What is Content Curation?
If you’re going to think about it, content is actually the lifeblood of the internet. It’s what draws people in. Whether it’s to read, learn or be entertained, users are online primarily because of content.
But creating valuable content for users can be a daunting task, especially if you’re just starting out on your website or blog. It’s important for businesses and organizations, both big and small, to be able to produce compelling content that speaks to their target market. Want to know how you can get started on a content marketing strategy? Then you need to master the art of content curation.
But what is content curation anyway? Simply put, this is the process of sorting out countless content you find online and passing on the most relevant and interesting ones to your network. This takes away the tedious process of having to go through every single piece of content just to find those that would fit your niche.
You can say that content curators are a breed of their own. Aside from being fast thinkers, they are also very discerning when it comes to content. They have high standards and know instantly when a blog entry or video is relevant to their niche.
Curating content is a great way to engage your network. Whether you’re catering to a personal or business network, curation gives those following you instant access to quality content. Your connections don’t have to go through thousands of tweets, news feeds or blog entries just to get the information they’re looking for. All they need to do is check out what you’re sharing and voila! Fast relevant information at their fingertips. This then positions you as an expert in your niche. It establishes you as the ‘go-to’ person for your industry.
Although content marketing and content curation are somehow connected, the act of curation should not in any way, replace content marketing. Why? Because for one, content curation is not going to drive people to make decisions about your services or products. Curation is merely a support for your marketing efforts. By being in the know, you’ll know what type of content would best work for your target market. You’ll also get a couple of great content ideas just by listening in on what others are saying.
Curating content isn’t exactly rocket science. You’re probably already doing it right now. Sharing videos, music, blog entries, and infographics to your Facebook or Twitter network is curation at its simplest levels. You’re sharing these pieces of content because deep inside you know someone in your network who will appreciate it.
If you want to curate content in a much organized manner, there are tools that can help you get started. Alltop, StumbleUpon and Flipboard are online content curators that sorts content for you. All you need to do is enter a few keywords and you’re all set.
But let’s be honest, nothing beats the recommendations for someone you trust. And that’s where the real power of curation lies. It puts you in the position to be the expert who finds and suggests content to people. And they know that they can value your opinion because you are an expert in your field. How exactly do you become an expert curation for your network? Here are tips on how to curate well.
#1 Segregate by Topic
There’s so much content for so little time so make sure to stick to one topic or niche at a time. You don’t want to flood your network’s feed with too much content. This is a crucial move if you want people to see you as a trusted source of content. Don’t try too hard to be an expert in everything because you’ll end up being good at nothing.
#2 Pick out the Best
Once you pick out your niche or topic, you need to sift through all the content online and pick out the most relevant and timely content. Make sure to share only the best stuff because this isn’t about quantity. Focus on quality and eventually your network will look forward to what you have to share. As an expert, always strive for excellent content.
#3 Be Consistent
Lastly, it pays to be consistent. With information constantly being updated, you need to step up and be one of the first to be there when it comes out. News gets out really fast these days so you need to be up to date with the content you share. Create a schedule for content sharing so that you’re reminded of when you need to do it. If your followers start to see your lack of commitment, they’ll just unfollow you and look for another curator. It’s important that you always make yourself visible, especially if you’re catering to a fast driven target market.
Becoming an effective content curator doesn’t happen overnight. But if you think that it’s the right avenue for you, then you should at least start somewhere. Here are a few foolproof tips to get you started.
Tip#1 – Make Google Alerts your Best Friend
Set up Google Alerts on your account and watch keywords that are related to your niche. This way, you’ll get instant notifications when new content connected to your area of expertise are uploaded online.
Tip#2 – Get Google RSS Reader
You can also start monitoring some influencer blogs and news sites that are part of your niche. When you rely on the experts for new information, you don’t just get access to content that your industry trusts, you’re also setting up your expertise on the field. Following industry experts is also a great way to start on a relationship with them.
TIP#3 – Start Sharing
Start sharing. Whether it’s on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Google+, start posting top notch content and follow them up with interesting updates. Try to share 1 piece of content every 2 days and work on posting more as you go along.
So there you have it. Hope that you have a better understanding of what content curation is and how it can position you as a thought leader. Happy Curating!