you are, and how to rank your content.

Content Pillars Create Better Content and Stronger Brand Identity

Building clearly defined Content Pillars and Content Themes as part of your Content Strategy, is key to creating better, more consistent content.

You’ll be able to better plan and create content, and be less distracted by bright shiny objects that aren’t in alignment with your content goals.

When you narrow your niche, show your authority, highlight your point of view (and point of difference), the content you work so hard to create will ultimately work harder for you. It will help you stand out, and create a strong brand identity that will attract your ideal client to your business.

Want more content like this?

I help passionate business owners to amplify their message and attract their tribe through Brand Story Strategy, Content Strategy and Copywriting.

Subscribe below to receive my fortnightly articles straight to your inbox.

You’ll also get my FREE download to uncover the 15 Questions You Must Answer About Your Tribe.