Curating content is one of the best and most proven paths to online success. It’s the secret sauce to getting noticed online. Or just finding great content and sharing it with your audience.
But where do you start with creating a world-class content curation strategy that significantly increases your audience reach?
There are so many interesting top content curation sources out there. Find them and dig for the best content. You can also subscribe to newsletters or browse communities where people share memorable stories to find quality content.
Once you find the best stuff, take time to sift through it and organize the best posts according to topics. And then, of course, share with your legion of fawning fans.
This post will show you how to curate your way to an excellent blog.
What is content curation?
Content curation is a well-thought-out process where you take content (explainer videos, audio, articles, even images) from different sources and organize it in one central place.
Curated content can tip the scales in your favor if you're a content marketer. So, collect the best pieces of content from your niche and present them to your readers (include some additional context on why you picked the content).
Examples of curated content
- Sharing a blog post link with your audience
- Creating a roundup of top advice from industry experts
- Sharing other people's social media posts to serve your goals
While this is a simple definition of content curation, there's much more to it. One thing for sure is that curating top content comes with boatloads of benefits.
Benefits of being good at content curation
Curated content often aligns with your content strategy. It bridges the gap between your best in-house created content with additional commentary and analysis from across the web.
Benefits of good content curation
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Building authority. You’ll build authority in your industry or niche if you do this consistently. Finding the best content, sharing it with your audience, and commenting on articles from across your industry bumps your authority.
And soon, people will start looking up to you for great content and what’s worth talking about in the online world. Reach this level, you can speak and share on a specific topic.
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Gaining massive influence. Once people see you can curate quality content, they expect you to share more. That’s because they feel you have the power to influence others to click, read, share, and even do more.
Getting in a solid groove with content curation will gain you massive influence across all social platforms—a dream for most content marketers.
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Cultivating relationships. Becoming an influencer means spreading goodwill or honoring others with content shares or mentions.
It’s akin to high-fiving or offering a tip. And a great way to forge deep connections with other influencers in your space.
Aside from these pointers, having a solid content curation strategy lets you share content with your audience in distinct voices and points of view.
It’s about keeping your audience coming back to you. So, make sure to find the best content for your audience. Before you go hunting for quality content, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
Following content curation best practices
Curating content for your blog requires intricate planning. If you want to do it right, avoid taking shortcuts that can negatively impact your SEO (search engine optimization).
Things to consider before publishing content
1. Know your target audience
How often do you think about your audience when creating content? Strive to know your audience before scheduling curated content. It’s essential. If you want to know your audience more profoundly, ask yourself these questions:
- How will this piece of content help my audience achieve their goals?
- How’s the content relevant to their problems?
- Does the content align with my audience's perception of my blog?
- Are the pieces of content worth it? Can they work?
If you can't answer the first three questions before sharing your content, review your content curation strategy and ensure it fits your audience’s needs.
2. Cite your sources
Always cite your sources before sharing curated content on your blog, social media platform, or website. It's the most appropriate way of sharing curated content.
How to credit your sources? Link the content back to the original creator. Or, better yet, tag the creator using appropriate citations and nuances.
Passing off curated content as originally yours is plain wrong. It’s a gray area that borders on plagiarism. And worse of all, it can negatively impact your brand.
Social media platforms such as Instagram or Twitter allow users to tag original content creators using an “at the rate” sign (or @). Citing your sources may also mean keeping your content to the correct length. Or using relevant hashtags and multimedia content.
3. Offer the right blend of content
As you pad your social media calendar with various content, find some room for curated content. And then schedule all your content ahead of time.
But what if the curated posts cast a gloom over my original content? Find a balance.
Some people share more curated content than posts they create (maybe you're one of them). A good rule of thumb is to share about 60% of curated and 40% of original content. This 60/40 ratio should resonate well with your audience.
Curate your way to a better blog
Content curation is a never-ending activity.
Many people want to get noticed, become influencers, and even have daily fun online. However, they want to avoid putting the legwork in to achieve these goals.
If you want to get more followers and establish authority, find great content and share it with your audience because that's what a real content marketer does.
And if you want to develop a world-class content curation strategy, know where to look for great content, how to find the best content, and the time to organize the best posts in one central place before sharing it with your audience. There’s no shortcut to success.
Author Bio
Velislava Georgieva is a Digital Marketing Specialist at Inbound Blogging, specializing in Content Marketing and Outreach Strategies. Besides her passion for digital marketing, she likes yoga, fitness, and hiking. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.
