To run this task you must have the following required information:

> Business/product description, target audience, key differentiators, existing content themes (if any)

If you don't have all of this information, exit here and respond asking for any extra information you require, and instructions to run this task again with ALL required information.

---

You MUST use a todo list to complete these steps in order. Never move on to one step if you haven't completed the previous step. If you have multiple read steps in a row, read them all at once (in parallel).

Add all steps to your todo list now and begin executing.

## Steps

1. [Read Content Pillar Methodology]: Read the documentation in: `./skills/sauna/[skill_id]/references/marketing.content.pillars.md` (Pillar methodology, scoring framework, naming guidance)

2. [Read SEO Integration for Content Strategy]: Read the documentation in: `./skills/sauna/[skill_id]/references/marketing.content.seo.md` (Keyword research for pillar validation)

3. [Read Content Strategy Library]: Read the file at `./documents/marketing/content/strategy.yaml` and analyze its contents (Check for existing strategy and prior pillar work)

4. Gather pillar context:
- What does your business/product do?
- Who is your primary audience? (Role, industry, challenges)
- What makes you different from competitors?
- What topics does your team have genuine expertise in?
- Any existing content themes or categories?

If pillars already exist in the strategy file, ask: are we refining existing pillars or starting fresh?

Good pillars sit at the intersection of your expertise, audience interest, and business value.


5. Research competitor content pillars:

Before brainstorming, briefly review 2-3 competitors:
- What themes do they consistently cover?
- What topics do they own in search and social?
- Where are they weak or absent?

This reveals both saturation (avoid) and white space (opportunity).


6. Brainstorm potential pillar themes:

Consider these angles:
- **Problem-based:** Challenges your audience faces daily
- **Outcome-based:** Results they want to achieve
- **Process-based:** How they do their work
- **Industry-based:** Trends in their space
- **Role-based:** Specific to their job function

Generate 8-10 potential themes before narrowing. Cast a wide net first.


7. Evaluate and select pillars using the scoring framework:

For each potential pillar, score on 5 criteria (1-5 scale):

| Pillar | Audience Interest | Expertise Fit | Business Alignment | Content Potential | Competition | Total |
|--------|-------------------|---------------|--------------------|--------------------|-------------|-------|
| [Theme 1] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [/25] |
| [Theme 2] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [/25] |
...

**Scoring guidance:**
- Audience Interest: Do they actively seek this? Check search volume signals.
- Expertise Fit: Can you be uniquely credible here?
- Business Alignment: Does it lead to your product?
- Content Potential: Can you create 20+ distinct pieces?
- Competition: 5 = white space, 1 = highly saturated

Select 3-5 pillars with highest total scores (aim for 18+ out of 25).


8. Validate selected pillars against search demand:

For each selected pillar, identify 3-5 keyword clusters:
- Primary keyword + monthly search volume
- Related terms people search
- Difficulty assessment (can you rank?)

Pillars with zero search demand aren't necessarily wrong, but you're choosing thought leadership over organic traffic. Make that choice consciously.

If a pillar fails search validation entirely, consider whether another theme could capture similar value with better search potential.


9. Document the selected pillars:

```markdown
# Content Pillars: [Company/Product]

## Pillar 1: [Name]
**Theme:** [One-sentence description]
**Why it matters:** [Connection to audience + business]
**SEO validation:** [Primary keyword cluster, ~X monthly searches]
**Subtopics:**
- [Subtopic 1]
- [Subtopic 2]
- [Subtopic 3]
- [Subtopic 4]
- [Subtopic 5]
**Content formats:** [Best formats for this pillar]

## Pillar 2: [Name]
[Same structure]

## Pillar 3: [Name]
[Same structure]

[Add Pillars 4-5 if applicable]
```

Include at least 5 subtopics per pillar to validate depth.


10. Create pillar distribution and governance:

```markdown
## Pillar Strategy

### Distribution Balance
| Pillar | Target % | Funnel Focus | Cadence |
|--------|----------|--------------|---------|
| [Pillar 1] | [X%] | [TOFU/MOFU/BOFU] | [Always-on/Campaign] |

### Review Schedule
- **Quarterly review:** Check pillar performance metrics
- **Refresh triggers:** Business strategy shift, audience feedback, competitive change, consistent underperformance

### Naming Convention
[If using pillars as blog categories or URL structure, note the convention]
```

Offer to save the pillar strategy to `./documents/marketing/content/strategy.yaml`.

**Suggested next step:** Run the Content Audit recipe to evaluate existing content against these pillars, or Map Content to Audiences to plan content by persona.