What is Content Curation?
Published May 5, 2024.
Content curation involves gathering information relevant to a particular topic or area of interest, typically for digital consumption.
Curators carefully select, organize, and share the best and most relevant content from multiple sources, aiming to provide value to their audience. This practice is common across various social media platforms, blogs, and newsletters, allowing curators to establish authority and thought leadership in their chosen niche.
Content curation vs content creation
There is a major difference between content curation and content creation.
While content curation involves sifting through existing information, content creation is the process of producing original content from scratch. Both practices have their own unique benefits and purposes - and they are both used in content marketing.
Still, content curation allows curators to share diverse perspectives and expert insights on a particular topic without having to create everything themselves, saving time and effort. On the other hand, content creation enables creators to establish a strong personal unique voice and perspective, and potentially attract a more engaged audience.
Ultimately, both practices can complement each other and be part of your overall content marketing strategy.
The advantages of content curation
There's a very good reason content curation is still used: it works and it comes with many advantages. Benefits of content curation include:
Helps you build your brand in a cost-efficient way
Building your brand through content curation is cost-effective, as it involves sharing existing content relevant to your audience. This approach allows you to maintain a consistent online presence without the high costs associated with creating original content.
Establishes your brand as a thought leader
By curating and sharing high-quality, insightful content, you can position your brand as an authority in your field. This helps in building trust with your audience on various social platforms and elevating your status as a go-to source for valuable information.
Starts and maintains conversations
Curated content can spark meaningful conversations with your audience, encouraging engagement and interaction. This not only increases your visibility but also fosters a sense of community around your brand.
Builds relationships with customers
Sharing relevant content helps in nurturing relationships with your existing customers. It demonstrates ongoing value and commitment to their interests, enhancing loyalty and customer satisfaction.
Helps you diversify your content calendar
Content curation enriches your content calendar by introducing a variety of perspectives and topics. This diversification keeps your content fresh and engaging, appealing to a broader audience.
Opens you to networking opportunities
Curating fresh content from different sources can lead to networking opportunities with influencers and other brands in your industry. These connections can be valuable for collaborations, partnerships, and expanding your reach.
Helps you stay ahead of trends
Staying on top of industry trends is crucial, and content curation is an effective way to do so. By curating the latest news and insights, you can quickly adapt your strategies and keep your audience informed.
Content curation best practices
If you want to include content curation in your inbound marketing efforts, consider the following tips of advice:
Mix the types of content
Integrating a variety of content types, such as articles, videos, blog posts, infographics, and podcasts, ensures that your audience remains engaged and interested. This diversified approach caters to different preferences, making your curated content more appealing and accessible. Experimenting with various formats and various social media channels can also reveal what resonates best with your audience, guiding future curation efforts.
- Use a content curation tool like BuzzSumo or Quuu to find the best online content to share
- Share social media posts on multiple social channels and in multiple formats to share informative or entertaining content
- Use blog feeds to share quality content from leading publications
Include your opinions and voice
Adding your own insights and perspectives to curated content personalizes the experience for your audience and adds value. It's not just about sharing information, it's about providing your interpretation and why it matters to your followers. This practice helps in building a stronger connection with your audience, as they come to appreciate your unique take on industry trends and news.
Use multiple sources
Relying on a wide range of sources enriches your curated content, offering your audience a comprehensive view of the topic at hand. It demonstrates thorough research and a commitment to presenting a balanced perspective.
Furthermore, leveraging content from various reputable sources (industry blogs, popular social media accounts, email newsletters) can boost your credibility and reinforce your status as a trusted authority in your niche.
Track your performance
Analyzing the performance of your curated content is essential for understanding what engages your audience. Metrics such as views, shares, and comments can provide valuable insights into content preferences, guiding your future content strategy. Regularly tracking these metrics allows you to refine your approach and continuously improve the effectiveness of your content curation.
Use scheduling tools
Content curation can be streamlined and made more efficient with the use of scheduling tools. These platforms enable you to plan and automate the publication of curated content across your digital channels. Social media management tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, or eClincher help making sharing content a breeze.
Use these powerful tools for the following:
- Automatically sharing every new blog post when it's published
- Creating a social media feed with the top social content from accounts you follow
- Curating user-generated content from your audience
- Organizing your content by broad topics, favorite sources, and specific content creators
- Getting an email notification when your feed is ready to be published
Encourage employees to participate
Getting your employees involved in content curation can amplify your efforts and introduce new perspectives. Encouraging participation fosters a sense of ownership and pride among employees, which can translate into more engaging content.
Additionally, involving various team members in the process can help uncover valuable content that might otherwise be overlooked. Everyone of us has an inner content curator just waiting to come out and share!
Pro tip: want to improve your content curation strategy? Talk to one of our vetted content marketers today!
