What is Curated Content & Why It's Important 📲
- Social Media
What is curated content? We’ll explain, so you can boost your brand by sharing valuable knowledge and insight with your followers.
The ever-changing attention economy has made social media marketing a tough job. Social media managers must keep their pages active and engaged, which requires a near-constant stream of content. But you don’t have to do it alone! Let other brands and creators give you a helping hand by curating their content for your own audience.
Content curation is invaluable for boosting your brand while forging connections with potential collaborators. We’ll explain what curated content is, its benefits, and how to build an effective content curation strategy.
What is curated content? 🎁
Curated content is anything you share on your communication and social media channels that you didn’t create yourself. Curated content examples include a photo or review from a satisfied customer, a link to a blog post about a relevant topic, or an insightful social media post from another user with your own thoughts added.
Social media content curation sounds simple, but there are many nuanced considerations and best practices. It’s not just about giving your social media team a break; it also allows you to show your audience you understand them and the content they find valuable.
4 benefits of content curation 🌟
Content curation is not just a helpful tactic for boosting engagement; it’s an essential part of any social media strategy. Here are some major benefits of content curation for your brand:
1. Saves time and money 💸
The most obvious upside to curating content is that it’s easier than making your own. Writing, editing, photography, and graphic design — these all take up valuable time and resources. Although content curation should be done with care and consideration, it’s still considerably simpler than content production.
Of course, you’ll need to produce original content to ensure your brand has a distinct voice and value for followers, but it isn’t feasible to do so at the rate that algorithms reward. In fact, sharing content and engaging with others is precisely what social media platforms want you to do.
2. Increases credibility and relevance 👔
No matter what your brand offers, you likely want to be seen as an authority on the subject. Prove you are in the know by positioning yourself at the center of relevant conversations.
If you share insight from industry leaders, comment on the latest trends, and publicize cutting-edge research, followers will trust your brand for information. They’re more likely to associate your brand with the topic whenever it comes up and seek your take on developing events.
3. Adds variety to your feed 🌈
Even if you’re producing high-quality content, it helps to mix things up once in a while. You can keep your followers engaged by sharing a wide array of perspectives. (Just avoid putting yourself in the middle of a controversy.)
Content curation also prevents your followers from getting burnt out on self-promotional content. It shows them you’re dedicated to providing valuable information, even if it isn’t tailor-made to elevate your brand.
4. Opens the door to collaboration 🤝
Sharing someone else’s content and engaging with their interactive posts are great ways to start a relationship. It shows influential thought leaders and fellow brands that you’re a team player who isn’t just in it for yourself. You might even find a new partner or brand influencer in the process.
Cross-promotion and content sharing are fantastic networking tools, but be careful not to go overboard. Simply tag them or shoot them a DM letting them know you appreciate their work. Asking for immediate reciprocation makes you seem self-interested.
Effective content curation practices 🏅
Although it’s not as challenging as content creation, curating content requires a strategic application and a discerning eye. Each piece of content you share says something about your brand, even if you didn’t produce it yourself.
Use these tips to ensure your curated social media content provides value for your brand:
Use a wide variety of content 💐
Variety is the spice of life — especially in content marketing. Try to include every type of content. A mix of photos, videos, infographics, and text keeps your feed fresh and appeals to a broader range of potential customers. On the other hand, if your profile is full of similar-looking posts, visitors are less likely to return.
Use content curation to fill the gaps in your own content. Maybe you’re a graphic design wizard but struggle with long-form written content. Sharing others’ blog posts will give voracious readers a reason to hit the “Follow” button. Just vet any new sources before posting for accuracy and appropriateness.
Provide context and attribution 🔗
People love it when their content circulates on social media. They’re less thrilled when it gets stolen. Be sure to link back to the original source of any curated content you disseminate so they get credit for their hard work (and you don’t get accused of plagiarism).
If you can’t repost the content directly from their page, consider tagging the creator or linking to their website. Not only will you build bridges with content creators, but you’ll also show your followers you have integrity.
Add value through commentary 💬
The best content speaks for itself, but adding your voice is often valuable. Give your thoughts or analysis about another’s post to link it back to your brand and show you’re engaged in the conversation. This gives the people who see your post a reason to follow you instead of getting the content straight from the source.
Know your audience 🔬
Before you share something, assess its value to your target audience. The content you find relevant or interesting doesn’t necessarily benefit your brand or help your followers. Evaluate your target demographic and their needs, then consider where this post fits into your overall content marketing strategy.
Your original content can provide a valuable guide when making this determination. Look at what performs well and what doesn’t. Even if your curated content differs from your successful posts, the two should complement each other.
Useful content curation tools 🛠️
Knowing how to present curated content is only half the battle; now, you must find and post it. Fortunately, many applications and content curation software programs are available that make the job easier. Some are simple and intuitive, while others offer more comprehensive content distribution assistance.
Up your content curation game with the following tools:
Google Alerts 🔔
Although it isn’t as robust as the other tools on this list, Google Alerts is simple and effective. All you have to do is enter keywords you wish to track, and the search engine will notify you whenever it finds relevant new content.
Google Alerts is also a great way to track the buzz about your brand and find out when others are curating your content. Enter your brand and product names, and you’ll be the first to know whenever you’re being talked about.
ContentGems 💎
If you’re seeking a more sophisticated tool for identifying relevant content, ContentGems has you covered. The service organizes a massive database of news feeds into easily navigable topics, allowing you to filter results and find exactly what you need. Once you’ve reviewed the content, you can share it to multiple destinations with a straightforward output tool.
Sprout Social 🌱
This social media management platform provides everything a social media marketer needs under one roof. It tracks trends and influential voices, delivers in-depth analytics, and consolidates all your accounts into a single interface. It gives you all the tools to craft a cohesive social media strategy, then makes execution a cinch.
Find your marketing match on Contra 💖
Great content curation is vital to any modern brand’s social media strategy. If you need help running your brand’s online presence, Contra is home to top-notch Independents specializing in social media marketing. Our freelance hiring platform is focused on connecting highly skilled professionals with their ideal clients.
Not sure where to start? Our blog — The Contrarian — offers tons of tips on working with Independents, as well as advice for aspiring content creators.
