Episode 8: Hygiene, Hub, Hero Framework
Tim and Robbie discuss a framework that will help you understand how to build a content calendar and a sustainable, actionable strategy that works the way you want it to. This framework is known as the Hygiene, Hub, Hero Framework.
“Typos are like bus drivers. You can have three or four accidents, but more than five a year and you’re off the list.”
Transcript
Robbie Fitzwater: [00:00:00] Wait, so Tim, you're telling me hygiene applies to more than just brushing my teeth?
Tim Lowry: It could include putting deodorant on, combing your hair, and maybe something to do with digital marketing as well.
Robbie Fitzwater: With content?
Tim Lowry: With content and email.
Robbie Fitzwater: Oh my gosh. Shocker. I've been missing out. Bad hygiene across the board.
[Intro]
Okay, this is Tim and Robbie with the Content Community Commerce podcast. We talk about the convergence of content, community, and commerce. Today we're talking about a subject that comes up a lot between us—one of those frameworks for marketing that really helps build a content calendar that's sustainable, actionable, and actually works the way you want it to.
Tim Lowry: I feel like you and I talk about this a lot, but when I mention “Hygiene, Hub, and Hero” to other marketers, they look at me with a glazed look. They’ve never heard of it. I don’t know if you get props for coining it, but once people understand it, they ask why they didn’t start doing it sooner.
Robbie Fitzwater: Yeah, once you see it, you're like, "I totally get that now." We want this to be an unlock. This strategy is used by so many businesses, and understanding its foundation helps you structure your content in a scalable, consistent way and lets you ramp up when needed.
Tim Lowry: The cool part is that it works for both SEO and email. It’s a practice you can apply to other areas of marketing too. We both use it with slightly different objectives, but the outcome is the same—resonating with the audience and driving results. So, what the heck is Hygiene, Hub, and Hero?
Robbie Fitzwater: This is a concept I started using when I was working in social. We needed to scale content without always reinventing the wheel. I like starting with hub content—that foundational layer that acts as the backbone. It’s like Saturday Night Live: it goes live not because it’s ready but because it’s 11 PM on Saturday. That consistency anchors everything and gives structure for the rest of the content—like a YouTuber who releases a video at the same time each week. That’s your hub content.
Tim Lowry: Right. The hub is the anchor, and the other parts supplement it. You had a great example of how HBO rolls this out with Game of Thrones.
Robbie Fitzwater: Yeah, HBO does it really well. Every week they release an episode, but during that week, they also drop teasers, previews, and social content to keep audiences engaged. That’s your hygiene content—what keeps things moving daily. Then there’s the hero piece, like the season finale. You can’t invest that much in every episode, but when you do, it pays off.
Tim Lowry: I love that example. In email and SEO, it works the same. Hygiene content is the daily stuff—care tips, cleaning, fixing products. The hub is our buyer’s guides—sizing, fitting, selecting the right product. And hero content could be something that drives major traffic or revenue, like a big “best of” list or high-impact SEO piece.
Robbie Fitzwater: Exactly. The channels vary, but the principles stay the same. It adds predictability and helps with operations—you’re not reinventing the wheel every week. You stay in a tight lane and do great work within it.
Tim Lowry: Hygiene and hub content is often evergreen. These solve consistent problems—like how to size something or how to care for a product—so they live on and continue bringing value. Hero content might be seasonal or have a short pop, but hygiene and hub are your consistent performers.
Robbie Fitzwater: Email plays a big role here. Even in off-seasons, that content keeps people engaged. You’re reframing something they may have already discovered and packaging it differently to keep them interested.
Tim Lowry: So where do you start? Do you literally plan month by month?
Robbie Fitzwater: I usually start by building consistency—get one email going out each week. Start small, with maybe four rotating themes for your hub content. Once that’s running smoothly, introduce more. You’re not building from scratch every week; you’re operating a system.
Tim Lowry: That makes sense. I build 12-month content calendars and distribute hub content every second or third post. Those guides are essential. And hygiene content, like care guides, fills in the gaps between those.
Robbie Fitzwater: It’s all about enhancing the product experience—getting more use, more value. And you meet customers at different stages: one might be excited to care for something new, another might need a replacement after heavy use.
Tim Lowry: Exactly. On the SEO side, we start with top-selling brands and categories. That’s where the ROI is. You don’t want to starve your stallions and feed your ponies. Prioritize what moves the needle.
Robbie Fitzwater: If you have lots of product categories, you can break it up and build content around each one, repeating the process and refining as you go. It gets easier over time.
Tim Lowry: You build a framework. The first few pieces are slower, but you learn what works and improve from there. Eventually, you even go back and make early pieces better. It’s a cycle.
Robbie Fitzwater: And on email, we’re recycling a lot of content year after year. It gets easier to scale once the ball starts rolling. The process improves the product.
Tim Lowry: Planning is half the battle—knowing what your hubs and hygiene pieces are, when they go live, and how they fit together. You don’t want to scramble week to week with random acts of content.
Robbie Fitzwater: Exactly. You want strategic content, not randomness. And this helps your team too—no tyranny of the day. They can bank ahead, stay consistent.
Tim Lowry: Having that roadmap is everything. You can adapt if needed, but the structure keeps things from derailing.
Robbie Fitzwater: So let’s not leave hero content out. It’s the cape, right?
Tim Lowry: The cape!
Robbie Fitzwater: Hero content is a different beast. One of my favorite examples is when Nike launched their Vaporfly running shoes. They built up to it with a live sub-2-hour marathon attempt in Italy. Kevin Hart was the MC. They had runners from around the world. It was a huge spectacle, and the shoes sold out instantly. You can’t do that every day, but that’s a true hero moment.
Tim Lowry: Not every brand can do that, but a hero for your business might be something unique or highly shareable. On the SEO side, we might build up 15 internal links before launching a hero post so it ranks quickly.
Robbie Fitzwater: For email, hero might mean a huge Black Friday push. It’s a heavy lift, but it pays off. It's all about effort and timing.
Tim Lowry: Planning for that matters. Once it’s live, there’s no turning back. You need to test and have backup plans because something will always change last minute.
Robbie Fitzwater: You’ve got to have that Mike Tyson mindset: everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the face. Be ready, but try not to change the plan unless you absolutely have to.
Tim Lowry: So what are three takeaways for listeners?
Robbie Fitzwater: Number one: start with your top categories and products.
Tim Lowry: Number two: be human. Personality matters. You can’t outscale Amazon, but you can out-human them.
Robbie Fitzwater: A little irreverence, a typo here or there—adds authenticity.
Tim Lowry: And number three: have a unique perspective. Don’t be cookie-cutter. Share your point of view, even if it’s a little prickly.
Robbie Fitzwater: Like me with Wendy’s Twitter. My students love it. I hate it. It’s not on-brand anymore—it’s gone rogue. That’s my hot take.
Tim Lowry: We practice this framework and have seen results. Try it for your brand and see what happens.
Robbie Fitzwater: And technically, this podcast is our hub content. We’re being consistent, publishing regularly, and trying to get better. We're eating our own dog food here.
Tim Lowry: We’re here, man.
Robbie Fitzwater: Thanks for tuning in. If you’ve got examples or feedback, send them our way. And leave a review—if not for me, for Tim’s smooth Irish voice.
Tim Lowry: Like Kerrygold butter—might clog your arteries, but it’s smooth going in.
Robbie Fitzwater: See you next time.
Both: Did you like it? Leave us a review. Five stars… or at least three and a half.
[Outro]
