How to Choose Content Pillars That Align with Your Values

For over a decade, I struggled to choose content pillars that actually felt like me.

I kept hearing the same advice over and over: “Pick 3–5 content pillars. Niche down. Stay consistent.”

And for years, I listened. I built an entire body of work around one niche — bass guitar. On the surface, it made sense. My content had a clear focus. I had an audience. But internally? Something felt off.

I had more to say than just gear reviews and technique tips. I was excited about creative systems, AI prompts, parenting, solo bass arrangements, mindset shifts — all of it. But I didn’t give myself permission to explore those parts because they didn’t fit the “niche.”

Eventually, I realized the real problem wasn’t my lack of discipline or focus.
It was the system I was following — a system that didn’t leave room for someone like me: a multi-passionate creator with layered values, shifting energy, and a desire to create content that felt human, not performative.

Why Traditional Advice Around Content Pillars Feels Limiting

If you’ve ever felt boxed in by the idea of content pillars, you’re not alone.

For a long time, I tried to force a niche. I created what I thought I should create. But that came with a quiet cost — parts of myself got silenced in the process.

Traditional content strategy focuses on:

• Niching down to grow faster
• Covering topics completely to gain authority
• Optimizing content for SEO and algorithms

But that system falls apart when you’re multi-passionate — when your energy shifts week to week, when your ideas don’t neatly fit into buckets, and when connection matters more to you than clicks.

Eventually, even your best-performing posts can feel empty if they’re disconnected from who you are and what you value.

The Shift: From Niches to Personas

My turning point came when I stopped thinking about content pillars as categories I had to fill — and started thinking about the people I wanted to reach.

When I began designing Personas, everything changed.

• Instead of asking, “What topics will make me look like an expert?”
• I started asking, “What does this specific person need to hear right now?”

Personas are more than demographics or ideal client avatars.

They’re living representations of someone’s emotional state, life situation, creative blocks, or personal mission. When you create content for a Persona, your pillars stop being abstract “topics” — they become containers for meaning.

Suddenly, I wasn’t making content to hit keywords. I was making content to resonate.

I noticed something else too: the content I loved engaging with (both mine and others’) wasn’t always “SEO-perfect.” It was timely. It spoke directly to what someone was going through — almost like it had been written just for them.

And that’s when I realized: algorithms may surface your content, but resonance keeps it alive.

What Makes a Content Pillar Feel Aligned?

An aligned content pillar isn’t just a theme. It’s a reflection of:

• What excites you to create
• What your Persona needs most
• What your values are as a human, not just a brand

Here’s how I define it now:

A content pillar is an overarching message or theme you feel naturally drawn to explore — one that aligns with your values and serves a specific Persona.

Here’s what it’s not:

• A box you have to fit everything into
• A rigid category you have to stick to forever
• Something you picked just because it performs well

If your pillars are performative, they’ll eventually drain you.
If they’re aligned, they’ll energize you — and your audience will feel that.

How Ayumio Supports Values-Aligned Pillars

When I built Ayumio, I wanted to design a system that supported creators like me — the ones who didn’t want to niche down just for the sake of it.

So instead of asking “What do you want to create today?”, Ayumio begins with “Who are you creating for today?”

That’s the power of Personas.

Ayumio uses the D.E.E.P. framework to help you define your audience through:

• Description (Who are they?)
• Emotion (What are they feeling?)
• End Goal (What are they trying to achieve?)
• Pain Point (What’s standing in their way?)

Your Personas become your compass. And once you know who you’re talking to, your pillars reveal themselves. They’re no longer random topic ideas — they’re the stories, insights, and systems that connect with that person.

Ayumio’s Frameworks then help you structure your message clearly and efficiently. It’s not about ditching structure — it’s about making sure that structure serves real humans, not just the algorithm.

If You’re Afraid of Leaving Parts of Yourself Out…

You’re not alone. I used to feel that too.

But what I’ve learned is this:

Your content pillars are the parts of yourself you want to share — not the parts you’re told to highlight.

You don’t need permission to post about AI one week, parenting the next, and jazz theory after that — as long as it’s all done in service of someone you care about.

That’s what makes it feel coherent. That’s what makes it human.

Final Thought: Build a Strategy That Feels Like You

The best content strategy isn’t the one that ranks the highest — it’s the one that feels most aligned with how you actually want to show up.

So if you’re overwhelmed by choosing content pillars, try flipping the question.

Instead of asking:

❌ “What are my 3 content categories?”

Try asking:

✅ “Who do I want to help?”
✅ “What values do I want to stand for?”
✅ “What kind of content feels natural for me to create?”

Let your values shape your pillars.

Let your Personas guide your clarity.

Let your content feel like you.

And if you need a system that supports that — Ayumio is here for you.