What should I talk about? What does my audience want to learn? How do I keep it organized?

These are questions that probably swirl around in your brain incessantly as you try to plan your marketing strategy. And it’s okay, I get it. On paper, content marketing seems pretty basic. Produce content that people want to see and you’ll go places. In practicality, it isn’t that easy.

That is why I’m here today with a major tip about content pillars on Instagram that can take you from zero to hero on the platform. It won’t be easy, you’ll still have to work for it. But I can promise that (when done correctly) you’ll see a boost to your business.

Why You Should Use Content Pillars on Instagram

First of all, what on earth are content pillars and why should you use them? Put simply, content pillars keep you on track.

Content pillars are 3-5 general themes that you want to share with your audience on Instagram.

Whenever you’re stuck scratching your head about what to write about next, you can look to your content pillars for advice. Choose a specific topic that connects to one of your main themes.

You might be wondering if limiting yourself to 3-5 themes is a good idea. After all, you have a hard time coming up with content ideas when you don’t limit yourself. However, that’s probably more because you’re so overwhelmed by all the possibilities. Content pillars keep you focused on the main themes you want to talk about and help you create cohesive content that your audience will love.

They are the oh-so-helpful bumpers that keep your bowling ball from flying way out off in left field.

Why is this important? Because your clients aren’t so interested in squirrels and rabbit trails. They keep coming back because they love the type of content you produce. When you start throwing random topics at them, they get confused and you might even lose some of your following.

This randomness used to be okay on Instagram. People posted about their photography, but also their kids, their dogs, coffee, whatever they’re reading, the weather, and anything else that struck them. But the platform has evolved into something more refined. Your audience wants a deeper way to connect with you. Content pillars help you give it to them.

How to Choose Your Content Pillars

So, how do you pick your content pillars? Figure out what you want your audience to know. At this point, you don’t have to worry too much about what your audience would like, per se. Instead, focus on what you’re all about.

When you start creating content in these pillars, you will gain some followers while repelling others. That’s okay. You’re refining your audience to people who are more your ideal client. As a commercial photographer, it doesn’t really matter if you develop a following among teenagers. You might get tons of followers, but none of them will be hiring you to be their brand photographer anytime soon (most likely).

Also, think about your marketing goals. Do you want to create greater brand awareness? Do you want to educate your audience about certain topics? Do you want to boost your website’s SEO? Your end goal will help shape your content pillars, individual topics, and, ultimately, the type of content you create.

Examples of content pillars you can choose include:

● Let them get to know you

● Why you love working with businesses

● Your company’s mission

● Educating the difference between commercial & other types of photography

● Relationship building

● Storytelling

● ROI

● Content strategy

● Business tips

● Current content marketing trends

● Encouragement

These are just a few ideas and this is by no means an all-inclusive list. However, it’s important to keep your pillars to just the 3-5 most important themes you want to convey. Any more than this and you start getting that random feel to your Instagram feed that you’re trying to avoid.

Creating Content

Once you’ve picked your content pillars, the fun begins! Brainstorm topics that fit into each category you chose. For example, if you chose the pillar “let them get to know you” then you might answer FAQs, post behind-the-scenes photos and videos, and talk about your workflow or what it’s like to work with you.

Each topic you choose should connect to your content pillars in some way, supporting the overall structure of your Instagram marketing strategy.  And each individual post should be breaking down a piece of one of your pillars into something that your audience can easily digest.

Follow this strategy and you’ll find you always have something to talk about. And, more importantly, it’s something your customers what to hear about.

Growing Your Photography Business

It might feel like photography is a saturated field. Everybody’s got a feed full of beautiful photos, and everybody with a smartphone considers themselves a photographer. But trust me when I say there is plenty of work to go around. Many of those feeds full of beautiful photos were NOT shot by the owner. Instead, they hired a brand photographer like you to give them something to post.

You can do it, and I’m here to help! Learn more here about how Focus Creative can support you in your endeavors as a commercial photographer.

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