You’re ready to increase your visibility on Instagram, so you sit down to create content but cannot think of anything. Part of this may be a lack of brand focus- you may be making one of these five mistakes digital entrepreneurs make. 

However, if you have a focus, it’s time to choose your content pillars, also known as content buckets, and start creating an Instagram content strategy. 

What are content pillars?

Content pillars are the larger topics or themes you want your brand to focus on and should reflect your brand’s services and core values. Knowing them will keep your content focused, so your followers understand what your brand is all about. 

At Livin Vivaciously my three pillars are:

1) Ideas about brand strategy 

2) Ideas and tips about content creation for building online business

3) Living vivaciously, i.e. living freely and being an entrepreneur. 

These three pillars focus on my expertise in personal brand building and love for travel. If you’re having trouble thinking of your pillars, look to your big purpose statement and identify the topics on which you’re an expert and focus on who you serve. 

Once you identify your pillars, you can start generating ideas based on the four types of content. 

Pro Tip: Create a document with your pillars to dump ideas to not lose them when you’re focusing on other tasks.

Four types of content for your strategy: 

Educational Content: One of the main goals of educational content is to show your expertise and authority in the field. Using it in different formats can support your brand in additional ways. A few examples include:

1. Creating a carousel using one of your digital products along with tips. 
2. Creating “How to” posts that give your audience a quick win. These provide your audience with immediate value, increasing their engagement with your content. 
3. Scheduling IG lives with experts in your niche to increase exposure and brand awareness. 

Storytelling Content: The science doesn’t lie. Our brains respond to stories, making them powerful tools to share information and connect with your audience.

Stories can help build trust and community, which is important for entrepreneurs who want to create positive change through their work. Here are a few ways you can use storytelling:

1. Share your entrepreneurial journey. You can answer questions like: How have you arrived where you are, and how does this connect to your brand’s core values? 
2. Share an anecdote that led to a realization or a mindset shift that impacted who you are as an entrepreneur. See my story about how traveling made me a better entrepreneur.
3. Add some social proof by sharing a client’s story (with their consent). Show their transformation to highlight the value you provide. I created a FREE storytelling template that you can use for this!

Entertainment Content: Another way to connect with your audience is by creating entertaining content. This is also a great way to show your personality. After all, you are more than a brand. 

Create relatable and shareable content, such as a meme, a gif, or a reel. A couple of suggestions are: 

1. If you struggle with content ideas, create a meme about your frustrations. 
2. Perhaps there are mistakes you make while making your reels. Make a funny reel about these mistakes. 

What’s important is that you show your personality, so people relate to you. 

Promotional Content: The fact is people don’t know what you sell if you don’t tell them. The purpose of promotional content is to highlight your services and products. If you fear sounding salesy, you can work around this. Here are a couple of ideas:

1. Using your educational content to show people how to use your product is one way to increase product awareness. 
2. You can also let others talk on your behalf by sharing user-generated-content. 

You put in the work to become an expert and provide value to your clients, so don’t dim your light when it comes to selling. 

Create micro-content for Instagram by Repurposing

As you brainstorm content ideas, remember you can always use older content that’s relevant. When repurposing longer content, keep in mind that micro-content on Instagram is consumed in 10-30 seconds. 

Whether it is an infographic, a carousel, or a reel, micro-content pieces answer a very specific question. BUT just because they are bite-sized, it does not mean they lack value. 

As long as you stay focused on your content pillars and rotate between content types, you will provide value for your followers. Check out these customizable branded Canva templates for ideas and time savers!

If you’re an entrepreneur ready to bring your big brand vision to life, the Social Media Branding Package may be just what you need. This is a one-stop shop service for building a cohesive, stand-out brand AND content strategy that work hand in hand. 

If you want to find your authentic brand strategy, check out this brand strategy quiz I created to help you understand how to show up in your business in alignment with your unique energy, personality & Human Design.