Flipboard Curation — 4 Answers to Your Most Common Questions

Every day, rain or shine I check the many Flipboard user groups I am part of to see what they need.

There is a common pain point: TRAFFIC or the lack of!

So I felt the urgency to write this post to answer a few concerns.

Some of the suggestions shared here are methods I have used over the years to get more traffic. I do not believe in spamming or “tricking” the system. As a Flipboard “Old Timer”, I value Flipboard too much to see it polluted.

So here are a few questions answered.

1. How many articles do I add per day for visibility?

How many flips depends on your audience’s preferences and your goals. Here are a few things to consider:

1. To keep your audience engaged, add content every day. Your readers will get to know you and follow your content.
2. Make sure your articles are interesting. This means curating or creating articles that your readers look for. If you are a lifestyle publisher, share content that improves quality of life. As a gamer, share gaming tips to win.
3. Establish expectations for your readers by being consistent. I have a heart-healthy magazine, which I update regularly because my readers expect the latest articles.
4. Check all “Updates”, “Replies”, “Topics” and your analytics to track results. Also, follow through with an offline metrics system like Google Analytics.

How many or how little depends on the results. Sometimes quality might be better than quantity. I sometimes flip all day and get nothing; other times I flip that one article that everyone “reflips”. The bottom line is that results are unexpected, so keep going and don’t be discouraged.

Here’s how Jo, World Wide Schoolin made her experiences work for her on Flipboard:

Flipboard has been a game-changer for driving traffic to my site. By curating engaging content and tapping into niche communities, I’ve seen a significant boost in readership and interaction. Consistent posting and active participation in relevant magazines have been key to my success.

Travel destinations? Yes, please! | @WorldWildSchool

2. Can I add the same article to many Flipboard magazines all at once?

Adding the same article multiple times to a Flipboard magazine can be seen as spam by your readers. This practice may also violate Flipboard’s community guidelines. But if you are very proud of a new article and you want visibility, try the following:

1. Add to only two group magazines and only two of your magazines. This way you can reach some of your audience.
2. Space out the timing of your post. This is an unpopular choice due to the algorithm favoring article recency. But if you have a magazine that is widely read, it’s worth a shot due to readership authority.
3. Don’t forget that if you are federated your posts are viewed in the Fediverse. You can reshare your article a few days later.
4. Share your “Flip” via social media channels.
5. I love storyboards. They are a powerful and misunderstood tool. To feature your older but relevant content, try a weekly roundup of your articles. Then flip the whole storyboard in community magazines and your magazines.

Make use of everything you have available to keep within the community guidelines.

3. What is the best strategy to add content to a Flipboard magazine?

Before you do anything, ask yourself these questions:

• Who are my readers?
• What are their interests?
• How can I interest them?
• Then…

1. Determine your objectives to set your magazine goals. What is the purpose of this magazine? Is it educational, is it entertaining, is it newsworthy? All these answers will get you closer to your goals. I curate food magazines as one of my topics. I found that my audiences respond positively to food history and historical foods. So I curate magazines and storyboards on this niche topic.
2. Vary your content. Curate interviews, listicles, news, DIY, all this makes for interesting content. Remember the old-school magazines? You bought them because they not only appealed to you but they also offered an array of different stories.
3. Those headlines!!!! They are like window shopping! If we like them, we open the magazine. Look at your analytics to see what people are clicking on. That should be a gauge.
4. Don’t forget the images. If the headlines open the door, the visuals invite you in.
5. Use good photography
6. High-quality images are always best
7. 1100 pixels wide by 900 pixels tall. This ensures that the cover image displays well across various devices and screen sizes
8. If you have your pictures, use them! I love looking at them.
9. Think outside the box. As you enter into the Flipboard universe, you will dive into a world of experimenting with topics you never thought you’d curate. Don’t shy away from it, embrace it. This action will also help expand your publication.

How long do you have to keep doing this to get results? As long as you are on Flipboard it’s a constant effort.

Ksenia Prints, blogger at the Immigrants table shares her Flipboard strategy:

“I like to flip to some of the most relevant magazines as soon as possible upon publication. I have a lot of specialty magazines that fit my ideal content and the stuff I like to read about. I also spend time using Flipboard as a user every day to make sure I stay up to date on it and the type of content that works there”

At the Immigrant's Table | @immigrantstable | Flipboard

4. How do I get readers to engage with my content on Flipboard?

Like at any networking event, when you meet someone you want to break the ice to get their attention. Flipboard is no different. You have to provide something read-worthy and discussion-worthy.

1. Write something worth discussing: “How to get my child to eat vegetables”, or “Sports car reviews for 2025” — you get the gist of it. Interest your audience enough for them to comment or give you a “like.” Also, don’t forget that today with the Fediverse it is worth a boost.
2. It all starts with your publication. On-site — Your articles should be reader-friendly with compelling headlines and subheads. Write for Flipboard and not Google. Flipboard users don’t search as much as they read.
3. But, still use those keywords. They do appear in Flipboard searches and recommendations. This will help visibility.
4. Try flipping different content, like videos, presentations from Presi, interviews, and more. All this broadens your profile and establishes you as a trailblazer.
5. Check your “replies”, answer them, or jump into a conversation. Thank the curator for sharing the article if you find it useful.
6. Expand your reach with collaboration. Join group magazines, share your content, and reciprocate. There are many groups out there that encourage group magazine curation.
7. Keep your magazines updated and fresh. So, update regularly.
8. It is important to optimize for mobile to make it easy for your visitors from Flipboard. Flipboard is mostly a mobile platform, so make sure your website is mobile-friendly with a responsive design.

Keep doing this and measure results, tweak and tweak. You will see results over time.

Here’s how Jennifer Petoff, blogger at Sidewalk Safari found her niche market on Flipboard:
Earlier this year, I spun up a new website dedicated to “my weird hobby”: Doors, Glorious Doors by Sidewalk Safari. There are not that many people searching for keywords related to door photography so I have been using Flipboard to raise awareness of the site and grow my community of door lovers. Thanks to Flipboard, my traffic has been up over 100% month over month for the past two months.

Doors, Glorious doors! | @sidewalksafari | Flipboard

Here is a simple formula:

Think outside the box + Engage + Keep Content Fresh. Rinse & repeat.

Final thoughts…

The more I use Flipboard, the more I learn. It requires patience and persistence. It can be daunting if you are not getting the results you seek. But don’t lose hope and carry on.

I’ll be answering more questions in my next article.

In the meantime, if you have any concerns or further questions, feel free to drop me a comment.

Happy Flipping!

• Please follow my Flipboard profile.
• Join our Facebook user community for #Fliptips and tricks.
• To learn how to use Flipboard, follow my 40-second Flipboard tutorials on YouTube