My Proven Formula to Find Your Content Pillars
My strategy to find my niche and content pillars
To niche or not to niche?
As a content creator with over 10,000 followers combined across platforms (LinkedIn, Medium, Substack), one of the most challenging tasks, when I started was finding a niche and identifying my content pillars. They are critical because they act as navigation tools for your writing so you can always find your path when lost. That translates into consistency and, ultimately, loyalty.
Drunk people go to McDonald’s after partying because they seek a short-lived comfort in a burger and French fries. The same goes for your content. Whether you offer burgers or sushi, if you maintain the same quality, your audience will come back for more.
Against popular belief, having a niche doesn’t limit you to talking about one topic only. It’s the epicenter of your writing menu. What matters is that it remains connected to your articles, blogs, and videos so that you don’t confuse your audience.
Confuse, and you lose.
How to find your content pillars?
Some helpful leading questions to find your niche are, ‘What do you want to be known for? What do you enjoy talking or writing about? ‘What makes you unique? Who is your audience?’
The more targeted you can be in your answer, the better because that makes you stand out. Dave is a content creator. If his topic is ghostwriting, he’s competing against thousands. However, if he narrows his niche to ‘the ghostwriter for busy CEOs who don’t have time to build a personal brand,’ he’s talking directly to his audience.
Your content pillars tend to be 2 or 3, but there’s no set rule. In the previous example, Dave might be someone who, besides ghostwriting, enjoys teaching and exercising. Instead of talking only about ghostwriting and boring readers to death, he can subtly incorporate his content pillars. For example, he can write about what ghostwriting and exercise have in common: it requires planning and consistency. He can share how he works on improving both: what tools and programs he uses (F45, Grammarly, etc.). Likewise, he can talk about the skills required for teaching: you must listen, interact, and adapt to your audience. Without explicitly calling out ghostwriting, he’s highlighting competencies that make him better at his job. I just gave Dave three ideas for content, and I’m not even a ghostwriter.
As Dave creates content, his connections and followers see him not only as Dave, the ghostwriter, but they begin to see his individuality and uniqueness: Dave, the fit ghostwriter, the teacher. Some will not relate, but some will, particularly if he’s sharing content from a place of authenticity that adds value to his readers. I bet you, Carla, the fit CEO who doesn’t have time for writing posts, might be interested in talking to someone like Dave after following him on LinkedIn for a while and reading his blogs on Medium.
The great thing about blending in content that goes beyond purely what you do for work is that you show a human element that makes some people relate, particularly if they have an affinity with what you share.
How content pillars play out
My niche on LinkedIn is inclusive leadership. I’m a diversity consultant, and I frequently write about topics such as equity, cultural differences, inclusive meetings, etc. However, besides what I do for work, I love traveling and languages, and I’m an amateur runner and triathlete. These have become my content pillars, and I often share my fitness journey to empower and motivate people and my travel adventures as a beacon for diversity.
I usually keep the lighter and motivational lifestyle posts for Mondays and Fridays and the heavier inclusion stuff for the hardcore business days. I also write about my journey learning Chinese, proof that diversity matters to me. I don’t spell inclusion in every post, but my niche is always present, directly or indirectly. By blending in elements from my personal life, I send a message that it’s ok to embrace your personal side, and you don’t have to separate your professional life from your personal life when you create content. When I write about running and add a picture exercising, I reinforce the message that we are all different and have our individuality. It’s a message of acceptance.
Find a piece of paper or a digital notebook and write down what you want to be known for. From there, list hobbies and things you enjoy doing outside of work. Start to find the liaison between the different topics. Ask yourself, ‘What do these things have in common?’ ‘How does X make me better at Y? ‘What are your values?’ ‘What’s something I enjoy doing every day?’
My biggest surprise doing this exercise was to discover that the content pillars don’t need to be created. They live inside you. They are what makes you you, what makes your heart sing. Take a walk outside, meditate for an hour, find a quiet space, and they will start to take shape before you realize it.
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