| name | content-pillars |
| description | Define and maintain Content Pillars for a client. Uses a 5-layer methodology: Content Tilt → Pain-Based+JTBD → BOFU-First Prioritization → Topic Cluster Structure → Playground Tagging. Outputs readable markdown with rich context per pillar. Pillars = TOPICS the brand will own. POV is NOT decided here — POV lives at piece level during angle/clarify. |
| context_required | ["brand/{slug}/company-brief/company-brief.current.md","brand/{slug}/brand-book/brand-voice/brand-voice.current.md","brand/{slug}/go-to-market/ecps/ecps.current.md","brand/{slug}/go-to-market/positioning/shared/messaging-summary.md","brand/{slug}/go-to-market/positioning/shared/value-criteria.md","brand/{slug}/strategic-plan/strategic-plan.current.md"] |
| context_writes | ["brand/{slug}/content/content-pillars.md"] |
Content Pillars — 5-Layer Methodology
Define 3-5 content pillars using a structured 5-layer process.
Each layer adds depth and specificity. The result is pillars that are
differentiated, pain-anchored, conversion-oriented, SEO-structured,
and non-linearly tagged for complex buyer journeys.
⚠️ Prerequisite check (ANTES de ejecutar)
Esta skill SOLO debe ejecutarse si content-strategy ya se completó en este brand:
- Lee
brand/{slug}/projects/P14-Content-Engine/tasks.json
- Busca la entry con
skill: "content-strategy" (típicamente P14-T01)
- Si su
status !== "completed":
- NO ejecutes la skill
- Responde al humano:
"❌ Pre-requisito no cumplido: la task {taskId} ({taskName}) con skill content-strategy está en status: {status}. Tienes que completar la estrategia de contenido antes de definir pillars. Abre la task primero, aprueba el doc strategy-decisions.md, y vuelve a pedirme que defina pillars cuando esté en completed."
- Termina sin escribir nada
- Si está completed → continúa con el workflow normal abajo
- Si la task no existe → asume setup nuevo y pídele al humano que ejecute content-strategy primero
Esto evita aprobar pillars sin estrategia base — escenario que produce pillars desconectados del posicionamiento.
Before Starting
Read ALL Foundation context listed in context_required. Do NOT skip any.
Also check for optional enrichment:
brand/{slug}/content/strategy-decisions.md — if Content Strategy was executed
- Transcripts via
meeting-intelligence — OPTIONAL
Layer 1 — Content Tilt (Joe Pulizzi)
Question: "At what intersection is this brand the ONLY credible voice?"
Before defining any pillars, find the Content Tilt — the unique angle
that makes this brand's content impossible to replicate.
Process:
- Read company-brief: what does the brand do differently?
- Read ECPs: what do customers desperately need?
- Read positioning: what's the brand's unfair advantage?
- Find the INTERSECTION:
Content Tilt = (Brand's unique expertise)
× (Audience's urgent need)
× (Gap no one else fills)
Output: One sentence that captures the tilt.
Example (Growth4U): "Sistemas de growth con exit date a 6 meses para
startups post-PMF — el unico programa que instala un motor y se va."
Rule: If you can't articulate a clear tilt, STOP and workshop with
the human. Without a tilt, pillars will be generic.
Layer 2 — Pain-Based + JTBD Pillars
Framework: Each pillar = intersection of:
- Customer Pain (from ECPs — use pain SCORES to prioritize)
- Brand Expertise (from company-brief — concrete track record, not claims)
- Topic Defensibility (can the brand credibly own this topic for years?)
Process:
- List all pain clusters from ECPs with their scores
- List all brand expertise areas with concrete proof (names, numbers, results)
- Cross-reference: which pains match which expertise?
- Group into 3-5 pillars (not more — dilutes authority)
- For each pillar, define the JTBD:
"When [situation], I want [motivation], so I can [outcome]."
Each pillar MUST have:
- A pain score reference (from ECPs)
- A concrete expertise proof (not "we're experts in X" — "we grew Bnext 0→400K under CNMV")
- A JTBD statement
- A connection to the product/service
Rule: "Growth strategies" is BAD. "Sistemas de growth repetibles para
startups post-PMF 5-50 personas" is GOOD. Be specific or redo.
Layer 3 — BOFU-First Prioritization (Rob Walling)
Principle: Within each pillar, prioritize content that CONVERTS before
content that generates awareness. Start at the bottom of the funnel.
Process:
-
For each pillar, assign a funnel_role:
bottom — captures intent (blog SEO, comparison pages, use cases). GATED with lead magnets.
middle — builds audience (newsletter, community, deep-dives). GATED email.
top — creates demand (LinkedIn, X, thought leadership). UNGATED.
-
Within each pillar, list subtopics and score them:
BOFU score = (Purchase intent × 0.4) + (Search volume × 0.3)
+ (Competition gap × 0.2) + (Brand proof × 0.1)
-
The pillar's first 3 content pieces should be BOFU.
Assign per business_model:
- B2B: bottom = blog SEO gated; middle = newsletter; top = LinkedIn/X ungated
- B2C: bottom = product/cohort; middle = email gated; top = social ungated
Layer 4 — Topic Cluster Structure (HubSpot Model)
For each pillar, define the hub-and-spoke architecture:
PILLAR HUB (comprehensive overview page)
├── Spoke 1: [specific subtopic] — searchable
├── Spoke 2: [specific subtopic] — searchable
├── Spoke 3: [specific subtopic] — shareable
├── Spoke 4: [specific subtopic] — searchable
├── Spoke 5: [specific subtopic] — shareable
└── Spoke 6: [specific subtopic] — searchable
Rules:
- Hub = broad topic. Spokes = specific long-tail.
- Each spoke MUST be specific enough to be a single content piece
- Interlink: every spoke links to the hub, hub links to all spokes
- Mix searchable (60%) + shareable (25%) + both (15%)
- 6-8 spokes per pillar minimum
Each spoke needs: title, searchable/shareable/both, buyer stage
(awareness/consideration/decision/implementation), target keyword hint.
Layer 5 — Playground Model Tagging (Ashley Faus, Atlassian)
Replace the linear funnel with a non-linear playground.
Tag each spoke with a DEPTH level:
- Conceptual — "what is X and why does it matter?" (awareness, inspiration)
- Strategic — "how should I think about X?" (frameworks, comparisons, decisions)
- Tactical — "how do I DO X step by step?" (tutorials, templates, playbooks)
Why: Buyers don't move linearly top→mid→bottom. They jump between
depths. A CTO might start with a tactical template, then read a strategic
framework, then share a conceptual hot take on LinkedIn. Content should
work at any entry point.
Each pillar should have content at all 3 depths.
Output Format
Write brand/{slug}/content/content-pillars.md as readable markdown:
# Content Pillars — {Client Name}
> Generado: {date} | Status: approved
> Content Tilt: {one-sentence tilt}
> Inputs: {list of Foundation docs used}
---
## Content Tilt
{2-3 sentences explaining the tilt and why this brand is uniquely
positioned to own this content space}
## Resumen
| # | Pillar | Funnel | BOFU Priority | Diferenciador |
|---|--------|--------|---------------|---------------|
| P1 | {name} | {Top/Middle/Bottom} | {first BOFU subtopic} | {1 line} |
---
## P1 — {Pillar Name}
**Content Tilt connection**: {how this pillar serves the overall tilt}
**Rol en funnel**: {Top/Middle/Bottom} ({channels, gating})
**JTBD**: "When {situation}, I want {motivation}, so I can {outcome}."
**Por que este pillar**: {2-3 sentences with SPECIFIC data — pain scores,
market size, track record numbers. NOT generic.}
**Clusters de dolor**:
- **Cluster {X}: {Name}** (Pain {score}) — {description}
**Expertise**:
- {Specific achievement with data}
**Topic Cluster** (hub + spokes):
| # | Spoke | Type | Buyer Stage | Depth | Keyword hint |
|---|-------|------|-------------|-------|-------------|
| Hub | {pillar overview} | Both | All | Strategic | {keyword} |
| 1 | {subtopic} | Searchable | Decision | Tactical | {keyword} |
| 2 | {subtopic} | Shareable | Awareness | Conceptual | {keyword} |
| 3 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
**BOFU priority**: {first 3 pieces to produce, all bottom-funnel}
**Lead magnets**: {list}
---
Quality Checklist
Before presenting to the human:
Rules
- Pillars = TOPICS, not POV. POV is decided per piece during clarify.
- No
is_contrarian flag. Contrarian angles are piece-level.
- 3-5 pillars max. More dilutes authority.
- Every pillar must connect to the product/service.
- Output is MARKDOWN, not YAML. Human-readable in doc viewer.
- Be specific, not generic. If a competitor could claim the same pillar, it's not specific enough.
- Content Tilt FIRST. Without it, pillars are commodity.
- BOFU FIRST. Within each pillar, prioritize what converts.
Versioning
Reviewed quarterly (Proceso 4 Performance). When updating:
- Read existing
content-pillars.md
- Compare with new data (Atalaya, performance, ECPs)
- Propose changes for approval
- Note update date
Related Skills
content-strategy — 14 global decisions BEFORE pillars
positioning-messaging — per-niche pillar SEEDS (step 7)
brand-voice — tone/vocabulary (NOT POV)
insight-to-content-mapper — signals → ideas WITHIN pillars
content-calendar-planner — schedules content ACROSS pillars
content-engine-setup — configs derived FROM pillars