GTM Dictionary

The Go-to-Market Dictionary: Content Curation

Discover the power of content curation in your go-to-market strategy with our comprehensive guide.

In today's fast-paced digital world, content is king. As businesses and brands compete for online visibility and engagement, creating valuable content has become a top priority. However, creating content from scratch can be time-consuming, resource-intensive, and sometimes even overwhelming. This is where content curation comes in. In this article, we'll explore the ins and outs of content curation, how it can benefit your marketing efforts, and best practices for successful content curation.

Understanding Content Curation

Content curation has become a buzzword in the marketing world, but what does it really mean? Essentially, content curation involves finding, selecting, and sharing content that is relevant, valuable, and high-quality with your target audience. This content can come from various sources, such as industry publications, blogs, news websites, and social media platforms.

Defining Content Curation

When it comes to content curation, the goal is to find the best content that is out there and share it with your audience. This means that you need to be able to sift through a lot of information and identify the pieces that are most relevant to your audience. Once you have found the right content, you need to be able to present it in a way that is engaging and informative.

One of the key benefits of content curation is that it allows you to provide your audience with a diverse range of perspectives and insights. By curating content from a variety of sources, you can offer your audience a more well-rounded view of a particular topic or issue.

The Importance of Content Curation in Marketing

As we mentioned earlier, creating original content requires significant time and resources. Content curation provides a valuable shortcut by enabling marketers to leverage existing content and incorporate it into their marketing efforts. Curating high-quality content can help businesses establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry, increase engagement with their target audience, and position their brand as a go-to resource for valuable information.

Another benefit of content curation is that it can help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in your industry. By regularly curating content from a variety of sources, you can stay informed about the latest news, trends, and best practices in your field.

Content Curation vs. Content Creation

It's important to note that content curation is not a replacement for content creation. Rather, it complements it by providing a way to incorporate diverse perspectives, insights, and opinions into your content strategy. Curated content can help round out your brand's voice by providing additional context, supporting your arguments, and providing your audience with varied viewpoints on a topic.

When it comes to content creation, the goal is to produce original content that is informative, engaging, and valuable to your target audience. This might include blog posts, videos, infographics, or other types of content. While content creation requires more time and resources than content curation, it can be a powerful way to establish your brand's voice and build a loyal following.

In conclusion, content curation is an important tool for marketers who want to stay relevant and provide value to their audience. By curating high-quality content from a variety of sources, you can establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry, stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments, and provide your audience with a well-rounded view of a particular topic or issue.

The Content Curation Process

Content curation is the process of finding, selecting, and sharing the best and most relevant content with your audience. It's a great way to provide value to your audience and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Here are the key steps involved in the content curation process:

Identifying Your Target Audience

The first step in content curation is identifying your target audience. Who are the people you are trying to reach? What topics interest them? What challenges do they face? Understanding your audience's needs and interests is critical to curating content that will appeal to them.

For example, if your target audience is small business owners, you might curate content related to marketing, finance, and entrepreneurship. If your target audience is stay-at-home parents, you might curate content related to parenting, family activities, and self-care.

Sourcing High-Quality Content

Once you've identified your target audience, the next step is to source high-quality content that is relevant to your audience's interests. There are numerous sources for such content, including industry publications, blogs, news websites, and social media platforms. To ensure that your content is high-quality, look for sources that have a track record of producing credible, well-researched, and engaging content.

When sourcing content, it's important to keep in mind the type of content your audience prefers. Some audiences prefer long-form articles, while others prefer short and snappy content like infographics or videos.

Organizing and Categorizing Content

Once you've found content that is relevant and valuable to your audience, the next step is to organize and categorize it. This can involve creating a spreadsheet, using a content management system, or simply creating a framework that helps you keep track of the content you've curated. Organizing and categorizing content makes it easier to find and share when the time comes.

You can categorize content by topic, format, or source. For example, you might have categories like "Marketing Tips," "Infographics," or "Industry News."

Adding Value through Commentary and Context

One of the benefits of content curation is the ability to add commentary and context to the content you share. By providing your perspective and insights, you can help your audience better understand the content and how it relates to your brand's unique voice and perspective. This commentary can take many forms, including a brief summary of the content, a critique of the content, or an explanation of how the content relates to your brand's overall mission.

Adding value through commentary and context is what sets content curation apart from simply sharing links. It helps establish your brand as a thought leader and provides additional value to your audience.

Sharing and Promoting Your Curated Content

The final step in the content curation process is sharing and promoting your curated content. There are numerous ways to share your content, including social media, email newsletters, and your website or blog. It's important to share your content consistently and across multiple channels to reach the widest possible audience.

When promoting your curated content, be sure to give credit to the original source and tag them if possible. This helps build relationships with other content creators and can lead to opportunities for collaboration in the future.

In conclusion, content curation is a valuable tool for providing value to your audience and establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry. By following the steps outlined above, you can create a successful content curation strategy that resonates with your audience and helps achieve your business goals.

Content Curation Tools and Platforms

Content curation is the process of finding and sharing relevant and valuable content with your audience. It's a great way to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry and provide your audience with valuable information.

Content Discovery Tools

One of the biggest challenges of content curation is finding high-quality content to share. Fortunately, there are a variety of content discovery tools available to help you find the best content in your industry. These tools use algorithms to analyze content from a variety of sources and recommend the most relevant and high-quality content for you to curate.

One of the most popular content discovery tools is Feedly. Feedly allows you to subscribe to RSS feeds from your favorite blogs and websites and curate content directly from your Feedly dashboard. Flipboard is another popular content discovery tool that allows you to create a personalized magazine of curated content. Pocket is a tool that allows you to save articles and videos to read later, making it easy to curate content on the go.

Content Management Systems

Once you've found the content you want to curate, it's important to organize and categorize it in a way that makes sense for your audience. Content management systems can help you do this. These tools allow you to store, organize, and categorize your curated content in one place.

Evernote is a popular content management system that allows you to store and organize your curated content in notebooks. Trello is a tool that allows you to create boards and cards to organize your curated content. Notion is a newer content management system that allows you to create a customizable workspace for all of your curated content.

Social Media Scheduling Tools

Once you've curated your content, it's important to share it on social media to reach a wider audience. Social media scheduling tools can help you schedule your curated content in advance, making it easy to share your content consistently.

Hootsuite is a popular social media scheduling tool that allows you to schedule and share your curated content on multiple social media platforms. Buffer is another popular tool that allows you to schedule your curated content in advance. Sprout Social is a tool that allows you to schedule your curated content and track its performance all in one place.

Analytics and Reporting Tools

Finally, it's important to track the performance of your curated content and make adjustments to your content strategy as needed. Analytics and reporting tools can help you do this.

Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to track the traffic and engagement of your curated content. SEMrush is a tool that allows you to track the performance of your curated content and your competitors' content. SumoMe is a tool that allows you to track the performance of your curated content and optimize your website for conversions.

By using these content curation tools and platforms, you can streamline your content curation process and provide your audience with valuable and relevant content.

Best Practices for Content Curation

Balancing Original and Curated Content

As we mentioned earlier, content curation is not a replacement for content creation. Striking a balance between original and curated content is essential to maintaining a consistent brand voice and engaging your audience.

Properly Crediting Sources

When curating content from other sources, it's important to properly credit the original source. This not only gives credit where credit is due but also helps build credibility and trust with your audience.

Tailoring Content to Your Brand Voice

While curated content can help round out your brand's voice, it's important to ensure that the content you share is consistent with your brand's overall mission and perspective. Adding commentary and context can help put your unique spin on the content and reinforce your brand's voice and values.

Regularly Updating and Refreshing Content

Finally, regularly updating and refreshing your curated content is essential to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more. Keep in mind that the content you've curated is not set in stone, and you should be open to adding new content or removing outdated content as needed.

Conclusion

Content curation can be a valuable addition to any brand's content strategy. By leveraging existing content, brands can establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry, increase engagement with their audience, and provide a valuable resource for their target market. The key to successful content curation is understanding your target audience, sourcing high-quality content, and providing commentary and context that reflects your brand's unique perspective and values.