Why Does Human-Curated Content Matter?
The internet is a maze of stories, images, and data. The question is: how much of that information matters to you?
The answer is: a tiny fraction.
The more you explore the web, the more lost you’re likely to be. You could be looking for one thing and come out with a bunch of scattered information of little to no value. It happens, and it wastes your time like nothing else.
The good news is, blending the content from 2 billion websites into a pulp of relevant content is no longer a problem, all thanks to content curation.
Content curation is the easiest, fastest route to finding the best content on specific topics. It’s the equivalent of having an expert grab your hand and lead you toward their arsenal of knowledge. Plus, it’s a double-win: not only will you be learning from the best, but you’ll also save yourself the trouble of doing manual research.
However, that’s only true when it comes to human-curated content. Here’s why.
Regular-Curated Content Vs. Human Curated Content
We’ve seen Artificial Intelligence (AI) do insane things, from creating fake people to making celebrities say words that would never come out of their mouths. Still, if there’s one thing AI leaves to be desired, that’s spot-on content curation.
Search engines like Google update their algorithm thousands of times a year with one purpose: to make its interaction with searchers as “human” as possible. And although Google has done a stellar job of catering to users’ needs over the years, it still provides an information overload. A lot of times, even refining your search terms won’t drop you off exactly where you need to be.
To those looking for a shortcut toward a goldmine of content, the only way to do that is by finding the best source.
“What’s the best source?”, you may ask. Or rather, who is it? The human curator is.
If you’re serious about acquiring trustworthy information, start paying close attention to newsletter article roundups, podcast show notes, and links shared by experts on Facebook or Twitter. Every day, on every platform, you have the opportunity to learn based on what an authority views as important.
Contrary to AI-generated content curation, human curation is often receptive. Based on their particular experience, humans will curate content that matters most to their audience who’s looking to achieve similar results. And if anyone needs more information on a topic, they may be kind enough to point them in the right direction.
It’s as if they’re inviting people into their worlds. After all, they’re the ones doing the work and sharing the cornerstone pieces they’ve found helpful.
But that’s not all! Below are the most important benefits behind human content curation.
Human Curation Encourages Feedback
Even better than one mind working on its own are several minds working collectively.
Human content curators get even more thought involved in the process, making it about a community rather than just themselves. They may ask for suggestions on new content and reply to feedback in real-time, which ensures quality control and increases engagement.
It Starts Conversations
Nothing’s more important for brands today than human connection.
Contrary to its automated counterpart, human content curation gathers research based on a deep understanding of people’s needs. AI still hasn’t reached this level of connection and empathy — at least not when it comes to spot-on curation.
Plus, when a piece of content resonates with people, it gets them talking, asking about it, and sharing it, with the potential to make it go viral.
It Saves Time
One of the most frustrating things about the learning process is hitting roadblocks and detours. The internet is full of so-called “experts”, which has turned it into the largest source of misinformation.
Careful human curation streamlines the learning process, creating a smoother experience for those who are interested. In other words, it cuts through the clutter, besides being previously reviewed by experts.
What About Automated Curation? Is it All That Bad?
Not at all. Automated curation is powerful (and preferred) in certain circumstances.
For instance, marketing professionals have a ton of content to design, write, and distribute. That’s no easy feat. AI-powered curation tools take a weight off their shoulders by helping them select and embed relevant pieces for their audience. So far, so good.
The thing is…whoever shared the content may or may not have read it beforehand. And that could be a problem. You only want to consume handpicked work — otherwise, how will you know if it’s helpful?
Wrapping Up…
Remember: too much of anything can make you sick. Your brain’s capacity to store data is limited, so make sure you’re using your storage wisely with useful knowledge.
Bid farewell to overwhelming amounts of information and wasted time. Favor human-curated content, and you’ll get off on the right foot.
I’m building this at Glasp to give everyone the power to leave their learnings and experiences throughout their life as a utilitarian legacy for other people and future generations. If this resonates with you, please check it out!
Cheers,
Kazuki
