February 1, 2016
The idea behind curation is to link and/or excerpt the work of others. Therefore, social has always been about content curation, but most businesses don’t have the time, staff, skill set or budget to regularly publish great content and that’s where content curation comes in.
Why curate content?
Audiences do not care for brands that ceaselessly promote their products and services. Successful brands understand that in order to attract a strong social following, shared content must be more than sales pitches and Corporate Social Responsibility posts.
A product or service may initially attract people to a brand, but it’s what a brand can offer after purchase that keeps followers engaged. And that’s were social comes in
Content curation can seem like a daily chore, but with the right tools and sources is easily manageable. If your following is small, it is unlikely that you will see results straight away, but with the right content and determination, you will start to see some success.
How can you curate content?
Rather than create new content, content curation websites allow you to categorise and organise collections of content created by others that they find online.
Sorting through the good the bad and the ugly is not easy – it is vital to provide your audience with excellent curated materials to gain a loyal following.
Three of our favourites among Immediate Future staff are:
- Feedly allows you to follow your favourite publications, blogs, YouTube channels and more in one place. The team version is useful, as it allows you to collaborate with co-workers on content curation.
- Flipboard is a mobile app and web-based news curation platform full of easy-to-access content. It allows you to consume streams of information quickly, with the ability to create your own magazines (Collections).
- Pocket keeps all your interesting images, articles, and videos in one place for reference. You can group articles by tagging them as you browse on your phone or PC.
There is no perfect way to curate content; it is always a good idea to create your own approach for your own audience by trying multiple curation tools and seeing what works best.
Different types of blogs and articles perform better on different channels. Regularly check what content is resonating with your audience, either by manually counting engagements (likes, clicks, shares, etc.) or by checking your insights dashboard. Through identifying the content that is working, you’ll know what to look for when curating the next round.
As a rule of thumb, never post content that you have not read. You’re only as good as your sources, and some sites may be affiliated with your competitors, or go against your brand’s beliefs.
Make sure the content you curate is relevant to both your current audience and the community you wish to build.
Inject a bit of personality when posting on your preferred channel – comment, write an opinion, or summarise what you’re sharing.