How to Use Curated Content
Content curation is often used in the context of art and collecting, but it can be applied to pretty much anything. In the digital marketing world, content curation is the act of finding, filtering, and sharing relevant and valuable content with your audience.
When learning how to use curated content to benefit your business, it’s essential to remember that quality trumps quantity. It’s better to share a handful of well-chosen pieces than to blast your followers with a constant stream of low-quality content.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- What curated content on social media is
- Benefits of content curation on social media
- Original content vs curated content
- Links vs no links in curated content
- Resources to help you curate content
- Traps to avoid when using curated content
- Steps to getting started with curated content
- Using curated content in your social media marketing strategy
Let’s get started.
What is Curated Content on Social Media?
Social media is a place where people connect with friends, family, and their interests. As a business owner, you can use social media to build relationships with your target audience and promote your brand.
One of the best ways to do this is by sharing relevant and valuable content with your followers through curated content.
Curated content is any piece of content created by someone else that you find and share with your audience. This could be an article, blog post, video, or even a tweet or status update that you think would be helpful or interesting to your followers.
As mentioned earlier, quality content is always better than quantity. So, when curating content for your social media followers, make sure only to share the best of the best.
The goal is to add value to your followers’ lives and build relationships with them so that they think of you as a trusted source of information.
The Benefits of Content Curation on Social Media
There are various benefits that businesses can reap from curating content on social media.
Learning how to curate content for social media in the best way possible comes down to having a content curation strategy that you can use repeatedly. A content curation strategy should answer the following questions:
- Who is your target audience?
- What type of content will they find helpful or interesting?
- Where will you find this content?
- How often will you share it?
The great news is that having such a strategy brings a ton of benefits. Let’s explore some of these benefits next.
Boosts Your Social Media Presence
Who doesn’t want a better social media presence in today’s digital world? If you’re not already using content curation to improve your social media presence, now is the time to start.
By sharing relevant and valuable content with your followers regularly, you’ll be able to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry. People will start to see you as a trusted source of information, which will boost your online presence.
Increases Followers and Engagement
One of the benefits of content curation is that it can help you increase your followers and engagement on social media.
When you share high-quality content that is relevant and useful to your target audience, people will start to see you as a trusted source of information. They’ll be more likely to follow you and engage with your content.
By using content curation and adding your twist to it (more on this later), the better your online presence will be.
Also, for those that use LinkedIn as a social network, and are involved in industries traditionally considered boring, like insurance, accounting, or similar business-to-business (B2B) companies, businesses have found that using content curation can be a great way to break through the clutter and engage their target audience.
Drives Traffic to Your Website
Content curation can also be used to drive traffic back to your website.
Whenever you share a piece of content from another website, make sure to include a link back to your own website in the post. This will allow people to find your website and learn more about your business.
Helps You Establish Yourself or Your Business as an Expert in Your Industry
One of the top benefits you’ll find when you learn how to create curated content is that this helps you establish yourself or your business as an expert in your industry.
When you share high-quality content regularly, people will start to see you as an authority in your industry. They’ll trust your opinion and start looking to you for advice and information.
Establishing yourself or your business as an expert in your industry can also do wonders for your reputation and bottom line. Being an authority in your sector brings with it its own set of benefits, including:
- More speaking engagements
- More media coverage
- More customers and clients
- More sales and revenue
Gives You a Break From Creating Original Content
Let’s face it: it’s tiring having to create original content all the time. Content curation can be a lifesaver if you’re finding it hard to keep up with the demand for new content.
Content curation gives you a break from creating original content while providing value to your audience. It’s the perfect supplement to your content and keeps your followers engaged.
Allows You to Add Your Call to Action
Creating a perfect call to action is one of the most important aspects of content marketing.
When you curate content, you have the opportunity to add your call to action at the end of each post. This allows you to promote your products or services and encourages people to take action.
Just ensure you do this the right way and provide value at the same time. No one will take action when it’s clear that the poster is just promoting their work with no benefit for the reader.
Helps You Keep Up With The Latest Industry News
When trying to run a business, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and lose track of what’s happening in your industry. Content curation can help you stay on top of the latest industry news so you can always be in the know.
By sharing relevant articles and blog posts, you will be able to keep up with the latest developments in your industry. This will help you make better decisions for your business and avoid being blindsided by any changes that happen.
Helps You Form Relationships With Other Experts in Your Field
Finally, the last benefit we want to mention is that content curation can help you form relationships with other experts in your area.
Things will start to happen when you share content from other thought leaders in your industry. And, if you add your insightful commentary to the mix, there’s an even higher chance of forming the right relationships.
Building relationships with other experts in your field is a great way to expand your network and access new opportunities. It can also lead to joint ventures, partnerships, and other collaborative business projects that can benefit both parties involved.
Bonus: Get your FREE Social Media Engagement Checklist here!
Advantages and Disadvantages of Curated Content
Depending on the social media post types that you have been creating, it might be a good idea to add some variety. Instead of consistently publishing original content, it might be a good idea to try your hand at curating from time to time.
The pros and cons of having original content vs. curated content on your website and social media channels is an essential debate to have within your organisation to decide what will work best for you.
| Advantages of Curated Content | Disadvantages of Curated Content |
| Boosts Efficiency | Less Control |
| Gain New Insights | May Not be Timely |
| Strengthening Relationships | May be Less Engaging |
Here are the key points to consider:
Advantages of Having Curated Content
- Boosts Efficiency – When your team spends less time creating original content from scratch, this gives them more time they can allocate elsewhere, such as working on other marketing initiatives or concentrating on more essential tasks like customer retention.
- Gain New Insights – When you read and share other people’s content, you open yourself up to new perspectives and opinions that can help shape the way you do business. You never know, the next big idea for your company could come from an article you read that was written by somebody else.
- Strengthening Relationships – As we mentioned earlier, curating content from others is a great way to build relationships with the authors of that content and your audience. When you share somebody else’s content, and they see it, there’s a good chance they will return the favour, which can lead to a mutually beneficial relationship.
Disadvantages of Having Curated Content
- Less Control – When you curate content, you essentially give up some control because you are not the one who created it. This means that if there are any errors or inaccuracies in the piece, it will also reflect on your brand.
- May Not be Timely – One of the advantages of creating your content is that you can manage the timeliness and make sure it’s relevant to what’s happening in the world. With curated content, you risk sharing something that is no longer relevant, which could make your brand look out of touch.
- May be Less Engaging – Even if the content you curate is high quality, it may not be as engaging as content you create yourself because your audience knows that you didn’t write it. This could lead to lower engagement rates, so it’s essential to choose wisely when deciding what content to curate.
Comparing these two types of content, it’s clear that there are both advantages and disadvantages to having each on your website or social media channels. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what will work best for your brand. If you decide to curate content, be sure to choose wisely and only share pieces you know will be valuable to your audience.
Links vs No Links in Curated Content
Another factor to consider when determining how to use curated content to benefit your business is whether or not to include links back to the source. While some people believe that having links is an excellent way to show respect to the author and build relationships, others feel that it takes away from their brand.
If you decide to include links in your curated content, make sure they are high-quality and relevant sources that will add value to your audience. If you include links for the sake of it, you’re likely to turn off your readers.
On the other hand, if you choose not to include links in your curated content, be sure to give credit to the original author in some other way. Whether it’s a mention in the post itself or sharing their handle in a social media post, ensure they are getting the credit they deserve.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to include links in your curated content is up to you. Just be sure to weigh the pros and cons carefully before deciding.
Resources to Help You Curate Content
Finding high-quality curated content to share with your followers can be a time-consuming process. But, if you use these resources to curate content, you’ll find content that your audience will love.
Google Alerts
Getting started with content curation is easy with Google Alerts. All you need to do is go to Google Alerts and enter the topics on which you want to stay up-to-date. Then, Google will do the work for you by sending new content related to those topics straight to your inbox, allowing you to curate topical and relevant content quickly.
Use RSS Feeds
Various curated content tools also offer RSS feeds that you can use to quickly and easily find new content to share. All you need to do is subscribe to the RSS feed of your chosen curation tool, and like Google Alerts, the content will be delivered right to your inbox.
Having a B2B LinkedIn presence is not only seen as a valuable way to connect with potential customers, but it can also be a great way to curate content.
By following relevant companies and influencers in your industry, you’ll have a steady stream of high-quality content to share with your followers. Just be sure to add your commentary to the pieces you share so that your audience knows you’re not just regurgitating someone else’s thoughts.
Q&A Sites
Q&A sites like Quora can be a great way to find content to curate. By searching for relevant questions in your industry, you can quickly find helpful answers that you can share with your followers.
Twitter Lists
Twitter lists are a great way to find relevant content to curate. Create a list of influencers in your industry and add it to your Twitter feed. Then, whenever someone on that list tweets something interesting, you’ll be sure to see it.
Traps to Avoid When Using Curated Content
While curated content can be a great way to break through the noise and connect with your audience, there are a few traps you’ll want to avoid.
Not Giving Credit Where It’s Due
Creating legal curated content comes down to giving credit where it’s due. When curating content, always give credit to the original author by linking back to their website or quoting them directly.
Not Adding Your Spin to The Content You Share
In many curated content examples, the curator has copied and pasted the content they’re sharing into their blog or social media feed. But, if you want to create genuinely effective curated content, you need to add your spin.
Your audience is following you because they want to hear your thoughts and opinions on the topics that matter to them. So, before you hit publish, add your commentary to the piece. Not only will this make your content more interesting, but it will also help you build trust with your audience.
Posting Content That is Irrelevant to Your Audience
The best-curated content ideas are those that are relevant to your audience. So, before you share a piece of content, ask yourself if it’s something that your followers will find interesting.
If not, it’s probably not worth sharing.
For example, if you’re curating for a Facebook business page that focuses on marketing tips for small businesses, sharing a piece of content about the latest celebrity gossip is probably not going to be relevant to your audience.
Ask yourself these five questions to see if the content you want to share applies to your audience:
- Does this content help my audience with a specific need they have?
- Does this content entertain my audience or make them think?
- Does this content educate my audience on a topic they’re interested in?
- Does this content inspire my audience or help them see things in a new light?
- Does this content give my audience a behind-the-scenes look at my industry or business?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” then the piece of content you’re considering sharing is probably not relevant to your audience, and you should look for something else.
Steps to Getting Started With Curated Content
Now that you know what curated content is, how it can benefit your business, and what traps to avoid, it’s time to get started.
Here are four steps you can take to start creating legal curated content:
| Step | Action Plan |
| Find influencers in your industry | Before you can start curating content, you need to find influencers in your industry who are already creating high-quality content. You can do this by searching for relevant keywords on social media, Google, and other platforms. Once you’ve found a few influencers whose content is relevant to your audience, add them to a Twitter list or RSS feed so you can easily keep up with their latest content. |
| Create a process for curating content | To ensure that you’re consistently sharing high-quality content with your audience, it’s important to create a process for curating content. Start by setting aside some time each day or week to curate content. Then, create a system for finding and sharing pieces of content. For example, you might want to set up Google Alerts for relevant keywords. |
| Share your curated content | Once you’ve found a piece of content that you want to share, it’s time to post it on your blog or social media channels. When sharing the piece, be sure to include a link back to the original source and add your own commentary or spin. This will help you create genuinely effective curated content that your audience will appreciate. |
| Monitor your results | Finally, once you’ve started sharing curated content, it’s important to monitor your results so you can see what’s working and what isn’t. Pay attention to things like the engagement levels on your social media posts, the number of clicks on your links, and any other metrics that are relevant to your business. This will help you fine-tune your content curation strategy over time and ensure that you’re always providing value to your audience. |
Using Curated Content in Your Social Media Marketing Strategy
Content curation is a powerful tool every small business owner should use. With this technique, you can quickly break through the noise and connect with your audience by curating content from other businesses and influencers in your industry.
Check out our social media engagement checklist, a free downloadable checklist you can follow step-by-step to increase engagement and get more likes, comments, and followers on social media.
Most people avoid using other people’s content in their social media marketing strategy because they believe taking the time to find the right content is not worth their time. But, if used correctly, curated content can be outsourced, effective, and even help you build relationships with other thought leaders in your industry.
You could even find the right people to outsource this to and be guaranteed to have content that will resonate with your audience while coming across as something that your brand would share.
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