The importance of content curation

Nowadays we are immersed in a constant flow of information from traditional and digital media, data abound and generates a sense of anxiety that overwhelms the mental state of most people. Content curation is essential to moderate this infoxication and the role of marketers in this area is crucial.

We invite you to do a test to aknowledge the importance of content curation. Do you know how the famous Apple icon of the bitten apple was born? The answer might be this one or perhaps that one.

The task of a content curator is to filter trough multiple contents, cross the information to reach a truly unique answer with the adequate substantiation. In the particular example of the origins of the Apple logo, the correct answer is in the authorized biography of Steve Jobs, written by Walter Isaacson.

Content curation is essential for marketers because it reinforces the expertise of their professional field showing that they have sufficient criteria to recognize the variety of information sources and determine which content is more suited for the type of targeted audience. Let’s see how content curation is done in a professional level.

Define the topic area

Before starting the work of curation, it is fundamental to determine the type of content we will make the selection from. It has to be linked to the area of expertise of the marketer or brand.

For example, if we manage a digital agency account, the most relevant information for the targeted audience will be related to digital content trends, web design or apps, new technologies. On the other hand if, for example, we are managing an account linked to the health area, the selection will be based on content such as tips to live a healthy life, latest discoveries about diseases. Thus, quality content that is relevant to the targeted audience.

This way we define the content through our audience’s interests, the available content and how the competition is handling their own content curation.

Where are the relevant sources?

Once the type of content is defined, we have to find the sources from which we will do the selection. Relevant news sites, industry blogs, RSS feeds, are key factors for this stage.

The demonstration of the expertise in a particular topic ends up being founded by an argumentative construction supported by information sources to ratify or discredit certain points.

By using hyperlinks, it’s in the hands of the marketers to create a mix of experts, professionals, specific information that strengthen the figure of the professional marketer or the brand/business image.

The content curation

The curation process is fundamentally about the organization and categorization of the content. For example, if we manage the communication of a digital agency, the categories of the selected content can be: technology, social networks, SEM, gadgets, infographics, among many other categories.

It is essential to add value to the filtered content. Thus we have to add our own point of view on a particular topic, analyze trends and draw our own conclusions.

The content curation is much more effective and efficient if other departments (beyond the marketing one) participate in the process. More specific areas may have a deeper understanding on certain issues which determine which content can be more relevant or useful for the targeted audience or for brand positioning.

Strategies and tips

As seen before, content curation gives to business or brands the opportunity to generate and distribute quality content, which impacts favorably on the brand image and also allow them to become references within their industry.

Curating “invisible” content: effective content curation not only means selecting appropriate sources but it also means sharing content that is not widely known. For example rare photos, hyper-segmented content. If we share valuable content that people have not seen it before, they will come back for more.

The importance of framing the content: it’s not just about content replication. That is a thing anyone can do. The most interesting and valuable thing to do is to add our own point of view of the content we are sharing. Highlighting the content of a determined source with our own words makes it more interesting and shareable for the audience.

Acknowledge the sources: how would you feel if your content was replicated by another user or media outlet? Surely you’d be proud that your content was interesting enough for other people to replicate it. To impress the sources from which we obtain the content is essential to recognize their value, for example, through a personalized note or a direct message and fundamentally by mentioning the source when publishing the content.

Tools for content curation: there are multiple tools available and everyday a new one shows up to help the curation process.

In short, content curation in the current context of infoxication responds to a need for users who need some kind of organization of everything they receive on a daily basis and also to improve brand/business positioning to stand out within the industry they belong to.