Originally published August 30, 2022 , updated on July 23, 2024
Almost everyone knows that content is one of the greatest forms of marketing. Whether you run your own business, work for a company, or are self-employed, you’re probably thinking of boosting your marketing efforts through various strategies.
While there are many ways to create and distribute written value, one type of content tends to outshine the rest is pillar content.
Also known as cornerstone or foundation content, pillar content is designed to be a comprehensive resource on a specific topic. It’s the go-to guide that covers all the bases, and it can take many forms – from blog posts and infographics to ebooks and podcasts.
Pillar content is usually evergreen, meaning it doesn’t age, and it’s often used as a lead magnet to attract new readers and subscribers.
Because it’s so comprehensive, pillar content can be a lot of work to produce. But if you can create a well-researched and engaging resource on a topic your audience cares about, the effort will be well worth it.
What Is Pillar Content?
Pillar content is a term that describes content that is comprehensive, in-depth, and covers a particular topic in great detail. It is the foundation stone around which other, more specific pieces can be built.
Pillar content is usually longer than other formats, such as blog posts or articles, and can take the form of an ebook, guide, or white paper. It is designed to be a resource that your audience can refer back to time and time again.
The idea is that by creating this core copy, you will have a solid foundation to build upon when creating smaller, more digestible pieces. These smaller pieces can be distributed across various channels to support a specific message or campaign.
When done correctly, pillar content can be an extremely effective way to reach your target audience.
Benefits of a Pillar Content Strategy
There are myriad benefits and positive features of adopting a strong pillar continent strategy. Here are some that stand out.
Expert Establishment
One of the key benefits is that it helps to establish you or your business as an expert in your field. By creating something truly authoritative and valuable, you can position yourself as a trusted source of information. This, in turn, can help attract more traffic and leads.
Sustainable Content
Another advantage is that it has staying power. Once you have created it, it will continue to drive traffic and leads long into the future. That’s because it will show up in search engine results for years, provided you keep promoting it effectively.
Effective SEO Strategy
Creating pillar pages should be your top priority if you’re trying to increase your website’s organic traffic from Google. They provide searchers with information in a comprehensive and easy-to-navigate format. In addition, pillar pages often include internal links to other relevant pages on your website. Therefore, it helps improve your website’s overall link architecture and PageRank.
Stand Out in a Saturated Market
In today’s noisy online world, it can be hard to make your voice heard. But if you want to stand out from the crowd, one of the best things you can do is create pillar content. Creating pillar content takes a lot of time and effort. But it’s worth it if you want to establish yourself as an expert in your field. Not only will you attract more valuable traffic to your website, but you’ll also build trust and credibility with your readers.
So if you’re looking for a way to make a lasting impression online, consider creating pillar content. It could be just the thing that sets you apart from the rest.
Shareability
Pillar content is the most sharable content, helping you spread your word and brand far and wide. It is usually around 2,000 words or more, and it covers a topic in great detail. This type of content is extremely shareable because it provides value to the reader. It’s not just fluff or filler copy – it’s informative and helpful, and people tend to want to share things that are valuable to them.
Consistent and Efficient
The essence of a pillar content strategy is to remain consistent. It’s not a one-time shot that, over time, gets lost in the endless waves of online information. You should create pillar content to be read and used over and over again. By constantly updating it and using it to curate more content, it is a consistent and reliable form of marketing. Efficiency goes hand-in-hand with consistency. This streamlined creation and distribution process is sustainable and reaps organic results.
Boosts Brand Awareness and Reputation
If you stay true to the pillar content you’re publishing, people will start to trust your brand. They will also share your content, and this in turn, will increase your website traffic. By writing copy that reflects your brand voice and tone, you’re sharing your message far and wide and bolstering your brand reputation and positioning.
How to Define Your Pillar Content Strategy
The first thing to consider before creating pillar content is defining your brand goals. Whether you’re looking to widen your audience range, generate more leads, or simply better engage your current customers, your strategy requires an anchor from which to work; a solid foundation it can both draw inspiration from and build on.
You then need to discover your brand tone. What message do you want others to receive when they read or watch your content? Is it light and conversational, or professional and informative? Once you’ve narrowed down your goals and tone, you have the skeleton needed to start creating pillar content.
The heart of any good marketing strategy starts with understanding your audience. You could have the best ideas for blog posts, social media updates, and even videos, but if it doesn’t appeal to your target readers or viewers, it’s all for nothing. That’s why one of the first steps in any strategy should be to take the time to understand who you’re trying to reach.
What are their interests? Do you know what motivates them? What concerns do they have? Once you have a good understanding of these factors, you can create content that will pique their interest and resonate with them.
Your posts should also always offer value. Whether it’s providing useful tips, helpful advice, or simply entertaining information, your audience should walk away from your pieces feeling like they’ve learned something or benefited in some way. Only then will you start to see real engagement and results from your strategy.
Topic Subjects
The subject of your main topic is of the utmost importance. Your audience is who you are writing for, so a good place to start your planning is to think about any questions your readers are asking but not receiving sufficient or valuable information for. Perhaps there is a specific question within your niche that no one has really answered.
Keep in mind that what you create should be helpful and informative, so do your research before you start writing. Once you’ve settled on a topic, take some time to brainstorm a list of potential subtopics that you could cover. This will help you organize your thoughts and create a more comprehensive piece. With a little planning and effort, you can create pillar content that will be truly valuable to your audience.
Creating pillar content is not an easy task. Many businesses don’t have the resources or time to commit to researching and writing thousands and thousands of words of pillar content. That’s why it’s recommended companies outsource this work to a content strategy agency that provides professional content writing services.
Why Your Business Needs a Content Strategy Agency
You may have heard that outsourcing can be costly, but when executing a strategy, the time savings alone can make it worth the investment.
Creating an effective content strategy – and the copy to go with it – requires specialized staff. If you opt for an in-house team to do the task, you’ll need to provide salaries and benefits and cover operational costs.
However, outsourcing your content strategy and creation can save on these costs while providing the high-quality copy you need in record time. In addition, outsourced content strategists are often more flexible and responsive to changes than in-house staff. It makes them much easier to work with. So if you’re looking to save time and money on your content strategy, consider outsourcing your pillar content creation to an SEO content writing company. It could be the best decision you ever make.
Anyone who’s tried to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing knows it’s a full-time job. Social media algorithms, new ad platforms, and emerging technologies can make it difficult for even the savviest business leader to stay ahead of the curve.
That’s where a pillar content strategy agency comes in. By staying on top of current trends and technologies, content marketing companies can ensure their clients get the best results from their marketing campaigns.
In a rapidly changing landscape, having a partner that can help you navigate the waters can be invaluable. Whether you’re looking to launch a new product or simply want to ensure your current marketing efforts are as effective as possible, working with a content marketing company is a smart move.
Rely on an SEO Content Agency
An SEO content writing company can provide a much-needed fresh perspective for businesses struggling to find their voice in an increasingly noisy online landscape. That’s because specialized agencies invest time and resources to first fully understand their customer’s goals, tone, capabilities, and possibilities. From this, they can formulate a strategy that is both on-brand and sustainable.
This personalized approach can be highly beneficial for businesses of all sizes. That’s because it can help them hone their message and reach their target audience more effectively.
Creating content is a time-consuming process. You have to research topics, write articles, edit them, and then publish them. And that’s just for one piece of content!
By using a professional content writing service, you’re letting them take over the creation process. Therefore, you can focus on running your business. With their help, you can sit back and ‘relax’ knowing that your company’s reputation and brand are growing into one that is more established and becoming an industry leader.
Over time, you’ll be able to reach a wider audience and generate more leads. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of pillar content creation, don’t hesitate to reach out to a marketing agency for help.
Content marketing is daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. At Goodman Lantern, we understand the complex world of content writing and creating a pillar content strategy. Our professional writing services unweave complicated jargon and stitch together marketing strategies tailored to your target audience.
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