Why Your Podcast Needs a Content Pillar Strategy [Ep. 92]
Click play to hear why your podcast needs a content pillar strategy:
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Here’s what to expect from this episode:
Do you have a content pillar strategy for your podcast?
Whether you're like me and didn't think content pillars were as essential as the experts say or have never even heard of them, today's short and sweet episode is for you. Because today, we're talking about why having content pillars is so important for your podcast.
As a podcast creator, it can be challenging to constantly come up with new and exciting content for your audience. And I know that's a fear for a lot of people who haven't started their show yet, that you're not going to have enough to talk about.
This is where content pillars are really going to come in handy. They provide a framework for your podcast content and help you stay on track with your overall message and goals.
So by the end of this episode, I hope you'll see the importance of having a content pillar strategy for your podcast and will take a few minutes to sit down and map out yours (if you haven't already).
PS. Remember to rate and review Podcasting for Educators on Apple!
TOPICS COVERED:
What are content pillars
The benefits of having them for your podcast
How many pillars to aim for
An example content pillar strategy (Hint: I'm sharing mine!)
Resources mentioned:
Connect with Sara:
Related episodes:
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Sara Whittaker 0:01
Your Podcast is a powerful tool that serves your audience and your business. But how do you manage it all bring in new listeners, and convert those listeners into customers. That's what this show is all about. Welcome to podcasting for educators. I'm Sara Whitaker, classroom teacher turn podcast manager, and I'm here to help you get the most out of your show, all while making an impact on other educators. Hello, hello, and welcome back to this episode of podcasting for educators. Today, we are going to talk about why having content pillars is so important for your podcast. Before we get into that, I want to do one quick thing I want to read a recent review that somebody has left for this show. This review comes from Ginger Snap, and she says, I started my podcast as a pandemic hobby. I didn't really know what I was doing, finding Sarah and this podcast has been a game changer. Every episode is value packed with information I can easily apply to my own podcast. Thank you. And thank you for writing that review. If you all have a podcast then you know what a great feeling it is to see that you have a new positive review from somebody. It's just like that little extra thing that gives you the push that you need to keep going. So if you are an avid listener of this podcast, could you do me a quick favor, pause this episode, head to Apple podcast and leave a rating and review for this show, it will only take you a couple of minutes. If you click on my show, scroll down to the bottom, you will see where you can do that. This helps more educators decide if this would be a good show for them to listen to or not. So if you decide to do that today, thank you. Thank you. Now let's go ahead of back to today's topic. As a podcast creator, it can be really challenging to constantly be coming up with new and exciting content for your audience on a regular basis. And for anybody who might be listening who hasn't yet started your show, I know that that's a fear for a lot of people is that pressure to constantly be cranking out new content, you're afraid that you're not going to have enough to talk about. And this is where content pillars are really going to come in handy. If you're not familiar with this term content pillars, sometimes people call them content buckets. I mentioned them a little bit towards the end of Episode 89, which was just a few episodes ago. But content pillars are essentially the main topics or themes that your podcast focuses on. So they provide a framework for your podcast content, and they help you to stay on track with your overall message and your goals. Now, truth be told, because we're friends here, I'm going to be honest and say that, for me, especially like when I first started my business, content pillars were one of those things that I heard all of the experts say that you needed to have you needed to make sure that you have your content pillars that before you do any kind of social media strategy or anything like that. But I in the beginning didn't really sit down and take the time to map them out. Because I thought I already know what it is I talked about my content has really niched. Why do I need to officially like sit down and set these content pillars? Why are they so important? And it really wasn't until I started my podcast that I realized how important it was. So let's take a look at that. Why should you have content pillars for your podcast? Let's look at some of the benefits. Number one is that content pillars are going to help you stay organized and focused in your content creation. In your episode creation. When you can identify the main topics or themes that you're going to cover in your podcast week to week, then you can create a plan for each of those episodes and make sure that your content is really aligning with your overall message. And this will also help you avoid getting you know super sidetracked and make sure that you're keeping your episodes consistent and coherent for your listeners. Another benefit of content pillars is that they're going to help establish you as an expert in your niche. When you're consistently providing valuable content on specific topics. That's going to help you to build the trust and credibility with your audience, which will ultimately help you grow your listenership and establish a loyal following. And as content creators to us sometimes that might feel like we're being really repetitive, when in reality, that's exactly what we want to be doing. We want to have that consistent messaging so that people really are starting to see oh, this person really knows what they're talking about. They've they talk about XY and Z all the time and, and so it really is a good thing. Content pillars also make it easier for you to come up with new content ideas, when you have a clear idea of Have those main topics that you want to cover, then you can really break them down even more, you can brainstorm new angles, stories, perspectives that align with those topics. And this will help you avoid that dreaded fear of repeating the same content over and over and over again. And instead, it will let you dig into each of these topics deeper and keep your podcast fresh and engaging. And then lastly, content pillars are going to help you stay focused on your audience's needs and interests. When you can understand what your audience is looking for and what topics they're most interested in, you will be able to tailor your content to meet their needs. This is going to help you connect with your audience on a deeper level and build a stronger relationship with them. So if you haven't already, I want you to take some time to identify the content pillars for your podcast. Think about the main topics or themes that you want to cover and make sure they align with your overall message and goals of your business. Once you have your content pillars in place, you're going to be able to create that consistent valuable content that resonates with your audience. And if you're wondering like how many content pillars you should have, I always think that three to five is like the perfect amount. If you have a little bit more than that, I think it's okay, you don't want to go crazy and have like 10 or 15 content pillars, because then there's really no way that you are staying consistent with what you're talking about. So an example, my content pillars are starting a podcast growing your podcast, measuring your ROI, slash analytics would fall into that category, using your podcast as a marketing tool. And then productivity, time management kind of topics. So all of my episodes can fall into one of those five categories. And if you are in the prep school, go log in to the course content, because there is a content calendar template that's in there that you can make a copy of. And that content calendar actually has a space where it has a drop down where you can add the content pillar for each of your episodes, so that you can begin to keep track of how many episodes you're doing that fall into this content pillar, how many into this content pillar, so that you really are kind of trying to even out the things that you're talking about on your podcast. This was one of the shortest episodes that I've done in a while, but I wanted to keep it really short and sweet, just so that I could help you see the importance of having these content pillars. And then what I would love for you to do is just take a few minutes, get out a notebook or your project management tool, whatever you use, sit down and actually map out these content pillars and start thinking if if you already have a year's worth of episodes, maybe start categorizing them and really take a close look at how many episodes have fallen into each of these content pillars and start to see where you can fill in the gaps. Maybe there's some things that you think you're talking about a lot that really are not, sometimes it just takes us sitting down and really looking at our content and doing just like a really quick audit of the topics that we're covering to realize, Oh, I'm actually not talking about this as much as I thought I was. Thank you so much for tuning in to this super quick episode of podcasting for educators. I hope you found it useful. And before you head out just one more reminder, if you do love this podcast and it is helping you in any way. I would love for you to rate and review on Apple podcasts. I'll see you here next week. Thanks so much for listening to today's episode. To keep this conversation going connect with me on Instagram at podcasting for educators. I'm always looking for an excuse to talk about podcasting. If you're looking for support and launching, managing or growing your podcast, check out my online course the podcasting for educators prep school at podcasting for educators.com/prep school. I'll see you here next time.
More about Podcasting for Educators:
Podcasting for Educators is the podcast for TpT authors and other online educators. It's a show that will help you get your podcast in front of those who need it most - teachers, counselors, literacy specialists, SLPs, parents, and more! Each week, Sara Whittaker and her guests will share top tips and actionable strategies that you will need in order to launch, manage, and grow your podcast. You’ll learn how to leverage your show to build long-lasting relationships with your audience and promote your TpT resources, courses, and memberships, all while providing valuable and accessible content!
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