Step 6: Define your content pillars and brand voice
Content buckets or content categories — call them what you want, but content pillars are your social media ride-or-dies. They’re the go-to themes that anchor your brand’s voice, keep your messaging on track, and tell your audience, “Yep, this is what we’re about.”
These pillars make planning your social media marketing presence much easier. For example, say you’re a fine jewelry company. Your content pillars may be engagement rings, custom gold necklaces, and jewelry charms.
The good news is you’ve already taken the first step in pillar development. Your previously set business goals will now inform a list of potential content pillars. You’ll want to settle on 3-5 content pillars, so make a healthy list of reasonable topics that further your business goals.
Pro Tip: It’s time for keyword research! Content pillars should advance your SEO, so a high-traffic keyword is your golden goose.
Now, you should narrow your topics to those that touch every corner of your business and are SEO-friendly. This is also a great time to define your brand voice.
More on brand voice
Your brand voice is basically your brand’s personality. It’s how you talk, write, and vibe with your audience. Whether you’re cracking jokes on Twitter, sending out a newsletter, or handling a customer complaint, your voice should feel like you.
It’s not just what you say. It’s also your phrasing, choice of emojis, and every like or repost.
Now, it’s time to define your brand’s tone of voice. There are three steps to get you started:
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Establish your brand identity
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Determine your target audience
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Create a style guide
Step #1: Nail your brand identity
You can speak fluently and consistently once you’ve defined your brand’s vibe. Ask yourself the following to form a brand identity:
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What’s your why?
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Describe your brand in one punchy sentence.
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Are you laid-back, cheeky, classy, quirky, or buttoned-up?
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How would you explain your business to a friend or potential customer over coffee?
Step #2: Know who you’re talking to
You may be great at puns or throwing complex jargon into a phrase, but if it doesn’t resonate with your audience, it doesn’t matter. Use previous audience research to inform what hits home.
Step #3: Build a style guide
This is your brand’s tone cheat sheet, so everyone, from intern to CEO, stays on the same page.
Include:
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Your mission and values
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Your brand’s “personality” in a nutshell
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Dos and don’ts for grammar, language, and slang
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Phrases you love and ones you’d never say
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Real examples of your voice in action
Think of it as your brand’s bible that keeps everything consistent, clear, and on-brand across every post, reply, and campaign.
