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Flagship content is the difference between random posts and a real content engine.

👋 Welcome back to Content to Commas, your weekly playbook for turning content into authority, consistency, and growth.

Two in one week? I'm really spoiling you! Saturday's newsletter was a much needed last minute pivot, so I promised to send you an extra one today.

If you're having trouble making content OR not using it to its full potential, this one is for you.

You need a pillar.

One flagship piece that everything else flows from.

It can be a YouTube video, a podcast, a newsletter, or a webinar. Your pillar is where you prove value, capture attention for more than sixty seconds, and create the raw material for everything that follows.

📍 In this issue:

  • The Pillar Content Playbook

  • How to multiply your content with micro content

  • How to grow your systems with Rippling (today’s partner)

Let’s get to work,

Brandon Smithwrick 🧠

Don’t get SaaD. Get Rippling.

Disconnected software creates what we call SaaD, or Software as a Disservice: wasted time, duplicate work, and stalled momentum. From onboarding checklists to reconciling expenses, SaaD slows every team down.

Rippling is the cure. With one system of record, you can update employee data once,and it syncs everywhere: payroll, benefits, expenses, devices, and apps.

Leaders gain real-time visibility. Teams regain lost hours. Employees get the seamless experience they deserve .

That’s why companies like Barry’s and Forterra turned to Rippling – to replace sprawl with speed and clarity.

It’s time to stop paying for inefficiency.

Don’t get SaaD. Get Rippling.

👑 The Pillar Content Playbook

If you do not figure out how to multiply your content, you will stay on the hamster wheel.

You keep feeding an algorithm with a bottomless appetite, then wake up wondering why the needle barely moved.

A pillar breaks that cycle.

It is your flagship piece that carries the full idea, shows your receipts, and gives you raw material for the rest of your content.

When the pillar is strong your content distribution gets easier.

the content hamster wheel.

1) Pillar content = the hub

Pick the format that matches how you communicate best, then make it the “mother” that births all other pieces.

Start by picking the format that fits how you actually communicate.

  • Yapper who comes alive on camera: video or podcast episode.

  • Thinker who works on the page: newsletter.

  • Visual seller: webinar or live session.

2) Secondary content = the spokes

Secondary pieces adapt the pillar to the channels where your audience hangs out. They carry the idea with enough depth to earn clicks, saves, and platform discovery.

  • A written summary for LinkedIn.

  • A 5–7 slide carousel that visualizes the play.

  • A short video or audio clip that tees up the core idea.

  • An email blurb if the pillar lives off-platform.

Think of secondary as translation. You are packaging the same idea for different contexts.

3) Micro content = quick hits

Micro is not scraps. It is packaging.

  • Short-form clips that land one lever from the pillar.

  • A thoughtful reply in someone else’s thread that extends their point and brings eyes back to you.

  • Stories with a link sticker, polls, and quick questions that spark replies.

Each piece should carry one idea and one next step. Pull quick moments from your pillar and secondaries that travel well.

Think small on purpose. You are creating moments that keep you in the room while the pillar earns depth and trust.

Lock it in before you hit publish.

Random posts are a grind.

Decide your secondary pieces before you ever record or write a word.

When those companions are locked in upfront, production gets faster and the message stays consistent. You won’t scramble, and you won’t skip the pieces that drive saves and clicks.

If someone you know is stuck feeding the algorithm with nothing to show for it, forward this to them.

📌 ICYMI…

Every week I share a quick practical plays on brand marketers, monetization tips for creators, and growth strategies. Plus tools I actually use that you might’ve missed.

Catch up in minutes:

💸 Set smarter content rates. A step-by-step on pricing that factors audience value and protects your time without leaving money on the table — Read it here

🧠 My HQ lives in Notion. Projects, content, and tracking in one place. Plus Plan with Notion AI is free for 30 days — Join the Notionverse

📱 What the latest Instagram shift really means and what to post next — Dive in

📝 Want clearer LinkedIn posts and weekly performance notes? Stanley does both — See how it works

📰 Building a newsletter? I use Beehiiv. Try it free for 30 days and get 20% off your first 3 months — Get started

🎬 OpusClip turns long videos into scroll-ready shorts and publishes them across platforms in one click — Try OpusClip here

🗓️ My calendar system. The weekly rhythm that keeps me healthy, focused, and growing while the work stacks up — Steal the structure

Don’t let the algorithm hijack your brand. A framework behind my highest-performing posts and how to make them yours — Use the framework

⏳ The opportunity cost of saying yes. A quick read on when to pass, when to double down, and how to protect your best work — Read it here

🏦 Manage your business finances stress-free with Mercury, a sleek online banking built for creators and startups. Deposit $10K in 90 days and get $250 cash.

📋 I use Typeform to build custom forms, collect clean data, and keep everything on-brand. Start fast and keep it pretty — Join for free

Brandon Smithwrick

Thanks for reading!

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