Social Media Marketing Fundamentals

Module 4: Content Strategy Basics

Learning Objectives

• Understand content strategy components
• Learn content pillar frameworks
• Develop a content mix strategy
• Create a content calendar system

Key Concepts

What is a Content Strategy?

A content strategy is your plan for creating, publishing, and managing social media content. It answers:

• What topics will you cover?
• What content formats will you use?
• How often will you post?
• How does content support business goals?

Without a strategy, social media becomes reactive—scrambling to post something rather than building toward something.

The Content Pillar Framework

Content pillars are 3-5 core themes that anchor all your content. They:

• Keep content focused and consistent
• Make content creation easier (you're not starting from scratch)
• Help audiences know what to expect
• Ensure you cover topics that matter

How to Choose Content Pillars

Your pillars should sit at the intersection of:

• What your audience cares about
• What you have expertise or authority in
• What supports your business goals

Example Content Pillars for Different Businesses:

Fitness coach:

1. Workout tips and demonstrations
2. Nutrition and meal prep
3. Mindset and motivation
4. Client transformations and testimonials
5. Behind-the-scenes of coaching life

Marketing agency:

1. Marketing strategies and tactics
2. Case studies and results
3. Industry news and trends
4. Team culture and values
5. Tools and resources

Local restaurant:

1. Menu items and specials
2. Behind-the-scenes kitchen content
3. Staff spotlights
4. Customer features and reviews
5. Local community involvement

The Content Mix

Within your pillars, vary content purposes:

Educational Content (40-50%)

• How-to guides and tutorials
• Tips and best practices
• Explanations and breakdowns
• Industry insights
• Myth-busting

Why it works: Provides value, builds authority, highly shareable

Entertaining Content (20-30%)

• Humor and memes
• Trends and challenges
• Storytelling
• Relatable content
• Behind-the-scenes

Why it works: Humanizes brand, increases engagement, algorithm-friendly

Inspirational Content (10-20%)

• Success stories
• Motivational quotes
• Transformations
• Milestone celebrations
• Vision and values

Why it works: Emotional connection, shareable, builds community

Promotional Content (10-20%)

• Product/service features
• Special offers
• Announcements
• Calls-to-action
• Sales content

Why it works: Drives business results, but overdo it and you'll lose audience

The 80/20 rule: 80% value (educational, entertaining, inspirational), 20% promotional.

Content Formats

Match formats to platforms and goals:

Static Images

• Best for: Instagram feed, Facebook, LinkedIn
• Use for: Quotes, tips, announcements, product shots
• Tips: High quality, consistent branding, text overlay when needed

Carousels

• Best for: Instagram, LinkedIn
• Use for: Step-by-step guides, lists, storytelling
• Tips: Hook on first slide, value throughout, CTA on last slide

Short-Form Video (Reels, TikTok, Shorts)

• Best for: TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts
• Use for: Tutorials, trends, entertainment, personality showcase
• Tips: Hook in first 2 seconds, vertical format, captions always

Long-Form Video

• Best for: YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn
• Use for: In-depth tutorials, interviews, webinars
• Tips: Strong intro, clear structure, value throughout

Stories

• Best for: Instagram, Facebook
• Use for: Daily updates, behind-the-scenes, polls, Q&A
• Tips: Casual tone, interactive elements, consistent posting

Text Posts

• Best for: Twitter, LinkedIn
• Use for: Thoughts, questions, threads, announcements
• Tips: Hook first line, easy to scan, conversation starters

Live Video

• Best for: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok
• Use for: Q&A sessions, events, launches, tutorials
• Tips: Promote in advance, have a plan, engage with comments

Building a Content Calendar

A content calendar organizes what you'll post and when. Benefits:

• Reduces daily decision fatigue
• Ensures consistent posting
• Balances content types and pillars
• Allows batch creation
• Helps coordinate with campaigns and events

Content Calendar Components:

• Date and time
• Platform
• Content pillar
• Content type/format
• Caption/copy
• Visuals needed
• Hashtags
• Status (planned, created, scheduled, published)

Weekly Planning Template:

Day	Platform	Pillar	Type	Topic
Mon	Instagram	Education	Carousel	5 tips for...
Tue	LinkedIn	Industry	Text	Thought on trend...
Wed	Instagram	Behind-scenes	Story	Day in the life
Thu	TikTok	Entertainment	Video	Trend participation
Fri	Instagram	Social proof	Image	Client testimonial
Sat	All	Community	Story	Weekend question
Sun	Planning	-	-	Week review

Content Batching

Instead of creating content daily, batch similar tasks:

• Research day: Gather ideas, trends, inspiration
• Writing day: Draft all captions for the week/month
• Creation day: Shoot all photos/videos at once
• Editing day: Polish visuals and videos
• Scheduling day: Load everything into scheduler

Batching saves time, improves consistency, and reduces stress.

Content Ideation Sources

Never run out of ideas:

1. Audience questions: What do people ask you?
2. Comments and DMs: What discussions are happening?
3. Competitor content: What performs well? (Don't copy, inspire)
4. Industry news: What's trending in your field?
5. Platform trends: What formats and topics are hot?
6. Seasonal events: Holidays, awareness days, seasons
7. Your expertise: What do you know that others need?
8. Behind-the-scenes: What's your process?
9. Customer stories: What results have people achieved?
10. FAQ content: Turn common questions into posts

Content Repurposing

Create once, distribute many times:

• Blog post → Multiple social posts → Infographic → Video
• Long video → Short clips → Quotes → Blog post
• Podcast → Audiogram → Key quotes → Blog summary
• Webinar → Recap post → Clips → Email content

One piece of core content can become 10+ social posts.

Exercise

Create Your Content Pillars and Mix

1. Write down 4-5 content pillars for your brand:

   • Pillar 1: _______________
   • Pillar 2: _______________
   • Pillar 3: _______________
   • Pillar 4: _______________
   • Pillar 5: _______________

2. For each pillar, brainstorm 3 specific content ideas

3. Plan your content mix percentages:

   • Educational: ___%
   • Entertaining: ___%
   • Inspirational: ___%
   • Promotional: ___%

4. Create a simple one-week content calendar using the template above

Summary

A content strategy provides structure for social media efforts. Content pillars (3-5 core themes) keep you focused and consistent. Balance your content mix between educational, entertaining, inspirational, and promotional content, following roughly the 80/20 value-to-promotion ratio. Use content calendars to plan ahead and reduce stress. Batch content creation for efficiency, and repurpose content across platforms and formats.

Next Steps

With your strategy in place, the next module dives into creating engaging posts—the specific techniques that make content stop the scroll and drive engagement.