Let’s Start With the Question Most MSPs Ask
“What’s the difference between a blog and pillar content — and which one should we be writing?”
If you’ve ever felt unsure about what content to publish next, you’re not alone. Most MSPs are creating content, but very few are creating it with structure.
The result?
Blogs get written. Pages pile up. And nothing feels connected.
Understanding the difference between a blog and pillar content is what turns random posting into a real MSP content strategy.
What Is a Blog?
A blog is a short, focused piece of content that explains one idea, one problem, or one question.
Think of a blog like answering a single client question during a meeting.
Blogs are:
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Narrow in scope
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Easy to read
- Designed to be consumed quickly
They are meant to support conversations — not replace them.
What Blogs Are Used For
Blogs are best for:
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Answering common MSP questions
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Calling out the problems business owners face
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Educating prospects one step at a time
- Supporting SEO for specific searches
Blogs help people find you.
But on their own, blogs don’t explain how you think or how you operate.
Examples of Blog Topics for MSPs
These are common, effective MSP blog ideas:
Problem-Based Blog Ideas
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Why Break/Fix IT Stops Working as Your Business Grows
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The Hidden Risks of Letting Employees Pick Their Own Software
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Why “We’ve Never Been Hacked” Is a Risky Mindset
Educational Blog Ideas
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What Endpoint Protection Does (and Doesn’t Do)
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What Cyber Insurance Companies Are Asking for Now
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How IT Downtime Really Impacts Productivity
Curiosity-Driven Blog Ideas
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The One IT Question Business Owners Forget to Ask
-
What Most MSP Contracts Don’t Explain Clearly
- Why IT Costs Feel Unpredictable
Each blog covers one angle — not the whole story.
That’s intentional.
What Is Pillar Content?
Pillar content is a long, in-depth resource that explains a big topic from start to finish.
If a blog is one conversation,
pillar content is the full guide someone reads before making a decision.
Pillar content is designed to:
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Be bookmarked
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Be referenced repeatedly
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Serve as a “start here” resource
This is the content that explains the entire subject, not just one part of it.
What Pillar Content Is Used For
Pillar content helps MSPs:
- Build authority and trust
- Show how they think, not just what they sell
- Give sales teams something meaningful to send
- Create a structure for future blogs
-
Signal expertise to search engines and AI tools
This is the content that works long after it’s published.
Examples of Pillar Content Topics for MSPs
These are proven MSP pillar content examples:
Core MSP Pillar
- What AI Risks Should Business Owners and Professionals Watch for This Year
- The Complete Guide to Managed IT for Growing Businesses
- What IT Support Should Look Like for a Modern Business
- How MSPs Actually Keep Businesses Secure
Decision-Based Pillars
- The Mid-Year IT Readiness Strategy for SMBs: Cyber Insurance, Compliance & Infrastructure
- Managed IT vs Break/Fix: How to Choose
- In-House IT vs Outsourced IT
- How to Choose the Right IT Provider
Security & Risk Pillars
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How Can Small Businesses Prevent Cybersecurity Threats During the Holiday Season?
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Cybersecurity Explained for Business Owners
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What Cyber Insurance Requires and Why
- The Real Cost of IT Downtime
Planning & Operations Pillars
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Your Q4 IT Planning FAQ: What Every Small Business Needs to Know Before the End of the Year
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The Strategic IT Budgeting Guide for 2026: Cut Waste, Increase Value, Plan with Confidence
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How to Budget for IT Without Surprises
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The Lifecycle of Business Technology
- A Business Continuity Playbook for SMBs
These are not one-time reads.
They are reference pieces.
Blog vs Pillar Content: The Real Difference
Here’s the simplest way to think about it:
-
A blog explains one idea
- A pillar explains the entire topic
Blogs are supporting content.
Pillars are foundational content.
How Blogs and Pillar Content Work Together
A strong MSP content strategy uses both.
The pillar comes first.
Blogs come after and link back to it.
Example
Pillar:
The Complete Guide to Managed IT for Growing Businesses
Supporting blogs:
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Why Break/Fix IT Fails as You Grow
-
The Hidden Costs of Reactive IT
-
What Businesses Expect from IT Support Today
Each blog:
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Covers one section of the pillar
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Links back to it
- Strengthens the same authority topic
Instead of random posts, you get a connected system.
How MSPs Should Decide What to Write
Before writing anything, ask:
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Is this covering one idea or the whole topic?
- Is this meant to be read once or referenced repeatedly?
If it’s:
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Short, specific, and focused → Blog
- Long, foundational, and reusable → Pillar content
Both matter.
They just serve different roles.
What Type of Content Is This?
If you made it this far, you just finished reading an authority guide.
This piece is designed as pillar content, not a blog post.
That means its purpose is to:
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Explain a big topic from start to finish
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Be referenced again and again
- Serve as a foundation for future blogs
This guide explains how blogs and pillar content work together, so MSPs can stop guessing what to write and start building content with structure.
If you’re ever unsure whether something should be a blog or a pillar, this is the type of content you come back to before writing anything new.
How to Use This Going Forward
If you made it to the end of this guide, this probably isn’t your first time thinking about content — it’s just the first time it’s felt clear.
This guide is meant to be something you come back to whenever you’re deciding:
-
Should this be a blog or a pillar?
-
What should we write next?
- Why does our content feel scattered?
If you’d rather not design and manage this structure yourself, our team at CharTec works with MSPs to build and maintain these systems — from pillar strategy to blogs and full campaigns — so content stops being guesswork. Learn more here: https://chartec.net/pages/premium-membership
If you already have someone posting content but want proven structure and ready-to-use campaigns, CORE (CharTec Online Resource Education) gives you access to the same frameworks, topics, and campaigns Brandi and her team use every day.
Either path is valid.
The important part is this:
You’re not trying to “do more content.”
You’re learning how to make the content you create actually work together.
And once you have that, everything else gets easier.
Final Takeaway
If content feels exhausting, it’s usually not because you’re bad at marketing.
It’s because blogs are being asked to do a job they were never meant to do.
Build pillar content to explain the big picture.
Use blogs to support it.
That’s how MSP content stops feeling busy — and starts working.
More Marketing Resources for MSPs
Still throwing money at marketing that isn’t moving the needle?
You’re not crazy.
And you’re definitely not the only one.
A lot of MSPs aren’t failing at marketing.
They’re stuck inside systems that were never built to convert in the first place.
There’s a better way to fix it without burning everything down.
Getting leads… but they’re not turning into real sales?
That’s not a lead problem.
It’s a funnel problem.
Most MSP funnels don’t need a total reset.
They need structure.
Alignment between marketing and sales.
Clear next steps.
Messaging that actually builds trust instead of confusion.
This isn’t about “more marketing.”
It’s about fixing the pieces that make sales possible.
👉 See what high-converting MSP funnels actually look like.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Blogs vs. Pillar Content for MSPs
What is the difference between a blog and pillar content for MSPs?
A blog covers one specific idea or question, while pillar content explains an entire topic from start to finish. Blogs support pillar content by expanding on individual sections and linking back to it.
Is pillar content just a longer blog?
No. Length alone doesn’t make something pillar content. Pillar content is foundational, structured, and meant to be referenced repeatedly. A long blog without structure or purpose is still just a blog.
Should MSPs write pillar content or blogs first?
MSPs should publish pillar content first, then write blogs that support it. This gives your content a clear destination and helps authority build over time instead of resetting every month.
How long should pillar content be for an MSP website?
Most MSP pillar content should be 3,000 to 6,000 words, depending on the topic. The goal is clarity and completeness — not hitting a word count for its own sake.
How often should an MSP publish pillar content?
Most MSPs only need to publish one pillar per month or per quarter. Pillars are not meant to be frequent — they are meant to be durable.
Do blogs still matter if you have pillar content?
Yes. Blogs are essential for:
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Answering specific questions
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Supporting SEO
- Reinforcing pillar topics
Blogs just shouldn’t be the entire strategy
How many pillar pages should an MSP have?
Most MSPs benefit from 5–10 core pillar pages covering topics like managed IT, cybersecurity, decision-making, budgeting, and business continuity.
Can pillar content help with SEO and AI search results?
Yes. Well-structured pillar content is easier for search engines and AI tools to understand, summarize, and surface in answers — especially when blogs link back to it consistently.
How do I know if something should be a blog or a pillar?
Ask yourself:
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Does this explain one idea or the entire topic?
If it explains one idea → it’s a blog.
If it explains the whole topic → it’s pillar content.
