Creating a content strategy for Instagram can be overwhelming, but it’s important to have a plan in place if you want to be successful on the platform. When developing your content pillars for Instagram, you’ll want to think about the different types of content that will work best for your brand and audience.
You’ll also need to come up with a posting schedule and determine what kind of tone and voice you want to project on Instagram. By creating a solid content strategy, you’ll be able to better engage with your audience and grow your brand on the platform!
What are content pillars?
Content pillars are the main topics your brand or business consistently discusses. They consist of the most relevant topics for your niche, industry, and target audience.
They’re the foundation of your content strategy, and they play a vital role in helping you to plan, create, and publish content that is effective and engaging.
Get your free content pillar template here!
Why are content pillars important for Instagram?
Content pillars are important for Instagram because they help you create a content strategy that is well-defined and tailored to your brand and audience. If you aren’t sure what content to post, how often you should be posting, or even who your content is for, content pillars can help.
These Instagram content pillars are the foundation of your content strategy and they should be able to answer questions like “What does my brand stand for?” and “Who’s my audience?” By having a plan in place, you’ll be able to stay organized and achieve goals that align with your business.
How do I develop content pillars?
Before developing your Instagram content pillars, there are several different questions that you should think about. Some other things to consider include: What problem does my brand solve? Who is my target market? How do we make an impact with our content? The answers to these questions will help to define who your content is for and what type of content they want or need.
Our favorite way to develop content pillars for Instagram is by looking at the business goals, audience, and niche. When you show content pillars that are closely tied to business goals, it makes content strategy easier to manage.
Goals
What are your company values? Is your goal to just sell a product? Do you want to help others achieve a specific goal?
Audience
Who IS your audience? Male? Female? Age range? What are their likes/desires? What challenges do they face?
Niche
What is your niche? The more specific you can be the better!
Not specific: health
Specific: health food to support vegan lifestyles
Let’s say you’re a clothing retailer with the goal of driving more foot traffic. You’ll want your content pillars to convey that message and create content that is specifically tailored for Instagram, like behind-the-scenes looks at new collections or product photoshoots.
You can also take content pillar ideas that are already established for your website’s content strategy and adapt them to fit Instagram content.
If you’re a travel brand, you can focus on content like stunning photography or photos of food, which is similar to the content you create for Pinterest.
Another option is to look at other popular brands on Instagram that are successful at engaging their audience and determine what content works best for them.
Creating your content pillars
Content pillars are the foundation of your content strategy, so having a clear plan in place will help you to achieve marketing goals and grow your brand on Instagram. If you aren’t sure what content to post or how often you should be posting content, content pillars can help!
By creating content pillars, you’ll have a well-defined way to create engaging content that will keep your audience coming back for more.
We recommend having 5 content pillars. In each pillar, you’ll add 6 content pillar ideas which will make up 30 post ideas. Not sure what that looks like? Here’s an example of possible content pillars for a health food product.
Keep in mind these are just generalities. Your pillars should be much more honed in and tailored to your brand and personality.
What should my content pillars be?
If you’re still having a little difficulty creating 5 pillars then these standard pillars will give you a great starting point!
- How to’s – Provide helpful information that your audience can relate to and struggles with.
- Services/Product – Showcase your product or services. What are the benefits?
- Quotes/Inspiration – Provide quotes related to your niche.
- Industry Updates – Share industry-leading information, thoughts, updates, trends.
- About the business/About me – Tell your audience who you are, what you do, be open, authentic, and genuine. This includes behind-the-scenes, wins, etc.
What types of content should you include?
There are several different types of content that you can include in your content pillars for Instagram! There are static Instagram posts (single image), carousel posts (up to 10 slides), videos, reels, stories, & lives.
When you’re building your content pillars, it’s important to try and incorporate all of the different types of posts that Instagram has to offer.
After 30-90 days, you’ll see which performs best for your audience and then you can incorporate more of it. 🥳
How do you come up with a content schedule that works for your brand and audience on Instagram?
When it comes to creating a content schedule for Instagram, there are a few things that you’ll want to keep in mind. First, the more you post the more eyes you’ll get on your content and the more you grow (only if your content educates, entertains, and/or inspires your audience). Second, how much content can you really create?
It’s better to commit to 3x a week if you can be consistent vs. trying to post 2x/day every day.
You’ll also need to come up with a posting schedule that works for you and make sure to stick to it! By being consistent with your content, you’ll be able to better engage with your audience and grow your brand on Instagram.
Go forth and create your pillars!
Creating content pillars is an important part of any content strategy, and it’s especially crucial when it comes to Instagram growth.
By having a plan in place for the different types of content you’ll be sharing, you’ll be able to better engage with your audience and grow your brand on the platform.
It’s also important to come up with a content schedule that works for you and stick to it! By being consistent with your content, you’ll be able to create a valuable experience for your followers on Instagram.
Wheeler Marketing Agency
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