Why Building a Content Pyramid is the Perfect Foundation for Marketing Success

In the content marketing world, we're always looking for short cuts and "one neat trick" to make our campaigns succeed. And all-too-often, the ideas floating around the web fail to measure up. However, experience has taught us that the "content pyramid" is one tool that won't let marketers down.

The content pyramid isn't a magic trick or a substitute for hard work. It's a way of conceptualising tasks so that they become easier to understand and fit together. In other words, it's a great route to efficiency gains when marketing online. So let's take a closer look and see how it works.

What is the content pyramid?

Understand how content pyramids can help you

Fundamentally, the content pyramid is a way of organising content to ensure consistency, brand reinforcement, and the extensive transmission of marketing themes.

At the top of the pyramid, we usually place "core" content - high value, often in-depth content which could include assets like print publications, long promotional videos, eBooks, or long form articles. Anything that frames your product and explains what it is all about belongs here.

Moving downward, we pass from "derivative" content, through to what is often referred to as "micro-content." At both stages, this involves producing materials from the core content, which serves as a kind of storehouse for creators to use.

The idea is that these smaller-scale pieces of content can have a wider reach and percolate to areas of the market that detailed white papers or eBooks can't. And when they do, they entice consumers to visit locations which host that core content, where they can learn more about who you are, and what you offer.

This isn't an academic exercise. It's a technique with huge potential benefits for any marketing team. Here's why.

Four major benefits of building your content pyramid

1. Content needs to be consistent at every level

The first reason to build a content pyramid is as simple as they come: to achieve maximum exposure, the blogs, videos, informatics, and promotional photos need to be spread as widely as possible. But there also needs to be a consistent brand style across all channels.

The content pyramid idea helps you to build a consistent presence from daily Tweets or Facebook updates, all the way to eBooks and white papers - with the same elements and links included at every stage.

2. The content pyramid is instantly scaleable

Another benefit of using the content pyramid method is that you can easily add new marketing channels to lower levels and integrate them into wider marketing plans.

If you find that a new social media angle is required, or you launch a branded content strategy on a third party publication, you can weave those channels into the main marketing effort with ease, and compare their effectiveness with other content platforms on the same level.

3. It's a great guide to content planning

The pyramid idea is also an excellent way to brainstorm potential content ideas. If you have core content to act as an anchor, you can easily see how blogs or articles connect to its themes and subject matter. There's less chance of creating content which fails to hit the mark and wastes time and money.

4. It blends extensive and intensive content production

Above all, the content pyramid is a way to create a dual focus on creating detailed, high-value content and content which is simple and accessible.

We know that long-form content works in some circumstances, but that customers tend to start their enquiries at a very basic level - way before they are ready to handle a 5,000 word eBook.

If you start priming them with micro-content that is linked to the themes of more complex material, you can maximise conversions and really start to make that high-value content work.

Build a content pyramid which stands the test of time

If you are confused about how to divide resources between top tier and micro-content, the content pyramid will prove an invaluable ally. As we've seen, it's a handy way to connect eBooks, YouTube explainers, how-to guides, customer contests, and even Instagram feeds.

However, as with most content strategies, pyramids can collapse if they are not constructed to a high-quality level. Creating content that matches your core assets and explains your main themes fluently and accurately is vital. And that's where greatcontent can help.

Make sure that every level of your pyramid is solidly built with quality content by getting in touch with our team. We can commission content that meets your needs, tells your story, and links core and base seamlessly.

Text: Sam Urquhart
Image: Michael Dziedzic on unsplash.com