How To Curate Content And Provide Value
Content curation is a convenient shortcut to help you create interesting content for your target audience. It can also offer them valuable information if you are doing it correctly.
When you curate content that provides real value, it can in turn position you as an expert in your niche and give you an air of authority and expertise that will keep your audience coming back for more.
Here are 8 steps to curate content for your blog or website so you can provide value to your audience without having to write everything from scratch.
What Is Content Curation?
Content curation is the process of finding, organizing, commenting upon and sharing online the best and most relevant content about the niche you are working in. It’s a shortcut to adding valuable content to your blog or website because you’re not creating it from scratch. But you are offering value by commenting on why it’s valuable, controversial, and so on.
You can curate content manually by sharing articles you like with your audience. Or you can subscribe to automated curated content sites like Outbrain.com or Taboola.com in the hope that they will have content that will match the topic of your site or blog. Typical topics they cover include health, beauty, fashion and finance. If they’re not a good fit, you’ll need to do it manually.
FREE Download: 5 Step Content Strategy
How Can You Start To Curate Content Right Now?
1. Decide On a Strategy
How much curated content do you want on your blog? A good mix might be 70% original content, 30% curated.
2. Decide Where You Will Get the Content
Make a list of the main sites and blogs you visit regularly. Do they have content related to your niche? If not, what are the top sites that do? Start reading through the headlines to find content you find useful and think your target audience will love.
3. Decide on Your Tone of Voice
Some people love to report the facts. Others love to stir up controversy and be as controversial as possible. Do you want to be the ‘David Attenborough of Beekeeping’, or the “bad boy” with the latest buzz?
4. Comment on the Curated Content and Give a Context
Many marketers who curate content make the mistake of just slapping up the content without a word as to why it’s important or what the context is. Discuss the issues, why the content shows a major breakthrough about the particular issue, and so on. Make connections for the reader so they can see the value of the content and the value of the thought and effort you are putting into your curation.
5. Think of Your Target Audience’s Pain Points
What are the most common problems that your audience have and what can help them solve those problems? Sure, you want to sell your own products, but don’t avoid mentioning your competitors completely or it will seem artificial and spammy.
6. Answer Their FAQS
Frequently asked questions need an answer. If you don’t have time to answer them all, use curated content to help. Comment on the content, such as why the approach is good, bad, or could be better in some way. This will continue to show your expertise and that you are worth paying attention to.
7. Choose the Best Content from the Best Sources
Think of yourself as the discerning editor of a fabulous magazine. Only let the top content reach your pages.
8. Understand How To Curate Content Legally
Ensure that you attribute all your sources so you’re not accused of stealing content. Provide the URL of the original work and the name of the writer or publication, the date, and any other pertinent information. If you’re not sure you’re allowed to use the content, contact the site owner and ask. In most cases, they’ll be happy to give permission, provided you’re not trashing their work as a load of rubbish.
Free Checklist: 5 Steps To Improve Your Website Content
No matter how much you love being an online entrepreneur, some days the thoughts just don’t come. You stare at a blank screen and struggle for ideas for website content. But when you have a system in place that takes the guesswork out of every step of the content research, creation and delivery processes, those days don’t happen.
Download my Free Checklist, The 5 Step Content Strategy to discover the best practices used by the most successful bloggers and online entrepreneurs for when you curate content or produce content from scratch.
