The Role of Content Curation in a Content Strategy: Tips and Best Practices
In the world of digital marketing, content is king—but not all content has to be created from scratch. Content curation has emerged as a powerful component of a successful content strategy, allowing brands to provide value to their audiences without always relying on original content creation. When done right, content curation enhances your authority in your niche, keeps your content flow consistent, and strengthens your engagement with the audience.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the role of content curation in a content strategy, offer tips on sourcing high-quality content, discuss how to add value through commentary, and share best practices for integrating curated content to supplement your original material.
What is Content Curation?
Content curation is the process of discovering, selecting, and sharing high-quality content that is relevant to your audience. Unlike content creation, where you produce original material, curation involves finding existing content (articles, videos, infographics, social media posts, etc.) from reputable sources and presenting it in a way that provides additional value to your audience.
Content curation doesn’t mean copying or reposting content without context—it involves carefully selecting the best content, often adding your own insights or commentary, and strategically sharing it to enhance your overall content mix.
The Benefits of Content Curation
Content curation can complement and enhance your content strategy in several ways:
- Provides Consistent Value: Curating content helps maintain a steady stream of material, even when you’re not producing original pieces. This ensures your audience consistently receives valuable information.
- Establishes Authority: Sharing high-quality, insightful content from industry leaders positions you as a trusted source of information. It signals to your audience that you are well-versed in your field and are aware of important developments.
- Saves Time and Resources: Curating content takes less time and effort than creating original content. It’s an efficient way to keep your content pipeline full while balancing the workload.
- Broadens Perspectives: By featuring multiple viewpoints and sources, curated content helps your audience see the bigger picture. You can introduce new ideas, trends, and thought leadership beyond your own voice.
- Boosts Engagement: Curated content, when shared through the right channels, can spark discussions, encourage social shares, and increase engagement with your brand.
How to Source High-Quality Content for Curation
Effective content curation starts with finding the right content to share. The goal is to deliver material that is relevant, credible, and of high value to your audience. Here are some tips for sourcing the best content:
1. Follow Industry Leaders and Experts
Stay up to date by following thought leaders, influencers, and experts in your industry. Subscribe to their blogs, follow them on social media, and engage with their content. These figures often share cutting-edge ideas, news, and insights that can provide great value to your audience.
2. Use Content Aggregation Tools
Leverage tools like Feedly, Pocket, or Flipboard to aggregate content from multiple sources. These tools allow you to create customized content streams based on your interests, making it easy to discover the latest and most relevant articles, videos, and resources in your industry.
3. Monitor Social Media Trends
Platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Reddit are treasure troves of real-time information. Use trending hashtags, topic searches, and discussion threads to find content that is timely and highly engaging. Tools like BuzzSumo can also help you discover content that’s currently popular in your niche.
4. Subscribe to Newsletters
Many industry publications, bloggers, and companies offer newsletters with curated lists of the best content in their fields. Subscribing to these newsletters gives you access to a continuous stream of curated content from trusted sources.
5. Tap Into Content Hubs and Repositories
Platforms like Medium, Quora, and LinkedIn Pulse often feature high-quality articles on a wide range of topics. You can browse by categories, follow trending topics, and engage with the content that aligns with your audience’s interests.
6. Set Up Google Alerts
Set up Google Alerts for key industry terms or trending topics. This tool will notify you whenever new content is published on those topics, ensuring that you stay on top of the latest developments.
Adding Value Through Commentary
Curating content is more than simply sharing someone else’s work. To truly integrate curation into your strategy, you need to add your own perspective and insights. Here’s how to enhance curated content with added value:
1. Summarize Key Takeaways
When you share curated content, provide a brief summary that highlights the key points. This helps your audience quickly understand what the content is about and why it matters.
2. Add Personal Insights
Inject your own commentary or analysis to contextualize the content for your audience. Explain why the content is relevant, how it applies to current trends, or how your audience can benefit from it. This positions you as a knowledgeable guide who adds value rather than merely resharing content.
3. Offer Actionable Advice
If the curated content presents a problem or a new trend, offer actionable steps or advice based on your expertise. For example, if you’re curating an article on a new industry technology, share how your audience can prepare for or adopt this innovation.
4. Provide Contrasting Viewpoints
Don’t be afraid to challenge or expand on the curated content. Offering a contrasting opinion or diving deeper into the topic can spark discussion and further engage your audience.
5. Connect It to Your Own Content
Relate curated pieces back to your original content whenever possible. For example, you could reference a blog post you wrote that discusses a similar topic or include a call-to-action that directs readers to your own resource for additional insights.
Best Practices for Sharing Curated Content
Once you’ve curated high-quality content and added your insights, the final step is sharing it strategically. Here are some tips for sharing curated pieces effectively:
1. Use Multiple Channels
Share curated content across different platforms to reach a wider audience. This could include social media channels, email newsletters, blog posts, or even within private communities like Slack or Facebook groups. Tailor the presentation of the curated content to each platform’s unique format and audience.
2. Maintain Consistency
Curating content consistently shows your audience that you are a reliable source of information. Create a content calendar that balances original and curated content to ensure a steady stream of valuable material.
3. Tag Original Creators
When sharing curated content on social media, make sure to tag the original creators or publications. This not only gives proper credit but can also encourage engagement with the creators and their followers, expanding your reach.
4. Monitor Performance
Pay attention to how your audience engages with curated content. Use analytics tools to track metrics like clicks, shares, comments, and time spent on curated articles. Understanding what resonates with your audience allows you to refine your curation process over time.
5. Create Thematic Collections
Consider organizing curated content into themes or categories that align with your audience’s interests. For example, you could create a “Weekly Roundup” or “Top Reads in [Your Industry]” to help your audience discover new content easily.
Balancing Curated and Original Content
While content curation is an essential part of a well-rounded strategy, it’s important to strike a balance between curated and original content. Your audience should still see you as a creator, not just an aggregator. Ideally, curated content should supplement your original material and enhance your voice, not replace it.
A good rule of thumb is the 80/20 rule: 80% of your content should be original, and 20% curated. This balance allows you to consistently provide value while showcasing your own expertise and unique insights.
Incorporating content curation into your content strategy is a smart and efficient way to consistently deliver value to your audience. By sourcing high-quality content, adding your own commentary, and sharing curated pieces strategically, you can establish your brand as a trusted authority in your niche. With a mix of original and curated content, your audience will benefit from both your unique insights and the valuable perspectives of others in your industry.
Start curating today, and watch how it strengthens your overall content strategy!
