Day by day, online platforms are embracing social media in every possible way that they can, be it Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or any other social networking site. This is extremely important for every business in today’s digitised time. The need for relevant and good content has been, and will continue to remain, the most integral aspect for any business. So what is the basic difference between ‘content’ and ‘content curation’? What are the different tools that can be used for curating content across the web?
While content simply refers to information or ‘data’ which holds some relevance to a certain topic, it can be expressed through any medium, be it the internet, audio CD’s, television, stage performances, magazines, etc. In short, colloquially, one can refer to ‘content’ as the subject matter of the medium.
On the other hand, content curation refers to the process of collecting, organising and presenting data/information, which is relevant to a particular topic/area of interest. This content is often accompanied with images or video links to make the piece of content as interactive and engaging as possible.
This is especially beneficial for SEO, as content curation helps to increase the website visibility. It also epitomises social sharing, whereby more content can reach out to a larger number of readers. Content curation is known not only for amassing and aggregating content, but also for enabling marketers as well as digital professionals in the field to re-channel relevant content. It also allows them to spark engagement as well as awareness about different products and/or services with customers.
So, in short, content curation refers to the process of not only analysing and sorting through Web content (data), but also presenting it in a systematic and organised manner that is based around a certain theme.
There are many different online curation tools that can be used to curate the content and connect with the target audience. Some of these include Storify, Feedly, iFlow, Curata, Bundlr, Scoop.it, StumbleUpon, Digg, Delicious, and Google Reader
Some of the golden rules of Content Curation include:
1) Use Unique Content: One thing that Google does not like is plagiarising. It is very important to include original content in the curation, original analysis and insights that augment the content that you are aggregating. The more unique the content, the higher the ranking for the curation will be in different search engines. The content will also be safer with regard to future algorithm changes.
2) Link to Only High-Quality Sites: While curating content it is very important to include links, and only those links which are of high quality. These links are of extreme importance to your curation and need to be reliable. Including links that lack trustworthiness may be harmful for the content in the search rankings.
3) Add Value for the Reader: For a reader the content has to be of some value and interest. It is important to know who your target audience is before writing and developing a connection through your content. This will help in establishing an interest with your reader. A reader needs to like your content, in order to share it!
4) Build Relationships with Your Curation Sources: In case your piece of content includes part of an author’s or publisher’s article, it is very important to first reach out to them and ask for their permission to include their piece in your curation. If they agree, ensure that you notify them when you share the curation. They will not only help to share the content, but also help in boosting online traffic and reach.
Focus on every type of content: After you have written your piece, ensure that you include as many touch-points as possible. Include images, info-graphics, whitepapers, visual representations, videos, etc.
