If you curate it, they will come
Content curation isn’t a secret in the world of digital marketing, but it’s often overlooked and underutilised.
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Whether you’re under the pump trying to create assets from scratch or simply lost for new content ideas, content curation is here to help you fill your editorial calendar when you need it filled.
From simple news stories to personalised playlists, there’s almost no limit to where content curation can take you and what it can offer your audience.
How much time and effort you want to put into your content creation is really up to you. No matter your goals (big or small) there’s a place for content creation in just about every digital marketing strategy under the sun.
If you haven’t implemented it into yours, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive a little deeper into content creation.
What is content curation?
The phrase “content curation” has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? However, in terms of social media and digital marketing, what does it actually mean?
Content curation is the process of sourcing and collating interesting content that appeals to your audience and sharing across your social media and digital channels.
Essentially, it’s all about finding the content and resources that you love and sharing it all with your audience.
Why should you curate content?
Let’s look at a few of the reasons you should look into content curation and how it can help your brand grow.
You want to add value to your audience while also building trust. While that can be a difficult combination of goals to nail, content curation is an excellent starting point. It helps to position yourself (or your brand) as a thought leader and a go-to resource for interesting and up-to-date information/content.
Content curation adds value
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: everything you do on social media should add some kind of value to your audience. By curating your favourite content all in one place for your audience, you’re not only sharing something that will interest your audience, you’re doing the legwork for them.
Content curation is time (and cost) effective
Look, you may very well have the best social media calendar in the world. However, even the most well-planned and prepared social media and digital marketing professionals will have a slow week from time to time.
In the inevitable situation where you find yourself low on your own original content, content curation is a great option to fill the gaps. While curating all of that great content to share with your audience will take some time, it’s nothing compared to the time, energy and resources that go into producing your own original content from the ground up.
Now that we’re all familiar with what content curation is and how it can benefit you, let’s look at a few handy tips to get you started heading in the right direction.
Share your favourite media
We all love a good blog post. (You’re enjoying one right now). However, you don’t have to limit your content curation to text-based content. Right now, more than ever before, social media is all about video and audio content.
Why not share the content you love with your audience? Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Create a YouTube playlist of your favourite videos and keep it up to date
- Create an Instagram guide highlighting some of your favourite recent content
- Educate your audience by sharing some of your favourite podcasts
- Let your audience know what you’re listening to by creating a branded Spotify playlist
Pro tip: don’t be afraid to re-share your own content as a part of your curated content.
Share your favourite resources
Content curation is all about adding value to your audience, and what adds more value than free stuff? We all love free stuff, right? Of course we do. But we really love free stuff that helps us do our jobs or run our businesses more efficiently.
If you work in social media or digital marketing, there’s a pretty high chance you’ve spent plenty of time looking for tools and resources that enable you to work smarter and not harder, right?
For example: here at SMPerth, we’re huge fans of Sked Social, and we sing their praises at every opportunity we get.
Share the love and watch your audience share it right back!
Don’t forget: when recommending products or resources, make sure you’re transparent about any affiliations, especially if there’s money involved.
Embrace your community
We’ve already spoken about just how time-consuming it can be to create your own original content, so why not harness that power of your community with some user-generated content?
Let’s imagine you’re a brand that sells quality art supplies. Why not encourage your audience to create incredible artwork and share it with you online? From there, simply curate your favourites into a post for social media (or even a blog). Your audience will love you for it, and they’ll appreciate the exposure.
Here are a few tips to get you started with user-generated content:
- Create a branded hashtag on Instagram
- Hold a content creation competition on social media and encourage your audience to get involved
- Share your audience’s content without expecting anything in return
- Turn positive reviews into social media posts
Important: when curating user-generated content, make sure you’re always crediting your sources.
You shouldn’t feel like your content curation is holding you back. In fact, you should feel quite the opposite. Content curation offers flexibility and a significant amount of freedom when done correctly. It’s important to make sure you’re sourcing your content ethically and that the content you choose to share with your audience aligns with your brand’s values.
Need a little help with all your social media and marketing efforts? Check out our downloadable audits and templates!
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