It’s important to update your blog regularly, but coming up with topics can sometimes be a challenge, both in terms of inspiration and finding the time to write. Curating content from other sources can address both of those issues, as well as help you publish valuable content. If you’ve ever read something that was so good you wished you’d written it, sharing curated content means that you can share a message that you find insightful or amazing, while also adding some context to make it your own. It’s a valuable part of your content marketing strategy.
Content curation is nothing new. Curators have long sought and purchased or borrowed pieces for museums and art galleries to be viewed by people who visit these establishments. That bears some similarity to curation of blog posts and articles in that you’re bringing in topics to share with people who visit your blog.
Recommendations for content curation best practices shift as search engine optimization (SEO) rules change, but the basics of effective curation are covered below.
Diverse Voices
Your blog is your voice, but yours is not the only voice that matters. Curating content allows you to share other voices that you feel should be heard by your readers, on topics that relate to the heart and soul of your company, publication or association.
You can lift content from sources such as news, industry and entertainment websites and blogs, keeping up with these sources through such means as RSS feeds, search engines, alerts, subscriptions and social media tools such as Pocket, which saves sites to read later; BuzzSumo, which helps you monitor popular topics on social media; and Swayy, which finds relevant content and pulls it into a dashboard where you can review it.
Go to the Source
When you find amazing content, make sure you curate from the best source, which is usually where it originated. Some curated pieces link back several levels, so when you become aware of important information that you want to share, find the original source to give your post a higher degree of authenticity.
When writing your curated blog post, include a compelling introduction that establishes authoritativeness and trustworthiness. Add a visual element to increase exposure and interest. Link to the curated content, giving credit to the originator, and put your own thoughts into the mix. Leave your readers with a conclusion that ties into who you are and what you stand for. Share the content on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter,
Mix Up Your Content
You don’t need to stick with straight articles and blog posts; feel free to link to e-books, photos, infographics, videos, podcasts or whatever makes a statement that fits your philosophy, mission statement or content marketing strategy. Give your readers a variety of interesting, informative and insightful content, whether it comes from you or elsewhere on the Web.
Maximize Your Reach
When you link to creative work by influential, popular sites or individuals, and you properly give credit to the content, you create connections that can reap rewards. If the content goes viral, your post may show up in web searches and feeds, bringing more traffic to your sites.
To increase the chances that readers will access your content, write headlines that attract attention; use vibrant, compelling images; and target keyword phrases that people might be more likely to use in search engines when seeking more information about the topic.
Leverage Social Media
Your social media platforms can also be important vehicles for you to share content from around the Internet that you find valuable. Use Twitter to share dynamic content such as contests, events, news flashes and insights, along with a quick intro phrase that itself makes a statement. You can share the same content on Facebook, with a bit more room to provide additional context. When it comes to social media, most of us are content curators in one way or another.
Curating content exposes readers to a wide variety of information, but it keeps you in the loop, too, and can fuel your original content as well as supplementing it, helping you boost readership.
