Feeling Stuck on What to Post? 5 Crucial Steps to Defining Your Content Pillars for Instagram

Listen on Apple | Listen on Spotify | Listen Everywhere

Struggling to stay consistent on Instagram without burning out?

You’re not alone—and the real fix isn’t more templates or viral trends. It’s clarity.

Once you lock in your content pillars, your entire content process gets easier, faster, and more aligned with what your dream clients actually need.

In this blog, you’ll learn:

• What content pillars actually are (and what they aren’t)

• Why they’re the foundation for content that connects and converts

• 5 simple steps to define your pillars so you never say “Ugh, what should I post today?” again

• Real-world examples and bonus tips for keeping things personal (and real)

Let’s build your content with intention—no fluff, no guesswork.

🌟 What Are Content Pillars (And What They’re NOT)

Let’s clear something up right out the gate:

Content pillars are not content goals.

If you’ve heard things like “educate, inspire, entertain,” those are content intentions—not pillars.

👉 Your content pillars are the 3–5 core themes or topics you want to be known for. They’re aligned with your offers, reflect your expertise, and speak directly to your ideal client’s problems and desires.

So no, you’re not going to see “entertain” as a pillar.
But you might see “Instagram Growth for Coaches,” “Brand Design Tips,” or “Email List Building.”

Think of your feed like a storefront. Your pillars are the window displays that instantly show new visitors what you do, who you help, and how.

🤯 Why Content Pillars Matter So Much

Still tempted to skip this step? Don’t.

When your content is all over the place:

• Your audience doesn’t know what to expect from you

• You struggle to stay consistent

• You post randomly and hope it sticks

• You attract the wrong followers (aka ones who don’t engage or convert)

But when your content pillars are defined and intentional:

✅ You create faster
✅ Your audience connects with your message
✅ Your content ties back to your offers
✅ You become memorable and magnetic to the right people

In short: clarity creates consistency, and consistency builds trust.

✨ The 5 Simple Steps to Define Your Content Pillars

STEP 1: Identify What You Want to Be Known For

Ask yourself:

“What do I want people to think of when they hear my name or my brand?”

Pick 1–2 core areas of expertise that light you up and directly relate to your paid offers.

🔍 Examples:

• Instagram Strategy

• Canva Tips

• Personal Branding for Solopreneurs

• Systems & Workflows

• Confidence on Camera

Avoid getting too niche at this stage. “Creating a digital product in Canva” is way too specific. Instead, make “Canva” the pillar—and let subtopics live underneath it.

STEP 2: Consider What Your Ideal Client Needs From You

Your pillars aren’t just about what you love to talk about—they should speak to your audience’s needs, struggles, and transformation.

Ask yourself:

• What problems am I helping them solve?

• What journey am I guiding them through?

• How do I want them to feel after engaging with my content?

💡 Your pillars should reflect both your zone of genius and your client’s pain points.

For example, if you help overwhelmed female entrepreneurs batch content, your pillar might be “Stress-Free Content Planning.”

STEP 3: Review Your Past Content for Clues

If you’ve been posting for a while, pull up your Instagram analytics and ask:

• What posts got the most saves, shares, or comments?

• What themes do you naturally talk about again and again?

• What do people DM you about most?

➡️ This is where your intuition + insights come together.

Pro tip: Use an Instagram analytics tracker (like the one I offer for just $19) to identify top-performing themes and patterns over time.

STEP 4: Choose 3–5 Pillars and Give Them Clear, Relatable Names

This is not the time to get cutesy. Clear beats clever every time.

❌ Skip: “Biz Vibes” or “My Magic Sauce”
✅ Use: “Instagram Growth,” “Canva Design Tips,” “Mindset for Creators”

You can add a verb to make them more action-oriented:

• “Master Your Instagram Growth”

• “Design with Confidence in Canva”

The sweet spot? 3–5 pillars max. Three is ideal, but if you’re feeling good with four or five that all connect, go for it.

STEP 5: Test, Tweak, and Use Them Consistently

Your pillars are flexible. They can evolve as you evolve. But don’t abandon them after two weeks if they don’t go viral.

Stick with them for 60–90 days before reassessing.

✅ Use them as a filter: Does this post align with one of my pillars?
✅ Batch content by pillar: Mondays = Canva reels, Tuesdays = carousel from another pillar
✅ Rotate between them to keep content fresh, aligned, and easy to create

🧠 Real-Life Examples of Content Pillars

Here’s a peek into the kind of pillars I rotate through regularly:

• Instagram Strategy

• Canva Tutorials

• Visual Branding

• Brand Messaging

• Email Marketing

• Mindset & Burnout

• Behind-the-Scenes of Building a Six-Figure Business

Notice how these are:

• Broad enough to allow variety

• Specific enough to show authority

• Directly connected to my paid offers and brand promise

🧍‍♀️ The Often-Missed Bonus Pillar: Personal Connection

This is where so many creators miss the mark.

If your entire feed is “teach and preach,” it can start to feel robotic. Your audience also needs to know the real you—the human behind the brand.

That’s where your Personal Content Pillar comes in.

📌 Inside my course, Insta x Canva Collective, I teach students to list out:

• Hobbies

• Quirks

• Family life

• Pets (shoutout to Blitz, my chaotic rescue pit bull 🐾)

• Lifestyle preferences

• Books you love (yes, I’m a steamy romance series girl!)

• Food you meal prep

While these personal shares don’t have to live on your main feed, they are GOLD in:

• Stories

• Weekly emails

• Talking head reels

• Caption intros that show personality

People buy from people they trust. And trust is built through connection, not just education.

✍️ How to Start Using Your Pillars Today

Let’s break down a simple weekly system to bring your content pillars to life:

Example weekly structure:

• Monday → Canva How-To Reel

• Tuesday → Carousel on content strategy or mindset

• Wednesday → Personal story or thought-leadership post

• Thursday → Email marketing or audience growth tip

• Friday → Behind-the-scenes, promo, or personal share

Each day doesn’t have to map to a specific pillar. But every single post should fit into at least one.

Batch by format. Schedule ahead. Let your pillars guide—not limit—you.

📌 Bonus Tip: Audit Your Last 15 Posts

Here’s your homework (you know I love a good action step!):

1. Open your Instagram feed

2. Look at your last 15 posts

3. Assign each one to a pillar

4. Ask yourself:

   • Are you posting evenly across your pillars?

   • Are you completely ignoring one you say you want to be known for?

   • Are your captions and visuals aligned with what your audience expects?

This simple audit will show you exactly where to refocus.

🛠️ Tools & Resources to Help You

Here are the resources mentioned in this episode you might want to check out:

• 💻 Insta Canva Collective – My signature course where we define your brand pillars, content strategy, and design scroll-stopping visuals that connect and convert.

• 📊 Instagram Analytics Tracker – Use this to review your past content and track what’s working.

• ✨ The Content Coven – My cozy, high-impact content community where you can batch with me and get feedback on your posts, captions, and pillars.

💬 Final Thoughts

Once I nailed down my content pillars, everything changed.

My messaging became sharper. My content ideas flowed faster. I knew exactly what to post—and more importantly, why.

It stopped being a guessing game and started being a strategy.

So if you’re still stuck in content chaos, trying to do all the things, posting random stuff and wondering why it's not converting—it’s time to go back to the foundation.

Define your content pillars. Get clear on your voice. Then show up with confidence.

📣 What’s Next? Your Homework

Here’s what I want you to do after reading this post:

1. Write down your 3–5 content pillars using the 5 steps above

2. Brain dump your personal “connection points” on a sticky note

3. Assign your last 15 posts to pillars and find your gaps

4. Commit to using your pillars consistently for the next 60–90 days

Then, DM me on Instagram at @thecreativebodega and tell me what your content pillars are. I love hearing what you land on.

And if you’re ready to get my eyes on your strategy, come join me inside The Content Coven. You don’t have to figure this all out alone—I’d be so honored to guide you.

Until then…

Keep creating.
Keep showing up.
And for the love of Canva, have a little fun with your content.

— Em ✨