Save time and energy with social media content pillars

Here's the problem: You have a small team, limited time and deciding what to post to social media every day is hard work. Often you end up posting something quick without really considering how it fits with your organisation's core messages.

The solution? A number of core topics - or "content pillars" that you use to guide all your social media posts. They keep you focused, ensure your mission doesn't get lost and can be created as a batch, saving you valuable time and energy.

How to identify your content pillars

1. Revisit your mission statement: Your pillars should directly align with your core goals. If a post doesn't serve the mission, it doesn't belong.

2. Know your audience: Identify who you are talking to - donors, volunteers, beneficiaries, corporate partners. What do they care about?

3. Audit what’s already working: Look at previous top-performing posts. What themes resonated most with your audience?

Four classic non-profit content pillars

Pillar 1 - Impact and social proof: Success stories, before-and-afters, statistics of success and spotlights on those who have benefitted from your organisation.

Pillar 2 - Behind-the-scenes: Volunteer features, staff highlights, day-in-the-life clips and how things happen.

Pillar 3 - Education and advocacy: Breaking down the issue you solve, debunking myths, sharing news and teaching the audience why your cause matters.

Pillar 4 - The ask: Donation drives, event sign-ups, petition links and specific volunteer calls-to-action.

Tips for putting your pillars into practice

• Alternate the pillars throughout your content calendar so your social feeds don't seem repetitive. Don't ask your followers to do something five days in a row.

  
  

• Batch your content - instead of coming up with an individual idea every time you go to post, brainstorm a month's worth of content in one sitting. Writing four posts on a single pillar in one go means you can get into a state of mental flow, which helps you produce better content in less time.

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