SKILL.md
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Defining Content Pillars
Content pillars are 3-5 core themes that every piece of content ties back to. They ensure
variety while maintaining brand relevance.
Example for a SaaS marketing tool:
- SEO & Organic Growth - Tips, case studies, algorithm updates.
- Content Marketing - Strategy, writing, distribution, repurposing.
- Conversion Optimization - Landing pages, CTAs, A/B testing, UX.
- Behind the Scenes - Product updates, team stories, company culture.
- Industry Trends - Marketing news, data, predictions.
Example for a personal brand (marketing consultant):
- Tactical Marketing Tips - Actionable how-to content.
- Client Stories & Case Studies - Results and lessons learned.
- Personal Journey - Career insights, failures, learnings.
- Industry Hot Takes - Opinions on trends and news.
- Tools & Resources - Recommendations, reviews, templates.
Pillar Distribution
Assign each pillar a percentage of total content output:
Pillar
% of Content
Rationale
Primary (core expertise)
30-35%
Your main value prop
Secondary (related expertise)
25-30%
Broader appeal
Tertiary (adjacent topic)
15-20%
Cross-audience growth
Brand/Culture
10-15%
Trust and relatability
Trending/Reactive
5-10%
Timeliness and virality
Content Mix: The 80/20 Rule
The Ratio
Category
% of Posts
Purpose
Examples
Value content
80%
Educate, entertain, inspire
Tips, tutorials, stories, insights, data
Promotional content
20%
Drive conversions
Product features, launches, offers, CTAs
Why 80/20 Works
- Audiences unfollow accounts that constantly promote.
- Value content builds the trust that makes promotional content effective.
- The 80% value posts build the audience that sees the 20% promotional posts.
Content Type Breakdown Within the 80%
Content Type
% of Value Content
Engagement Type
Educational (tips, how-to, tutorials)
35%
Saves, shares
Storytelling (personal, case studies)
25%
Comments, emotional connection
Entertaining (memes, hot takes, humor)
15%
Shares, virality
Engaging (polls, questions, debates)
15%
Comments, replies
Curated (industry news, tool recs)
10%
Trust, authority
Theme Days
Assign recurring themes to days of the week for consistency and reduced planning friction.
Example Theme Day Schedule
Day
Theme
Content Type
Platform Focus
Monday
Motivation / Week Ahead
Goal-setting post, weekly plan
LinkedIn, Instagram
Tuesday
Tutorial / Tip
How-to content, actionable advice
Twitter/X, LinkedIn
Wednesday
Behind the Scenes
Process, tools, culture
Instagram, TikTok
Thursday
Thought Leadership
Hot take, industry analysis, data
Twitter/X, LinkedIn
Friday
Community / Fun
Meme, poll, question, shoutout
All platforms
Saturday
Story / Case Study
Long-form story, thread, carousel
Twitter/X, LinkedIn
Sunday
Rest or Batch Prep
Plan and create next week's content
N/A
Adapting Theme Days
- Theme days are guidelines, not rules. Break the pattern for timely content.
- Rotate themes monthly to avoid staleness.
- Map themes to content pillars to ensure pillar coverage.
- For teams: assign theme day ownership to specific team members.
Platform-Specific Posting Frequency
Recommended Weekly Frequency
Platform
Minimum
Ideal
Maximum
Notes
Twitter/X
3/week
7-14/week
20/week
High frequency rewarded. Mix tweets, replies, and threads.
2/week
3-5/week
7/week
Quality over quantity. Daily posting is fine if each post is strong.
Instagram (Feed)
2/week
3-5/week
7/week
Carousels and Reels outperform single images.
Instagram (Stories)
3/week
Daily
5-7/day
Ephemeral; quantity is fine. Use for engagement.
TikTok
3/week
5-7/week
14/week
Algorithm favors consistency. Post at least 1/day for growth.
Blog
1/week
2-4/week
Daily
SEO compounds. More high-quality content = more traffic.
Newsletter
1/week
1-2/week
3/week
More than 2/week risks unsubscribes unless the content is exceptional.
YouTube
1/week
1-2/week
3/week
Consistency matters more than frequency.
Platform-Specific Optimal Posting Times
Twitter/X:
- Weekdays: 8-10am, 12-1pm, 5-6pm (audience timezone)
- Weekends: 9-11am
- Best day: Tuesday and Wednesday
LinkedIn:
- Weekdays: 7-8am, 12pm, 5-6pm
- Best days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
- Avoid weekends (60% lower engagement)
Instagram:
- Weekdays: 11am-1pm, 7-9pm
- Weekends: 10am-12pm
- Best days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
TikTok:
- Every day: 7-9am, 12-3pm, 7-11pm
- Best days: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
- Post when your Analytics tab shows your audience is most active
Monthly Planning Template
Month Overview
# [Month] Content Calendar
## Key Dates
- [Date]: [Event/Holiday/Launch]
- [Date]: [Event/Holiday/Launch]
- [Date]: [Event/Holiday/Launch]
## Monthly Goals
- [ ] Publish [N] blog posts
- [ ] Send [N] newsletters
- [ ] Post [N] times on Twitter/X
- [ ] Post [N] times on LinkedIn
- [ ] Post [N] times on Instagram
- [ ] Gain [N] new followers across platforms
- [ ] Achieve [N] email signups
## Content Pillar Coverage
| Pillar | Target Posts | Actual |
|--------|-------------|--------|
| [Pillar 1] | [N] | |
| [Pillar 2] | [N] | |
| [Pillar 3] | [N] | |
| [Pillar 4] | [N] | |
| [Pillar 5] | [N] | |
## Promotional Content (20%)
- [Date]: [Promotion/offer]
- [Date]: [Product feature highlight]
- [Date]: [Launch/announcement]Weekly Planning Template
# Week of [Date]
## Focus Pillar: [Pillar Name]
## Promotional Slot: [Day] - [Promotion]
| Day | Platform | Content Type | Topic/Title | Pillar | Status |
|-----|----------|-------------|-------------|--------|--------|
| Mon | LinkedIn | Story post | [Title] | Brand | Draft |
| Mon | Twitter/X | Single tweet | [Title] | SEO | Scheduled |
| Tue | Twitter/X | Thread | [Title] | Content | Outline |
| Tue | Instagram | Carousel | [Title] | CRO | Design |
| Wed | LinkedIn | How-to post | [Title] | Content | Draft |
| Wed | TikTok | Tutorial | [Title] | SEO | Script |
| Thu | Twitter/X | Hot take | [Title] | Industry | Draft |
| Thu | LinkedIn | Data/insight | [Title] | CRO | Draft |
| Fri | All | Poll/question | [Title] | Community | Draft |
| Sat | Twitter/X | Thread | [Title] | Case Study | Outline |
## Repurpose Queue
- [Blog post title] -> Twitter thread, LinkedIn carousel
- [Newsletter issue] -> Instagram carousel, 3 tweets
- [Video/podcast] -> Quote graphics, short clips
## Notes
- [Any context, brand announcements, trending topics to watch]Batch Creation Workflow
The Batch Method
Instead of creating content daily (stressful, inconsistent), batch-create in dedicated sessions.
Weekly Batch Schedule
Session
Duration
Output
When
Ideation
1 hour
15-20 content ideas for the week
Sunday or Monday
Writing
2-3 hours
All text posts (tweets, LinkedIn, captions)
Monday
Design
1-2 hours
All graphics, carousels, thumbnails
Tuesday
Video
2-3 hours
Film all video content for the week
Wednesday
Editing
1-2 hours
Edit videos, finalize graphics
Thursday
Scheduling
30 min
Schedule all posts in publishing tool
Thursday
Engagement
15 min/day
Reply to comments, engage with others
Daily
Batch Tips
- Batch by format, not by platform. Write all text posts at once. Design all graphics
at once. Film all videos at once.
- Use templates. Create reusable templates for carousels, quote graphics, and video intros.
- Build a swipe file. Save posts from others that inspire you. Reference during ideation.
- Content bank. Maintain a running list of ideas so you never start from zero.
- Repurpose first. Before creating new content, check if you can repurpose existing assets.
- Time-block. Calendar block batch sessions like meetings. Do not let them get bumped.
Content Bank Structure
Maintain a content bank organized by pillar. For each pillar, keep a running list of 10+
ideas as checkboxes. Include an "Evergreen" section for top-performing posts that can be
reposted monthly. Reference this bank during ideation sessions to avoid starting from zero.
Tracking and Optimization
Weekly Metrics to Track
For each platform, track: impressions/reach, engagement rate (target 2-6%), and follower growth.
Benchmark engagement rates: Twitter/X 2-5%, LinkedIn 3-6%, Instagram 3-6%.
Monthly Review Checklist
- Top 5 and bottom 5 posts - Double down on winning formats, stop underperformers.
- Pillar coverage - Did you hit the target distribution?
- Content mix - Was the 80/20 value-to-promotion ratio maintained?
- Consistency - Any missed days? Identify and fix the cause.
- Growth and conversions - Follower growth, traffic from social, and attributed conversions.
Quarterly Adjustments
Recalibrate pillars based on what resonated. Adjust posting frequency for team capacity.
Refresh theme days. Update posting times from platform analytics. Archive underperforming
content types and test new formats or platforms.
Output Format
For every content calendar request, deliver:
1. Content Pillars and Mix
Defined pillars with percentage allocations and the 80/20 breakdown.
2. Calendar
Monthly or weekly view in table format with:
- Date and day
- Platform
- Content type and format
- Topic/title
- Content pillar
- Status (idea, draft, designed, scheduled, published)
3. Theme Day Schedule
Day-by-day theme assignments with rationale.
4. Batch Workflow
Customized batch schedule based on team size and capacity.
5. Posting Times
Platform-specific recommended posting times based on the user's audience.
6. Content Bank
Starter list of 20-30 content ideas organized by pillar.
7. Metrics Dashboard
Template for tracking weekly and monthly performance.