Content Curation 101

Effective digital marketing requires that you share content online. That content can be created by you or by others. Content curation refers to effectively sharing content created by others to establish your expertise.

The balance of original and shared content differs for each situation. For some, most of their content is original. For others, sharing other content is the best way to maintain a steady stream to engage online.

Choose the Right Content to Share

How do you pick content to share? The right content is accurate, interesting and useful to your target audience.

People follow you because the information you share is worthwhile to them. They don’t need more information just for the sake of it, they need information of value.

A concerning phenomenon I see all the time is content that is shared without being vetted. I see links shared thousands of time that few actually click. I see people comment that they did not know what the content said when challenged or questioned about the contents.

Read the articles and watch the videos BEFORE you share with your followers. Have criteria to determine what is worthwhile and what doesn’t make the cut.

Find Worthwhile Content

Here are a few tips on how to find good content to share:

• Ask Google – A simple Google search for a keyword or phrase will turn up relevant content. You can also Google ‘Best Blogs (or other online source) for X to find sources.
• Monitor Your Existing Network – Your network of connections online should be a constant source of quality content.
• Use Hashtags- Check the trending hashtags on Twitter, Instagram and other channels to see if anything is relevant to you. You can also use hashtags to search those platforms.
• Follow News Outlets – News organizations are all about sharing the latest. Follow general outlets as well as any that are specific to your niche.

Add Your Own Thoughts

When you find content, sharing the link is not enough. You need to add your own perspective. You need to tell your audience why you have shared the content – what’s particularly interesting? Do you agree or disagree? Etc.

Your comments can:

• Summarize a key point
• Ask a question
• Highlight a quote
• Clarify a statement
• Add context

Share Socially

When sharing content, tag the original creator in your post so that they know that you’re sharing their content. While you don’t need to get permission to share someone else’s content, connecting your share with the creator is a win-win, since you’re both tapping into new audiences.