The Basics of a Content Curation Strategy
To really engage fans and followers, brands and businesses need to create and share high-quality content. The Digital Marketer shares four steps for success in content curation.
Diane S. Thieke
by Diane S. Thieke
As a marketing tool, what sets social media apart is its high-level of interactivity with customers and prospects. But to really engage fans and followers, brands and businesses need to create and share high-quality content.
This can be a daunting task, especially as good quality content takes time to develop. The recommendation for frequency of updates depends upon the network and the industry. To cut through the noise, most businesses need regular intraday updates on Twitter or LinkedIn, and several blog posts a week. That’s heavy volume, and it can be challenging for non-writers.
Even when time and resources are limited, we still can build a strong following by using a combination of original and curated content. Curated content is content that is created by someone else, but found, evaluated and shared by someone with an interest in building a high-value collection of information around a specific topic.
To be successful in social media, it is necessary to do both. Original content establishes your brand’s expertise and point of view, proving the value that customers receive from you. Curated content extends this perception, while providing a less-time-consuming way to maintain volume.
To be a successful curator of high-quality, on-message content, you must follow four steps.
- Know your story. It’s absolutely necessary to understand what your message is, and not be tempted to stray from it. The goal is to become an expert in a particular niche. If you curate content that’s peripheral to your message, you run the risk of confusing your followers – and then losing them.
Find like-minded people to follow, who also produce high-quality, on-point content. It pays to be picky when connecting with others. Certainly, you should follow existing and potential customers, but when it comes to choosing thought leaders, make sure that they are discussing common issues. Not only will this make curating content much easier, it will also provide you with a rich stream of content worth sharing.- Listen first. Spend time not only reading posts and commentary by others, but also observing the type of content that is retweeted and shared widely. This will give you a strong indication of the issues in which your followers have a strong interest.
- Read widely. Great content worth sharing isn’t always found on a social network – or even online. Many mornings I’ll find a great article in the print edition of my newspaper and share the digital version later in the day.
Find like-minded people to follow, who also produce high-quality, on-point content. It pays to be picky when connecting with others. Certainly, you should follow existing and potential customers, but when it comes to choosing thought leaders, make sure that they are discussing common issues. Not only will this make curating content much easier, it will also provide you with a rich stream of content worth sharing.Diane S.Thieke is the president and founder of Simply Talk Media, a digital media marketing consultancy. With more than 25 years in digital media and technology, she helps clients build stronger relationships with their customers and communities, using both social and traditional channels. Follow her on Twitter at @thiekeds or visit her blog at www.simplytalkmedia.com/blog.
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About the Author
Diane S. Thieke is the president and founder of Simply Talk Media, a digital media marketing consultancy. With more than 25 years in digital media and technology, she helps clients build stronger relationships with their customers and communities, using both social and traditional channels.