The Content Pyramid: What to Post When You’re Overwhelmed

Ever sit down to post and think: “What am I even supposed to say today?”

You’re not alone.
Content overwhelm is real—and often, it’s not from a lack of ideas. It’s from not having a structure to hold them.

When your brain is full of to-dos, the last thing you want to do is reinvent the wheel for every post. That’s where the Content Pyramid comes in—a simple, repeatable framework to organize your content ideas and reduce decision fatigue.

Let’s walk you through it.

🔺 The Content Pyramid Framework

Think of your content like a pyramid with three levels:

1. Pillars (Foundation)

These are your core brand categories. They ground everything you share. Ideally, you have 3–5 content pillars.

💡 Example for a service-based brand:

• Behind the Brand

• Education / How-To

• Client Wins & Testimonials

• Offers / Services

• Inspiration / Values

You can pull from these every time you post—ensuring your content is always aligned with your bigger business goals.

2. Themes (Middle Layer)

Themes are specific angles or topics within each pillar. This is where nuance and storytelling come in.

💡 Example under "Education":

• How to show up on camera when you're awkward

• What Instagram metrics actually matter

• 3 content formats you’re sleeping on

Themes give your brand a voice and help you speak to different parts of your audience journey—awareness, trust, conversion.

3. Formats (Top of the Pyramid)

Formats are how your content shows up—the post type, not the message. They’re the creative container.

💡 Format options:

• Carousel

• Talking-head Reel

• Voiceover B-roll

• Tweet-style graphic

• Blog post

• Email

Most people start here (asking “Should I make a Reel or a post?”), which is why they end up stuck. But if you flip the process and start at the base—with your pillars and themes—the format becomes a natural next step.

🌀 The Reset Method: How to Use This Pyramid When You’re Stuck

Feeling inconsistent? Here’s your quick reset:

1. Pick 1 Pillar
   → What category do you want to highlight this week?

2. Choose a Theme
   → What’s something fresh, timely, or easy to talk about today?

3. Select a Format
   → Based on your energy and capacity, what feels doable—talking on camera? Writing? Sharing a graphic?

That’s it. One solid post, created from a grounded place. Do that a few times a week and boom—you’ve got consistent content rooted in clarity.

Your content doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be consistent enough to build trust and visibility.

The Content Pyramid is your permission slip to stop overthinking and start posting with purpose.

When in doubt? Start with one pillar, one theme, and one simple format.

Let it be easy. Let it be yours. And let it be seen.