Why smart brands move beyond content pillars
Chapter 1: When pillars became a prison
Content pillars were meant to bring structure. They helped brands decide what to talk about, connecting their themes to positioning, values, and audience relevance. Think of topics like “innovation,” “thought leadership,” or “community.” Recurring subjects that kept content consistent and on-brand. But over time, many brands turned that structure into a cage.
They kept posting within the same fixed topics, disconnected from what their goals actually were. If your objective is to grow awareness or drive conversion, repeating “pillar content” about your brand values won’t move the needle.
“Pillars tell you what to say, not how to make people care.”
Chapter 2: From pillars to funnels
Smart brands are shifting from topic-based thinking to funnel-based thinking. Instead of asking “What should we post about?”, they ask “What stage of the journey are we speaking to?”
A content funnel introduces strategic depth:
Top of funnel (Awareness): inspire, educate, entertain
Middle of funnel (Consideration): build trust, show proof, tell stories
Bottom of funnel (Conversion): drive action, remove doubt, highlight offers
(Optional) Retention layer: reward loyalty, drive repeat behaviour
This approach doesn’t replace brand themes. It connects them to purpose. Your content still reflects who you are, but now it’s connected to what it should achieve.
