Content Curation: Strategy and Best Practices

What Is Content Curation?

Content curation involves gathering and organizing contented (like articles, videos, images, oregon audio) from assorted sources. 

Then sharing that contented with your assemblage via societal media posts, blogs, newsletters, email, and more.

In different words, you leverage existing content. So you don’t person to commencement from scratch.

Like however we discovered this meme connected Facebook and paired it with a caption that relates to our audience:

Benefits of Content Curation

Save Time and Money

Content curation is an effectual mode to nutrient accordant contented without breaking the bank.

Why?

Because you thin connected existing content. And won’t request to make each thought yourself.

This lowers the outgo of contented creation—which is large quality for teams with constricted budgets and clip constraints. 

But beyond simplifying contented creation, contented curation offers respective different advantages.

Expand Your Content Strategy

Businesses tin often conflict to support their contented strategy—brainstorm ideas, make content, publish, repeat.

Or find themselves lone posting astir their products and services.

But curated contented lets you showcase assorted perspectives, insights, and opinions connected topics applicable to your business. Without dense lifting connected brainstorming.

These antithetic perspectives tin spark speech and promote assemblage participation. Which is precisely what you privation erstwhile your extremity is to boost engagement.

(And sometimes, curated contented is meant to purely entertain your audience.)

Editing app Grammarly does this by occasionally curating quotes. They station the punctuation to societal media and inquire their assemblage what they think. 

This elemental station generated implicit 900 comments and thousands of reactions. 

Which keeps Grammarly’s assemblage engaged connected a taxable applicable to Grammarly’s product.

Become a Go-To Resource

Searching for the close resources tin beryllium time-consuming.

Curating top-notch contented successful your niche saves your assemblage the hassle of searching the web themselves. 

And they’ll admit knowing they tin travel to you erstwhile they privation adjuvant information.

For example, we compiled the best tools for writers successful the blog station below. This station saves our assemblage from searching for the tools themselves. And doing extended research.

Stay Ahead of Trends

Actively curating contented tin assistance you uncover trends and insights. And supply a deeper knowing of your industry. 

This penetration tin past usher your content selling strategy. 

Say you announcement radical discussing a definite taxable earlier that taxable goes mainstream. You mightiness privation to make contented astir this taxable if you consciousness it could summation momentum. 

For example, quality tract Marketing Technology Solutions Review curates play quality roundups for their readers. Which helps them enactment connected apical of industry-related news.

You tin besides hop connected trends for amusement purposes. Like we did with this meme referencing the Beckham documentary connected Netflix. 

Which tin assistance you enactment up to day with your audience’s interests. 

Improve Search Engine Optimization 

Content curation tin assistance you fertile for much keywords. And get much postulation to your blog.

Certain keywords enactment good with curated content. For example, radical searching for the “best pumpkin recipes” apt privation a listicle-style blog station of curated recipes utilizing pumpkin. 

To find keywords for listicle-style blog posts, usage the Keyword Magic Tool. Start by entering a wide keyword related to your niche. And click “Search.”

This displays thousands of keywords. Go done the keywords connected the left. Click connected immoderate that could beryllium applicable for a listicle-style station to show keywords related to your hunt term.

For example, if we click the keyword radical named “ideas,” the Keyword Magic Tool displays keywords with the connection “ideas.” Like “home decorating ideas” oregon “home bureau decor ideas.” 

These keywords could enactment good for a blog station with curated content.

The Keyword Magic instrumentality besides shows the mean monthly searches for each keyword (volume) and its keyword difficulty (KD%). These metrics assistance you take a keyword wherever you person the champion accidental to fertile high.

Connect with Buyers

Curating contented from applicable sources tin assistance you item your values. And erstwhile you item your values, your assemblage is much apt to bargain from you. 

An estimated 44% of consumers marque acquisition decisions based connected a brand's alignment with their values, according to the National Retail Federation.

Say your institution values sustainability. Sharing contented from authorization figures who besides worth sustainability tin cement that worth to your audience.

Like successful this example, wherever plant-based beverage institution Oatly shares accusation from Nature Food, an online diary that publishes probe connected nutrient production.

So, instrumentality attraction to vet the sources you share. Because sharing contented from sources with conflicting values whitethorn crook your assemblage distant from your brand. And wounded your sales.

How to Curate Content

These six steps showcase the champion mode to curate content.

1. Build Your Content Curation Strategy

Clearly specify what you privation to execute done contented curation. Goals tin scope from: 

• Establishing your marque arsenic a thought leader
• Creating marque loyalty by highlighting your values
• Increasing engagement by entertaining your audience, and more

And if you already person a contented strategy, reappraisal what your existent strategy lacks. Then, usage your curated contented to capable the gap.

For example, possibly your contented consistently establishes thought leadership. But your assemblage appreciates much entertaining content. You tin curate contented to code that need.

2. Define Your Audience

A well-defined assemblage makes it easier to root the champion types of content. 

Start by analyzing demographic accusation for your audience. Like their age, gender, location, income, and occupation.

You tin entree this accusation from One2Target. Just participate your domain (or your competitor’s) and click “Analyze.”

The instrumentality volition make a study with antithetic sections similar demographics, socioeconomics, behavior, and assemblage overlap. In each section, you’ll find applicable accusation connected your people audience. 

Then, research your audience’s interests. Pinpoint what they like, dislike, their goals, and their biggest struggles.

You tin apt entree this accusation done customer-facing teams (like a income team). Or by surveying your assemblage with a instrumentality similar Consumer Surveys.

Understanding your assemblage helps you curate contented that connects with radical connected a heavy level, drives engagement, and builds marque loyalty.

3. Perform Topic Research

Topic probe helps you place trending topics that your assemblage mightiness beryllium gaining involvement in.

To start, caput to the Topic Research tool. Enter a wide taxable related to your niche and click "Get contented ideas."

This displays antithetic taxable ideas applicable to your wide topic. With trending topics astatine the top.

Now you tin presumption topics that person been trending (in your niche) for the past 12 months. 

Even better, click "Show more" to uncover antithetic web pages nether "Headlines." Go done these headlines to curate contented ideas your assemblage would enjoy. 

When you find thing you deliberation your assemblage would enjoy, click the "+" to adhd the header to your favorites. 

This way, you tin easy support way of your curated content.

4. Identify Trusted Sources

Identifying trusted sources (people and outlets you’ll curate contented from) helps constrictive your contented search. 

Consider manufacture influencers, well-regarded websites, and authoritative publications.

And travel popular civilization and meme accounts connected societal media to enactment updated connected trends. This tin assistance you place applicable entertaining content.

List retired arsenic galore sources arsenic possible. (Your database volition travel successful useful successful the adjacent step.)

You mightiness besides privation to database sources from which you don’t privation to curate content.

This whitethorn see competitors and arguable figures. Including their contented could dilute your brand. And weaken spot betwixt you and your audience. 

5. Source Content

Sourcing contented up of clip makes it easier to propulsion that contented unneurotic and crook it into thing utile for your audience.

Here are a fewer businesslike ways to root content:

Sign Up for Newsletters

Sign up for newsletters from applicable publishers successful your niche to get manufacture quality sent consecutive to your inbox. 

If you aren’t definite whose newsletter to subscribe to, usage this useful hunt operator: "your niche" inurl:newsletter.

Like this:

This displays websites with the connection "newsletter" successful their URL. Making it easier to find web pages with newsletter opt-ins.

Influencer posts tin hint you into what your assemblage likes. And which types of contented they privation to spot much often. 

So, walk clip reviewing influencer profiles connected societal media to spot which posts execute best.

To start, caput to the Social Tracker tool. Set it up utilizing our configuration guide and adhd influencers to track.

Then, look to the "Top Content by Channel" area. This shows you the best-performing contented for each societal illustration for a fixed day range. 

Identifying the best-performing contented ensures that your assemblage volition find it enjoyable, too.

Set Up a Google Alert

Google Alerts notifies you via email erstwhile idiosyncratic publishes caller contented to the web connected topics you specify.

Here’s an illustration of an email alert for "dog training."

To get ideas for Google alerts, usage the Keyword Magic Tool. Enter your niche and click "Search."

The instrumentality gives you thousands of keyword ideas.

Go done these and prime which presumption you privation alerts for. 

Next, set up Google Alerts with your chosen terms. Enter each word successful the input container and click "Create Alert."

Now, Google volition nonstop predominant emails for each taxable consecutive to your inbox.

An RSS (Really Simple Syndication) provender is simply a record that summarizes and organizes a website's latest content.

In different words, it compiles the newest blog posts from your favourite sites successful 1 place. So you don't person to cheque each website 1 by one. 

Semrush’s Social Poster lets you make up to 5 RSS feeds to way authorization sites successful your niche.

Then, erstwhile you travel crossed thing you deliberation your assemblage would like, you tin docket it to societal media consecutive from the Social Poster tool. 

Find User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is contented created astir your marque by users.

UGC includes contented similar testimonials, merchandise demonstrations, and manner posts that diagnostic your products oregon notation your brand.

Like this video from constitution marque Sephora: 

You tin find UGC by reviewing your tagged posts connected societal media. And by tracking lawsuit reviews crossed platforms similar Facebook oregon Google. 

Also see a instrumentality similar Brand Monitoring to way marque mentions crossed the web. Once configured, this instrumentality notifies you erstwhile you’re mentioned online. 

And Social Inbox collects comments, backstage messages, and mentions. To assistance you support way of marque mentions for imaginable UGC.

You’re present acceptable to stock your curated contented with your audience.

Here are immoderate ideas:

Content Curation for Websites and SEO

• Create a roundup of utile resources similar websites, podcasts, newsletters, oregon societal media accounts
• Write a blog station that features insights from authorization voices
• Compile a database of recommended tools oregon products applicable to your audience's interests
• Transform information into shareable infographics

For example, writer Maria Popova has a contented curation blog connected assorted topics. She includes quotes, images, links, and videos (along with her ain commentary) successful her posts:

• Share entertaining memes with your audience
• Share quotes from well-known figures
• Share user-generated contented similar testimonials oregon videos of radical utilizing your product

For example, location goods marque Caraway Home curated a database of movies. They paired each movie with their signature colors arsenic a amusive mode to assistance their assemblage prime a movie to watch:

Content Curation for Email:

• Create a monthly recap summarizing cardinal trends oregon events successful your industry
• Create a roundup of articles you deliberation your assemblage would enjoy
• Share an adept punctuation with subscribers and sermon wherefore you recovered it insightful

For example, marketer Ann Handley includes assorted events subscribers whitethorn privation to be successful her newsletter:

Content Curation Best Practices

It’s important to curate contented that reflects your audience’s unsocial needs and wants. 

However, determination are a fewer different points to support successful mind:

Add Unique Value

Inject your insights into the contented you stock to heighten its value. 

Doing truthful helps your assemblage recognize wherefore the contented is invaluable and however it relates to their lives oregon work.

So, however bash you bash this?

To start, look for ways to supply further discourse to what you share. This mightiness look similar adding your ain sentiment connected the subject. Or repackaging the accusation into a antithetic format.

For example, email bundle Mailmodo curated an nonfiction astir email selling stats. The nonfiction included penetration from different authorities successful the space. 

To adhd their ain value, they compiled the information and created an infographic to marque the information much digestible for their audience.

Give Proper Attribution

Giving attribution tin support you retired of ineligible trouble. But it tin besides physique rapport with others successful your industry.

Other businesses volition admit you crediting their work. And your assemblage volition spot you erstwhile they tin presumption the archetypal root for the contented you share. 

To supply attribution, intelligibly authorities the content’s source. 

This includes the author's name/username and immoderate applicable links. 

Email selling level ConvertKit links to the creator of the illustration they curated for this blog post:

And erstwhile quoting oregon paraphrasing, usage quotation marks oregon artifact quotes. This intelligibly indicates that the words aren't your own. Then aft the quote, see a nexus to the archetypal source. 

Like however bundle institution Hotjar does with this quote:

Giving recognition demonstrates your committedness to honesty and transparency successful your contented curation efforts.

Measure and Track Performance

Tracking the show of your curated contented helps you marque data-driven decisions to amended your curation strategy.

To start, take applicable cardinal show indicators (KPIs). The KPIs you take volition beryllium connected your goals.

For example, if 1 of your goals is to turn your pursuing connected societal media, you whitethorn privation to way a metric similar shares. 

Here are a fewer metrics to consider:

• Engagement Rate: Measure the level of enactment with your curated content, including likes, comments, and shares connected societal media
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Track the percent of users who click connected the links wrong your curated contented to gauge assemblage interest
• Conversion Rate: Evaluate the fig of users who instrumentality a desired action, specified arsenic signing up for a newsletter oregon making a purchase, aft engaging with your curated content
• Bounce Rate: Examine the percent of users who permission your tract aft viewing lone the curated contented to find its relevance
• Time-on-Page: Measure however overmuch clip users walk engaging with your curated contented to recognize its relevance

Regularly show and analyze your KPIs to recognize which contented resonates with your audience. And which areas request improvement.

Diversify Your Sources

Diversify your sources to support your contented fresh. 

Consider including a premix of authoritative and smaller up-and-coming voices.

Your assemblage volition admit the wide scope of content. And featuring much sources gives you greater opportunities for collaborations successful the future.

For example, recruitment instrumentality Wellfound shares a newsletter with curated content. They see links from authoritative sources similar TechCrunch:

They besides diagnostic posts connected X (formerly known arsenic Twitter) from micro-influencers: 

Use a Mix of Curated and Original Content

Striking a equilibrium betwixt archetypal and curated contented involves immoderate experimentation. And depends connected your accumulation capabilities.

Start with a 50/50 premix and set based connected your clip and fund constraints. 

For example, if creating 50% archetypal contented is challenging, summation the curated contented you publish. 

Experiment until you find the perfect ratio for your team.

And instrumentality cues from your audience. If they respond positively to your curated contented (through actions similar comments, likes, and shares) see adding much curated contented to the mix.

Use Tools to Speed Up Your Process

We’ve mentioned a fewer tools to assistance you curate content. Here’s a refresher truthful you cognize which to usage each measurement of the way:

1. Topic Research to find contented connected circumstantial trending topics
2. Social Tracker to place top-performing contented from influencers
3. Google Alerts to get caller contented connected specified topics sent to your inbox
4. Social Poster to make an RSS provender of authorization sites
5. Brand Monitoring to show marque mentions and place UGC

Start Curating Your Own Content

A well-executed contented curation strategy tin grow your reach, thrust traffic, and physique marque awareness. 

Plus, you won't request to strain for contented ideas each week. 

Ready to commencement curating content? 

Sign up for Semrush and get ideas for contented your assemblage wants to see.