Your Content Pillars Aren’t Working—Here’s How to Fix Them
You’ve probably been told to “educate, entertain, and inspire.” Cute. But if your audience isn’t buying, commenting, or bingeing your content, those three words might be the exact thing holding you back.
I’m breaking down why your pillars aren’t working and how to fix them once and for all. I’ve helped over 500 entrepreneurs go from posting at random to building six-figure content systems that attract clients on autopilot.
The first thing we fix—every single time—is their content pillars. If you’re tired of winging it and wondering why your content isn’t connecting or converting, by the end of this post you’ll know how to rebuild your pillars for clarity and profit, create content that drives results, and finally feel confident about what to post each week.
Hey, I’m Kary Perry—brand strategist, business coach, and your friendly antidote to content chaos. When I first started, I had all the tools—brand colors, Canva templates, perfectly edited reels—and absolutely no clue what to say. Every Monday I’d open my content calendar, stare at blank boxes, and think, Okay… what does the algorithm want from me this week?
So I posted a mix of tips, motivational quotes, and “fun” behind-the-scenes. It looked great—and did nothing. No comments. No conversions. Just polite likes from my mom. It clicked when I realized it’s not about posting more; it’s about posting with intention.
I rebuilt my entire strategy around clear, conversion-focused pillars and, within ten weeks, added 10,000 followers, doubled engagement, and hit a $183,000 launch. That didn’t happen because I posted more. It happened because I finally posted with purpose.
Mistake #1: Using “educate, entertain, inspire” as your pillars.
Those aren’t pillars—they’re post intentions. They tell you how to show up, not what to say or why your audience should care. People don’t follow you because you educate, entertain, or inspire; they follow you because they feel seen and understood.
Pillars shouldn’t be categories; they should be conversations—bridges to belief that reflect the problems you solve, the values you stand for, and the transformation you help create.
Our brains crave clarity and familiarity. When your audience hears you return to the same core themes, they begin to associate you with those ideas. That repetition builds trust and authority.
One client came to me with eight “pillars”—branding, productivity, morning routines, motherhood, and more. Her audience had no idea what she actually did. We narrowed to four themes tied directly to her offer and ideal client. In three weeks, engagement rose and DMs rolled in: “You’re exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Clarity created magnetism.
✨ YOUR ACTION STEP:
Write down your current pillars. For each, answer yes or no to three questions in one short paragraph: does this tie directly to my offer, does it reflect my audience’s real struggles or desires, and would someone know what I do from this pillar alone?
If you can’t say yes to all three, rebuild it into a conversation that leads somewhere.
Mistake #2: Building pillars around what you want to say, not what they need to hear.
This one stings because it’s subtle. You’re teaching from your expertise instead of leading from their experience. You post “my 5-step system for better engagement,” while your audience is silently thinking, I just want to stop feeling like I’m shouting into the void. Pillars aren’t about ego; they’re about empathy.
People decide with emotion and justify with logic, so your content must meet them emotionally before it ever earns attention logically. A student’s pillars were “mindset, marketing, messaging.” Professional—but flat.
We reframed them to mirror her audience’s journey: confusion, clarity, confidence. Suddenly, her people saw themselves in her content. “You get me,” flooded her inbox. That’s the power of emotional relevance.
✨ YOUR ACTION STEP:
For each pillar, name the core emotion underneath it in a single sentence and use that as your creative brief for the week. If your pillar is branding, maybe the emotion is belonging or self-expression. If it’s sales, maybe it’s fear of rejection or desire for freedom.
Build one post this week that opens with that feeling—then deliver the strategy.
Mistake #3: Pillars that don’t align with your sales path.
You can have the prettiest pillars in the world, but if they don’t connect to your offer, they won’t convert. That’s a content museum—pretty to look at, nothing to take home. Every pillar should sell for you—not with pressure, but with belief.
People buy when they believe two things: that your approach works, and that it will work for them. Design pillars that build those beliefs and you’ll create a binge-worthy feed that nurtures the yes without feeling pushy.
A client was posting motivation and mindset with tons of engagement—but zero sales—because her content never spoke to her offer. We reworked her pillars to map directly to her framework and address key objections. Within two months, clients were coming in consistently. She didn’t post more; she posted with purpose.
✨ YOUR ACTION STEP:
Map each pillar to a specific step in your sales path in a short note to yourself. Ask: how does this pillar build belief in my offer, which objection does it neutralize, and what transformation does it demonstrate?
Draft one post per pillar that answers those three questions and ends with a low-pressure next step.
Final Thoughts: Clarity creates connection—and connection drives conversion
When your pillars are built with purpose, your audience finally gets it. They see you, trust you, and binge your content like a Netflix show they can’t stop watching.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start growing, my Content From Scratch course is where we do this step by step.
Inside, you’ll learn exactly how to:
✨ Define your core message so your content finally stands out
✨ Build content pillars that position you as the go-to expert
✨ Set clear content goals that lead directly to sales
✨ Create a simple content plan you can actually stick to
✨ Access 4 months of done-for-you ideas—hooks, captions, and templates—to keep your strategy consistent and aligned
Don’t wait for “perfect.” Your content deserves to work for you—and your audience is waiting for clarity.
Join Content From Scratch and let’s build your binge-worthy content strategy from scratch.
Your Coach,
Kary ♡
