What Is a Content Strategy?
If you've spent any time trying to research marketing, you've probably run into the phrase "content strategy." And if you're anything like the artists I talk to every day, your eyes glazed over a little.
Because content strategy sounds like corporate jargon. It sounds like something you need a marketing degree to understand. It sounds like a whole thing.
Here's the reality: a content strategy is just a plan for what you post, where you post it, and why. That's it.
You don't need a 40-page document. You don't need a complicated system. You just need to make some decisions ahead of time so you're not reinventing the wheel every single week.
Let me break it down into the parts that actually matter.
What You Talk About (Your Content Pillars)
Content pillars are just the main topics your posts live in. Think of them as buckets. Every piece of content you create goes into one of those buckets.
A ceramic artist might have pillars like: a look into the process (videos of throwing or glazing), product spotlights (photos of finished pieces), personal story (why she started, what she loves), and educational tips (how to care for handmade ceramics).
With those five buckets, she always has somewhere to go when she sits down to create content. She doesn't have to come up with something brand new every time. She just rotates through the pillars.
For an illustrator selling prints, the pillars might look completely different. That's okay. Your content strategy should fit you, your work, and your audience, not a generic template.
Where You Post (Your Platforms)
A content strategy also covers where you're showing up. And I want to say this clearly: you do not have to be everywhere. Picking one or two platforms and showing up consistently is infinitely better than spreading yourself so thin you burn out and go quiet.
For most visual creatives, Instagram is the obvious first choice. It's built for images, art buyers are there, and it's low barrier to start. But if TikTok feels more natural to you, or Pinterest makes more sense for the kind of work you sell, start there.
How Often You Post (Your Frequency)
Your strategy should include a realistic posting schedule. The key word here is realistic, not aspirational. Not what you think you're "supposed" to do.
If you can honestly post twice a week without it becoming a source of stress, do that. If once a week is what you can actually sustain, start there. The goal is consistency over time, not a sprint that lasts two weeks and then crashes.
What You Want People to Do (Your Goals)
Every piece of content should have some kind of purpose. Not every post needs to be a hard sales pitch (actually it definitely shouldn’t be). But you should have a general idea of what you're trying to accomplish.
Are you trying to grow your audience? Make your content easy to share. Are you trying to sell more? Post your actual work regularly and make it easy for people to buy. Are you trying to build loyalty? Show your personality and your story.
What This Actually Looks Like
Let's say you're a watercolor artist who sells originals and prints through your website. A basic content strategy might look like this:
• Platform: Instagram, posting 3 times a week
• Pillars: Process, finished work, behind the scenes, personal story/inspiration
• Goal: Drive traffic to website and build an audience of buyers
• CTA on posts: Mix of "link in bio," "save this," and "tell me in the comments"
That's a content strategy. It took 20 minutes to write down and you can use it for months. You don’t have to make it complicated, but this framework will help you feel like you have a roadmap when you start thinking about marketing.
Does this make content strategy feel a little less intimidating? Tell me in the comments what's still fuzzy. I want to help.
