What Makes a Good Content Pillar (And How Most Brands Get It Wrong)
Let’s get something straight: “content pillars” aren’t just fancy marketing jargon. They’re the foundation of a great social media content strategy, and if you’re winging it without them, chances are your content feels scattered, inconsistent, or flat-out exhausting to keep up with.
At Daring Digital, we build content strategies for NZ brands that actually make sense. So today, we’re breaking down what makes a good content pillar, why most brands get it wrong, and how to build a content marketing strategy that saves time and drives results.
What IS a Content Pillar?
A content pillar is a core theme or topic that your brand talks about regularly across social media, blogs, email, and beyond. Think of it as the trunk of the tree, with each piece of content branching out from that strong, central idea.
For example, a skincare brand might have content pillars like:
Purpose: Founder story, behind-the-scenes, brand values
Empower: Real results, customer transformations, confidence-led messaging
Nurture: Daily skincare rituals, how-to’s, lifestyle integration, product support
These aren’t just random ideas, they’re strategically chosen themes that support the overall content strategy for brands. They speak to your audience and guide what you post and why you post it.
Where Most Brands Get It Wrong
The biggest mistake we see? A lot of brands mix up content formats with content pillars. “Reels” and “quotes” are not pillars. They’re how you deliver the message, not what the message is.
Another common mistake? Treating objectives (like educate, inspire, or engage) as pillars. Those are the purpose of the content, not the theme. In our strategies, we layer objectives over strong content pillars. That’s how you get content that connects and converts, and endless talking points.
And finally, trying to talk about everything is a fast track to burnout. You don’t need 10+ pillars. You need 3-5, at most, strong and focused themes that reflect what your brand stands for and what your audience actually cares about.
Let’s Test Your Content Pillars
Want to know if you have a strong content pillar? Here’s a checklist to test it out:
Why Content Pillars Matter for Your Social Media Planning
Here’s where the magic happens. Once you have strong content pillars, you no longer have to sit down and think “what should I post this week?” You’ve already got the framework.
With content pillars, your social media planning becomes:
Faster (because the direction is clear)
More consistent (keeping your messaging tight and your visuals on-brand)
More effective (because your audience starts to recognise and connect with your key messages)
With content pillars, bulk creation or content planning becomes a breeze. You’ve got a content system that works hard without burning you out.
Need Ideas? Start Here…
If you’re a small business in NZ wondering how to create content pillars that actually make sense, start by asking:
What questions do we get all the time?
What results do we help our customers achieve?
What do we believe in as a brand?
What do we want to be known for?
From there, map out your top 3-5 pillars, brainstorm engaging content ideas under each, and start creating from strategy, not stress.
Strong Content Pillars = Strong Foundation
Without content pillars, your brand is just posting into the void. With them, you build a consistent, memorable, and sustainable presence across platforms.
At Daring Digital, we help NZ businesses turn chaos into clarity with done-for-you content marketing strategies that actually convert. If you're ready to nail your content pillars and show up with purpose, get in touch, we’d love to help.
