Making the Best Use of Content Curation

You have been reading about content curation on and off and you may have a sense of how it works and why it is important. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should abandon original content. Curated content should complement your original content and if you do it right, it will strengthen your brand.

Using content curation appropriately

As a business owner, you undoubtedly understand the importance and relevance of writing original content. However, you must also be aware that it is not always so easy to produce top-quality content that you write from scratch on a frequent, regular basis several times a week (if that is the schedule to which you are committed).

As a writer, you must understand that you can’t simply snap your fingers and produce amazing original content. So, what do you do if you are struggling to come up with amazing original content? The reality is that whether you are struggling to come up with content or not, you still need to produce it. That is where using curated content comes into play. If you choose to use a combination of original and curated content, you can increase your output tremendously. However, it is very important to remember that whenever you use curated content, you must not only give attribution for that content but you must also add your own thoughts to the content at the end.

The line between appropriately using curated content and stealing it

Of course, it must have occurred to you at this point (already) that you must maintain a high standard of ethics when it comes to content curation. As long as you give the proper credit to the person who wrote the content that you are curating. You can take the parts of the content that you wish to curate and put a unique spin on it. You can also take the article in its entirety and offer a commentary at the end. In some way, you need to insert your own thoughts into the concept of what you are presenting. There are certain rules that you should follow in order to ensure that your curated content was obtained in the proper manner.

• Mix up your sources: If you decide to practice content curation, it is important to make sure that you use information from a variety of sources. That is important for many reasons, including the fact that your content will always be interesting and fresh if you present a number of different sources. 

• Write original titles for all of the content that you curate: It is acceptable to use content that other people have written but it is most appropriate for you to create your own title for what you are sharing considering that the content that you are presenting is a hybrid of the curated content and your commentary on that content. When you are writing the title of the article, make sure that you really do it well. You only have three seconds in which to capture the attention of your reader with the title.

• Choose the best possible content: When it comes to the content that you are sharing, you should set the bar extremely high. Of course, that would also apply to the standards that apply to your original content. If you don’t make it compelling, nobody will want to read it. That is definitely the last thing that you need or want.

• Wrap your mind around the content that you are curating: It is critical that you have a good understanding of the content that you are presenting. The chances are great that if you don’t understand it, your readers will not understand it either. It is important to remember that you are using that content to build relationships with your readers and if you don’t understand that content that you are sharing, you will not have the opportunity to build those relationships.

• Be mindful of the time factor: When it comes to using curated content, it is important to be sensitive to the timing. Even if the content doesn’t discuss a specific event or occasion, you should use it sooner rather than later.

Conclusion

It is important that you understand that there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking advantage of curated content, as long as you do it appropriately and ethically. By using curated content, you are opening up a world for your readers and giving them the advantage of new and interesting ideas to think about and to discuss. If you are unsure about how to appropriate curate content, you may wish to take a look at how other people do it. It will most likely give you some really helpful ideas about how to do it yourself.

We are pleased to provide you with the insightful comments contained herein. For a complimentary assessment of your online presence, let’s have coffee.

Let's have coffee