Social Media Mastery - What are the 4 Pillars of Content? Episode 28

Episode 28. We are soooooo back…

Yes, yes and yes again! Welcome back to SSM, the newsletter written by someone who wants to aid your social media growth!

Today’s topic is:

What are the Four Main Pillars of Content?

Such a fascinating topic.

If you don’t know (and don’t worry, this is a fairly new topic for me as well), the four main pillars of content are:

• Educational Content

  • Helps your audience learn something new.

  • Builds authority and trust.

  • Examples: tips, how to guides, tutorials, “did you know” posts.

• Inspirational/Motivational Content

  • Encourages action or sparks emotion.

  • Builds a positive association with your brand.

  • Examples: quotes, success stories, transformations.

• Entertaining Content

  • Keeps people engaged and wanting more.

  • Often the most shareable pillar.

  • Examples: memes, funny videos, relatable takes, trends.

• Promotional Content

  • Directly ties back to your product/service.

  • Should be the smallest % of your content mix.

  • Examples: product demos, testimonials, offers, CTAs.

So that’s great.

However, if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to know why.

Firstly, it brings variety to your content. There’s nothing worse than people who just try to sell, sell, sell on social media. I tend to block those people! 😅 Using a strategy like this ensures you don’t overdo one pillar while neglecting the others.

Secondly, it can boost your virality! A salesy post won’t go viral - unless you mix it with other shareable content. Use the different pillars to encourage different outcomes.

Finally, it makes you far more reputable. Show authority by teaching people something, and bring personality with funnier content. It makes people like you for you, while also building trust.

HOWEVER…

I think this format works amazingly once you’ve started to build a platform. Someone like Steven Bartlett mastered this exact formula.

But when you’re starting out, I’d pick one of the top three pillars to go all in on. Pages with a specific niche usually grow faster than those that are too broad. Once growth takes place, then widen out.

I’d never try to monetise a new audience too quickly, as that risks losing trust.

And on that note, never try to sell a product that’s either rubbish or below the standard you know it should be. Once you lose trust, you’ll NEVER get it fully back.

In conclusion – use the four pillars as a content guide, but apply your own judgement on when and how to use them. Your gut tends to be right, so use it.

Make sure to subscribe, and remember - “When you stop trying to impress and start being yourself, you’ll attract the right people.”

- Jacob

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