A blog always asks for fresh content – leaving the blog writer in pursuit of original topics day after day.
What if someone is to tell you that original topics aren’t your only option?
There is an opportunity that can save you from a lot of troubled days and nights. That option is content curation.
Content curation relies on gathering content from the web (created by other people) and presenting that content to your audience.
“Just as a museum curator must decide which artifacts to display during an exhibition, an online curator decides what information available online is appropriate and relevant to her audience,” explained Sean Carton in a Clickz article.
Bear in mind that content curation still demands originality. You can copy-paste someone else’s work and call it a day.
Content curation makes you a resource of interesting content as well as a filter that picks out the parts of content that your audience would find valuable.
What content curation does is that it provides you with a foundation. Rather than starting from scratch, you can collect different pieces of content and turn it into your own masterpiece.
Here are some tips on how to make the most out of content curation and create amazing blog posts.
Activate Yourself on Social Media
How active are you on social media?
Social media is an endless source of content. According to a study, 79% of marketers use social media to find content for their curation strategy.
Getting active on social media can be one of the main sources of your content curation.
If you haven’t already, create an account on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
Even though Pinterest is the base for visually appealing images, it is also a place where you can find great blog posts.
For example, if you type in “organizing an office,” the images that come up will all lead you to articles on that topic.
Besides the typical scrolling through your feed, consider the following social media additions for content curation:
- Twitter Lists – Organize the people you follow in different segments to keep track of relevant tweets for curation.
- Instapaper – Save and manage the content you find online.
- LinkedIn blog – Browse for certain topics or look into posts by certain professionals.
- Facebook groups – Join groups that can be a great source of information for your blog.
Put Yourself Out There
Aside from social media, there are other websites that can serve as tools for content curation.
Here are some examples:
- Quora – Ask questions to get people to share their ideas, read answers to other people’s questions, or read third-party content.
- BuzzSumo – Find various content on a certain topic.
- Newsletters – Subscribe to newsletters that can provide you with valuable information.
- Google Alerts – Get notification when relevant content on a specified topic comes up.
- Reddit – Read about discussions on topics you are interested in.
For more scholarly-based blog posts, access articles, thesis, and books on Google Scholar.
Or, get in touch with essayists and thesis writers by looking for someone to write an essay. Essayists may share with you their findings, which you can then simplify for your audience.
You can also get ideas from podcasts, interviews, or TV shows.
Discuss your intake from a relevant podcast episode, quote an expert whose interview inspired you, or share a summary on a TV show your audience might love.
Use these platforms and tools to stay on top of the topics that interest your audience.
If you have a subject you want to cover, these websites can help you surface a variety of posts from where you can curate content.
Pay Attention to Content that Triggers You
Your blog post probably embodies topics that both you and your target audience find compelling.
Therefore, focus on content that lights something in you.
If you are reading a post that intrigues you, you might be onto something.
Writing passionately about a topic gives a post an emotion that the audience will recognize.
Coming across an article or social media post that makes you want to learn more about that subject or share your opinion on it is a great start.
You only have to make sure that that topic aligns with your audience’s interest, and you’ve got yourself a new piece for content curation.
Adapt the Content to Your Audience
Finding relevant content is one part of content curation. The other one is personalizing that content.
You know best who your target audience is and what they like. You’ve read their impressions, kept track of the most popular posts on your blog, and interacted with them in the comments.
Use your knowledge of your readers to personalize curated content.
Pull out information from different content pieces that your audience will find most compelling.
Write your curated blog post in a language that will keep them engaged.
Single out statistics and data that they can relate to or find valuable.
Let’s say that you write a blog about social media marketing. You can come across statistics that show predictions for digital marketing. Personalize this lengthy list of statistics by singling out social media marketing statistics and presenting it to your audience. You can also add your personal opinion on whether the predictions are realistic or not and why.
Rely on Several Sources
Curating content from more than one source can increase the credibility and value of your posts.
You’ll save your readers some time if you offer them different views or various information on the same matter.
Additionally, curating content from several platforms will help you craft more authentic blog posts.
If you need help with classifying information from multiple sources and pinpointing the most relevant aspects, turn to essay writing services. Writers that work for services such as GrabMyEssay and TrustMyPaper have experience with content curation for essays, so they’ll know how to do it efficiently.
Add Your Own Twist
No matter what type of content you decide to curate, make sure that you make it your own.
Curated content is simply a foundation.
To entice your readers and make them value your blog, you should present the collected information from your perspective.
You can even give an opposite opinion to a certain content piece.
Content curation shouldn’t serve only as your source of information. It should inspire you to present existing content in an authentic way.
In conclusion, content curation can ensure that you have an endless flow of interesting topics to write about.
Instead of feeling pressured to be innovative at all times and come up with a never-discussed-before topic, mix up your blog posts with curated content.
As long as you know how to pick out relevant sources and posts, your audience will be just as entertained as with original topics.
By Nicole D. Garrison
Nicole D.Garrison is a content strategist, writer, and contributor at classyessay.com and a number of platforms for marketing specialists. She is a dedicated and experienced author who pays particular attention to quality research. At her free time, Nicole is a passionate runner and a curious beekeeper. Moreover, she runs her own blog LiveInspiredMagazine.
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