The Coffee Date

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The Blogger’s Guide to Content Pillars

Diana Trinh

There has been a lot of misinformation on what content pillars are on Social Media. If you’re confused about how to use content pillars, content types, and content formats for your business – this blog post will clarify the differences and give you examples for your industry.

We will be going over these topics today:

  • What are Content Pillars?

  • How are Content Pillars useful?

  • How do I figure out my Content Pillars?

  • What are examples of content pillars?

  • What are Content Types?

  • What are Content Formats?

Don’t forget to download The Blogger’s Guide to Content Pillars workbook!

You can download The Blogger’s Guide to Content Pillars using the form below. It will show you how to find your content pillars, and help brainstorm content ideas for your social posts, blog posts, and more!

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What are Content Pillars?

Content pillars, at the most basic level, are what categories (or buckets) of content you regularly post about and that your target audience connects with. 


As a blogger, you can think of your content pillars as your blog categories – what topics are you normally writing about? 

How are Content Pillars useful?

Content pillars are useful for many reasons:

  • They help keep you organized when planning your next blog post or piece of content.

  • They make it easier to analyze your content strategy to see what’s working and what’s not (more on this as it’s something more advanced).

How do I figure out my Content Pillars?

I promise that creating your content pillars does not have to be a complicated process that will have you reaching for a bottle of wine when you’re done with it. All you have to do is ask yourself three questions.

  1. What topics am I an expert in?

Aka, what topics can you talk about for two hours nonstop? If you were a speaker for an event, what topics would you feel comfortable speaking about? Or, where you can confidently say – I rock at ___________, hell, I’ll even release a course about this in the future.

If you’re having trouble thinking about what you’re an expert in (it can be hard, especially if you’re starting your blog or business from scratch and don’t know your niche yet), ask yourself this:

  • What do my friends come to me for advice about?

  • What am I good at that can be difficult for others?

  • What hobbies or passions do I have?

2. What does my audience need help with?

And how can your expertise provide them with a solution? And if you don’t know, then it’s time to do some research (but that, by itself, deserves its own blog post). 

If you’re still struggling, here’s something you can ask yourself.

  • What common questions do I see my audience asking?

  • What pain points do they have?

  • What common mistakes do I see them making?

Now, it’s important to remember that these need to be an umbrella category.

3. What services or solutions do I currently offer or do I want to offer in the future?

You’re a business owner. It’s time to think like one! How can this category (or bucket) tie into what you’re offering? If you offer social media management services, I hope that travel advice isn’t one of your content pillars. 

What are examples of Content Pillars?

The Coffee Date’s content pillars are:

  • Social Media Tips

  • Blogging Tips

  • Marketing Career Advice

  • Content Marketing Tips

Here are some example content pillars for lifestyle bloggers:

  • Fitness

  • Fashion

  • Health

  • Travel


For Fitness coaches:

  • Nutrition

  • Exercise

  • Lifestyle

  • Mindset


I want to emphasize that content pillars can be anything, and everyone has different topics that they are writing on a daily basis, the most important thing to keep in mind is that your content has to be organized appropriately. 

Now, I want to clear up the biggest misunderstanding around content pillars.

Content pillars are NOT content types of content formats.

What are Content Types?

Content types are another way to organize your content! They could be:

  • Educational

  • Motivational

  • Relatable 

  • Promotional

What are Content Formats?

I consider these as how your content will be delivered.

  • Ebook

  • Reels, TikTok (Short form videos)

  • Carousel Post

  • Blog Post

  • Videos (Youtube)

  • Infographics

  • And much more!

Hopefully, this was helpful! If you have any questions, send me an email using the contact page or by commenting below.