Although there are many content curation platforms, a website is probably one of the most convenient options out there. However, if you are just getting into content curation, you might not know exactly what kind of website you need.
So, what is a curation website? Let’s talk about how to create one and how you can use it to make money.
What is a Curation Website?
A curation website is an online-based platform that allows you to collect, organize, and share content from the web. It differs from a regular website in that instead of publishing original content, you use it to share content that you have found elsewhere on the web.
These can be other websites, social media platforms, or even forums. Curated content on your website may include news articles, blog posts, images, infographics, and videos. There are various content curation methods you can employ to diversify your website’s content.
To give you a good idea of what exactly a curation website is, let’s look at some examples.
Examples of Content Curation Websites
We’ve handpicked a few examples below to show you some of the most popular content curation websites on the internet.
Take a look and see how they are structured and what kind of content they share. They include:
- The Marginalian (Formerly Brain Pickings) – A website that curates a wide variety of articles, poems, songs, and other types of content.
- Sparktoro – Has a trending content section where they post the most popular Tweets from individuals and other websites.
- Growthhackers – Has a large community that submits content on a variety of topics.
How to Make Money With a Curation Website
There are a few different ways that you can make money with a curation website. The most popular ways include:
- Using display banner ads.
- Promoting featured content.
- Promoting affiliate products.
- Asking for donations.
- Creating a membership subscription.
- Using Google Adsense.
- Selling your own products.
Using Display Banner Ads
One of the most common ways to make money with a curation website is by using display banner ads. All you have to do is reach out to brands and ask if they would be interested in advertising on your site.
This is a great way for you to make money, as it doesn’t require you to do any extra work. You simply need to include the banner ads on your website and then collect the money that they generate.
Promoting Featured Content
Brands and other website owners can also pay you to promote pieces of their content on your website, instead of just displaying ads. This is a more effective marketing strategy both for you and your clients.
In order to do this, you simply need to include a section on your website where you feature content from other brands. You can then charge them a fee to include their content on your website.
Promoting Affiliate Products
Affiliate marketing is where you include links to products on other websites and then receive a commission when someone buys the product using your link.
There are a few different ways that you can promote affiliate products, but the most common is by including them in your blog posts. You can then write a brief description of the product and include a link to it. It’s quite simple to do with a WordPress affiliate plugin.
Asking for Donations
If you have a lot of content on your website, you may want to consider asking your readers for donations. This is a great way to make money, as it doesn’t require you to do any extra work.
All you need to do is create a donation page on your website and then ask your readers to donate. You can even set up a monthly donation system so that your readers know that they need to donate on a regular basis.
Creating a Membership Subscription
In this case, you can offer exclusive content to your readers in exchange for a monthly fee.
This means that you charge people for access to your content. You can create a subscription system that gives your readers access to all of your content, or you can create a system that gives them access to certain sections of your website.
Using Google Adsense
Google Adsense is a program that allows you to place ads on your website automatically.
The ads are supplied by Google, and you earn money each time someone views or clicks on one of the ads. However, if you’re searching for ways to monetize your site without Adsense, there are numerous other avenues to explore. This can include direct partnerships with advertisers, using other ad networks, or even exploring innovative solutions like sponsored content or native advertising.
Selling Your Own Products
Another option for monetizing your curation website is to sell your own products. If you have a product that you feel confident in promoting, you can set up a store on your website and sell it directly to your readers.
This may include digital products like eBooks or merchandise like T-shirts with your website logo.
How to Add Curated Content to Your WordPress Website
WordPress is one of the best platforms you can use to create a curation website. There are several ways you can add curated content to your WordPress site.
They include:
- Doing it manually.
- Using an aggregation plugin.
- Using embedding tools built into the theme.
This content may come from a number of sources such as:
- Blogs
- News Sites
- Google Alerts
- Social Media
- YouTube
- Event Sites
- eCommerce Stores
- Music Sites, and so on.
You can curate content from literally any site with a valid RSS feed!
Doing it Manually
If you want to add curated content manually, the simplest way to do it is to copy and paste the article’s text into a post on your WordPress site. This can either be getting the entire article or just a section of it.
You can then add a headline, images, and any other formatting as needed.
It’s always a good idea to include links back to the original article.
Using an Aggregation Plugin
If you want to add curated content automatically, there are several aggregation plugins that you can use. These include the WP RSS Aggregator plugin. It is easy to integrate with WordPress and comes with a host of features that will help automate the content curation process.
Using Embedding Tools Built Into the Theme
This is especially effective if you want to curate social media content. Most WordPress themes will allow you to add the latest posts from Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and so on.
Sparktoro does this very well with their Trending page where they showcase the latest and most popular Tweets from marketers.
How Do I Start a Content Curation Website?
Now that you know all about content curation, it’s time to start your own website. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Choose the Right Platform
WordPress is a great option for creating a content curation website. However, there are other platforms out there that can work just as well.
Do your research and find the platform that best suits your needs.
Create a Content Plan
Before you start adding content to your website, you need to create a content plan. This will help you determine the type of content you want to publish, as well as the frequency.
Determine Your Target Audience
Who is your target audience? What are their interests? What do you want them to do when they visit your website? Answer these questions and more to help you determine the type of content you should publish.
Create a Branding Strategy
Your website’s branding should be consistent with your overall marketing strategy. This includes the colors, fonts, and overall tone of voice you use.
Make Sure Your Website Is Mobile-Friendly
With more and more people using their smartphones and tablets to access the internet, it’s important that your website is mobile-friendly.
If it isn’t, you may lose potential customers.
Conclusion
Creating a content curation website can be a great way to attract more traffic to your site and grow your business. Although you will not be creating original content, there are several ways you can stand out from other curators such as adding your own commentary.
