The Pillar Method, also known as the “Pillar Content Strategy”, is an approach to content creation that involves developing comprehensive, in-depth pieces of content, often referred to as “pillar content” or “cornerstone content.” This content serves as a foundation for your overall content strategy and is designed to be highly informative, authoritative, and evergreen.
How the Pillar Method works:
- Create Pillar Content: Develop long-form, comprehensive content that thoroughly covers a particular topic or theme relevant to your audience. This could be a detailed guide, a comprehensive how-to article, or any content that provides substantial value.
- Identify Subtopics: Break down the main pillar content into subtopics or related themes. These subtopics become the basis for creating additional, shorter pieces of content.
- Create Cluster Content: Develop shorter, more focused pieces of content around each subtopic. These could be blog posts, infographics, videos, or other forms of content that delve deeper into specific aspects of the main pillar content.
- Linking Strategy: Establish a strategic interlinking structure between the pillar content and its related cluster content. This creates a network of interconnected content that guides users to explore more in-depth information.
- Distribute Across Platforms: Share both the pillar content and its related cluster content across various online platforms, such as your website, social media channels, email newsletters, and other relevant channels.
- Repurpose Content: Repurpose the pillar content and its related pieces into different formats. For example, turn a long-form article into a podcast episode, infographic, or series of social media posts. This maximizes the reach and impact of your content.
The Pillar Method is effective for building a comprehensive content ecosystem around core topics, establishing your brand as an authority in your industry, and improving your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) by providing valuable and interlinked content. It also allows for flexibility and adaptability, making it easier to repurpose content for different platforms and audience preferences.
How to use the Pillar Method:
1. Pillar Content:
- In-depth guide covering the entire cat grooming process.
- Sections on tools needed, best practices, and addressing common challenges.
- Includes step-by-step instructions with visuals.
2. Subtopics:
- “Choosing the Right Grooming Tools for Your Cat”
- “Understanding Your Cat’s Body Language during Grooming”
- “Dealing with Matting and Tangled Fur”
- “Tips for Stress-Free Nail Trimming”
3. Cluster Content:
- Blog post: “Top 10 Grooming Tools Every Cat Owner Should Have”
- Video: “Reading Your Cat’s Signals: A Guide to Body Language in Grooming”
- Infographic: “Matting Solutions: How to Tackle Tangled Fur in Cats”
- Quick Tips Article: “Nail Trimming Made Easy: A Stress-Free Guide”
4. Linking Strategy:
- Within the pillar content, link to relevant subtopics.
- In each cluster content piece, link back to the main guide for a comprehensive overview.
5. Distribute Across Platforms:
- Publish the main guide on your blog section.
- Upload the video on your YouTube channel.
- Share infographic on social media.
- Share subtopic posts on your blog section, with links to the main article.
6. Repurpose Content:
- Turn the key-points, from the main guide, into social media posts.
- Convert the longform video into an audio podcast episode or a TikTok video.
- Create a slideshow presentation based on the infographic or into a text based short video for social media.
- Create a downloadable worksheet or info sheet as an email newsletter sign up, opt-in freebie.
This approach allows you to cover the broad topic of cat grooming comprehensively while providing detailed insights into specific aspects. The interconnected content creates a valuable resource for cat owners, and the repurposing ensures that the information reaches a wider audience across different platforms. All from one Pillar piece of content!