How To: Create Content Pillars
Content pillars are the main topics or themes that you will focus on when creating content for your Instagram account. By focusing on the following content pillars, you can create a consistent and engaging feed that showcases your artwork, builds a personal connection with your followers, and attracts potential clients or customers:
List of content pillars at a glance
Artwork: Showcase your artwork in various formats, such as photos, videos, and timelapse videos.
Behind-the-scenes: Share the process behind creating your art, including your studio setup, your art supplies, and your techniques.
Inspiration: Share your sources of inspiration, such as other artists, nature, or a particular theme.
Personal Story: Share your personal journey as an artist, including your struggles, successes, and lessons learned.
Events: Share details of upcoming art shows, exhibitions, and other events where your artwork will be showcased.
Collaborations: Collaborate with other artists, designers, or brands to create unique artwork or products.
Education: Share tips, tutorials, and advice on various aspects of art, such as techniques, materials, and business practices.
Intro —
Content Pillars and Their Importance
Content pillars are the foundation of your business’ content strategy because they define the main themes or topics that you will focus on when creating content for your social media accounts. They help to ensure that your content is aligned with your brand and messaging, and that it appeals to your target audience.
When you define your content pillars, you are essentially identifying the main categories of content that you will create and share on your social media accounts. These pillars should be based on your brand values, goals, and target audience, and should be flexible enough to allow for variations and updates over time.
For example, if you are a fashion blogger, your content pillars may include fashion trends, style tips, outfit inspiration, beauty tips, and lifestyle content. By focusing on these pillars, you can ensure that your content is consistent and aligned with your brand and messaging, and that it appeals to your target audience.
Your content pillars help you to stay on track with your messaging and branding by providing a framework for your content creation. They help you to organize your ideas and ensure that you are creating content that aligns with your overall strategy and goals. By sticking to your content pillars, you can also establish a clear voice and tone for your brand, which helps to build trust and credibility with your followers.
Key benefits of content pillars are:
Consistency: By defining your content pillars, you can ensure that your content is consistent and aligns with your brand and messaging. This helps to create a cohesive feed that is recognizable to your followers and builds trust and credibility.
Variety: Content pillars allow you to vary your content and keep your feed interesting and engaging for your followers. By having a range of topics to draw from, you can create a mix of different types of content, such as photos, videos, and text-based posts, to keep your followers interested and engaged.
Purpose: Content pillars help you to define the purpose of your brand and what you want to achieve with it. This allows you to create content that is more targeted and focused, and helps you to attract the right audience and build a community around your brand.
Strategy: Content pillars are an important part of a social media strategy. By defining your pillars, you can plan and schedule your content in advance, which helps you to be more efficient and consistent in your posting.
Types of content pillars explained
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Artwork
When showcasing your artwork on Instagram, it's important to share it in a variety of formats to keep your content fresh and engaging. Here are some ways you can showcase your artwork on Instagram:
Photos: Share high-quality photos of your artwork in different settings, such as in your studio, at an exhibition, or on a gallery wall. Use natural lighting to showcase the colors and details of your artwork, and experiment with different angles and compositions to create visually interesting images.
Videos: Share videos of your artwork, such as panning shots, close-ups, and details of the texture and materials used. You can also share videos of you creating your artwork, which can give your followers a behind-the-scenes look at your process.
Timelapse videos: Timelapse videos are a great way to show your followers the process of creating your artwork. By speeding up the video, you can show hours of work in just a few seconds. This can be a fun and engaging way to showcase your artwork and build excitement around your creative process.
By showcasing your artwork in various formats, you can keep your content fresh and interesting, and appeal to a wider audience. It's also a great way to show the different facets of your art, from the finished product to the process behind creating it.
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Behind-the-scenes
Sharing the process behind creating your art is an excellent way to engage your audience and provide valuable content for your followers. By giving them a behind-the-scenes look at your creative process, you can show them what goes into creating your art and help them to appreciate it more fully.
Here are some ways that you can share the process behind creating your art on Instagram (and other forms of social media):
Studio setup: Share photos of your studio setup, including your work area, your art supplies, and any tools or equipment that you use. This can help your followers to visualize your creative space and understand the environment in which you work.
Work in progress: Share photos or videos of your artwork in progress, giving your followers a glimpse of how you create your art from start to finish. This can help them to appreciate the time, effort, and skill that goes into your work.
Techniques: Share tips and tutorials on various techniques that you use in your art, such as brush strokes, color mixing, or composition. This can help your followers to learn from you and improve their own artistic skills.
Q&A sessions: Host Q&A sessions on Instagram Live or in your Instagram Stories, where your followers can ask you questions about your art and creative process. This can help to build a stronger connection with your followers and give them a sense of community around your art.
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Inspiration
Sharing your sources of inspiration on Instagram is a great way to provide insight into your creative process and connect with your followers. By sharing what inspires you, you can give your followers a deeper understanding of your artistic style and the concepts behind your work. Here are some ways to share your sources of inspiration on Instagram:
Other artists: Share the work of other artists who inspire you and explain why their work resonates with you. This can help your followers discover new artists and appreciate your work in a broader context.
Nature: Share photos or videos of natural scenery or landscapes that inspire you. This can be a great way to showcase your appreciation for the beauty of the natural world and the way it influences your creative process.
Themes: Share your thoughts and feelings about particular themes that inspire you, such as love, freedom, or justice. This can help your followers to understand the concepts and emotions behind your work and connect with it on a deeper level.
Personal experiences: Share personal experiences that have inspired your work, such as travel experiences, personal relationships, or life events. This can help your followers to understand your work on a more personal level and connect with you as an artist.
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Personal story
Sharing your personal journey as an artist on Instagram can be a powerful way to connect with your followers and build a community around your art. By sharing your struggles, successes, and lessons learned, you can inspire and encourage others who are on a similar path. Here are some ways to share your personal journey as an artist on Instagram:
Struggles: Share the challenges and obstacles that you have faced as an artist, such as creative blocks, self-doubt, or financial difficulties. This can help your followers to relate to your experiences and feel less alone in their own struggles.
Successes: Share your accomplishments and milestones as an artist, such as exhibitions, awards, or sales. This can help your followers to celebrate your achievements and feel inspired to pursue their own goals.
Lessons learned: Share the lessons that you have learned along the way, such as the importance of perseverance, the value of networking, or the need for self-care. This can help your followers to learn from your experiences and apply them to their own lives.
Personal anecdotes: Share personal stories and anecdotes that illustrate your journey as an artist, such as how you discovered your passion for art, how you overcame a particularly difficult challenge, or how you balance your art with other aspects of your life. This can help your followers to connect with you on a personal level and build a deeper relationship with you as an artist.
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Events
Sharing details of upcoming art shows, exhibitions, and other events where your artwork will be showcased is a great way to build excitement and anticipation around your work. It can also help you to promote your art to a wider audience and increase your visibility within the art community. Here are some ways to share details of upcoming events on Instagram:
Save the date: Create a post or story that announces the date and time of your upcoming event. Include a captivating image of your work or a behind-the-scenes look at your preparation process to grab the attention of your followers.
Share sneak peeks: Share images or videos of your artwork that will be featured in the event, giving your followers a sneak peek of what they can expect. You can also share details about the theme of the event or any other special features that will make it unique.
Tease new artwork: If you're creating new artwork specifically for the event, share teasers and progress updates as you work on it. This can create buzz and anticipation for the event, as well as give your followers a glimpse into your creative process.
Show your setup: Share images or videos of your setup at the event, including your booth, display, or gallery space. This can give your followers a sense of what it's like to attend an art show or exhibition and make them more likely to attend.
When sharing details of upcoming events, it's important to provide clear and concise information about the event, such as the date, time, location, and any special features. Make sure that your content aligns with your overall strategy and goals, and that it provides value to your followers. By sharing details of upcoming events, you can build excitement and anticipation around your work and increase your visibility within the art community.
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Collaborations
Collaborating with other artists, designers, or brands can be a great way to expand your artistic horizons and create unique artwork or products that showcase your style and creativity. Here are some ways to collaborate with others on Instagram:
Co-create artwork: Work with another artist or designer to create a collaborative artwork that showcases both of your styles and talents. This can be a great way to experiment with new techniques, styles, and mediums, and can help you to reach a wider audience through shared promotion.
Design a product line: Collaborate with a brand or designer to create a product line that features your artwork. This can be a great way to introduce your work to a new audience, and can help you to diversify your income streams by selling your artwork on a product.
Host a joint exhibition: Collaborate with other artists to host a joint exhibition that showcases your collective work. This can be a great way to build connections with other artists, and can help you to attract a larger audience to your exhibition.
Participate in a challenge or contest: Participate in a challenge or contest hosted by another artist or brand. This can be a great way to showcase your skills and creativity, and can help you to build connections with other artists and brands in your niche.
When collaborating with others, it's important to choose partners who align with your values and goals, and who share your passion for creating unique and high-quality artwork. Make sure to communicate clearly with your collaborators throughout the process, and to give credit where credit is due. By collaborating with others, you can expand your artistic horizons and create unique and memorable artwork that showcases your style and creativity.
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Education
Sharing tips, tutorials, and advice on various aspects of art, such as techniques, materials, and business practices, can be a great way to provide value to your followers and establish yourself as an authority in your niche. Here are some ways to share helpful content on Instagram:
Create tutorials: Share step-by-step tutorials that teach your followers how to create specific types of artwork or use specific materials. Make sure to include clear and concise instructions, as well as high-quality images or videos that showcase the process.
Share tips and advice: Share tips and advice on various aspects of art, such as techniques, materials, and business practices. This can include anything from how to create a successful art business, to how to overcome creative blocks or find inspiration.
Answer frequently asked questions: Take the time to answer frequently asked questions from your followers. This can be a great way to provide value and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Host live sessions: Host live sessions on Instagram where you demonstrate your techniques or answer questions from your followers. This can be a great way to engage with your audience in real-time and build a stronger connection with them.
When sharing tips, tutorials, and advice, it's important to make sure that your content is high-quality and provides real value to your followers. Make sure to use clear and concise language, as well as high-quality images or videos that showcase your techniques and expertise. By sharing helpful content, you can establish yourself as an authority in your niche and attract a loyal following of art lovers and enthusiasts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, content pillars are a crucial element of any successful social media strategy for artists. By identifying the main themes or topics that you will focus on when creating content, you can create a consistent and engaging brand that attracts followers and helps you build a strong presence on the platform. Whether you choose to showcase your artwork in various formats, share the process behind creating your art, share your sources of inspiration, share details of upcoming events or exhibitions, collaborate with other artists or brands, or provide helpful tips and tutorials, the key is to stay focused and consistent in your messaging and branding. By following these content pillars, you can use social media to build your art business and connect with a passionate community of art lovers and enthusiasts.
