If you are looking to adopt a content curation strategy, you will need to consider what type of model works best for your business. There are several types of content curation that you can take advantage of.
We will be going over each type in this short guide to help you pick the best one.
Types of Content Curation
The most common types of content curation include:
Aggregation
This is one of the most common types of content curation. Aggregation is when a curator, often referred to as a ‘news curator‘, aggregates news articles, videos, or any other type of content from various sources and puts them together in one place.
This can be done manually or automatically using an RSS tool like the WP RSS Aggregator.
The most popular aggregation sites include:
If you are looking to aggregate content, there are several tools you can take advantage of to make your work much easier. The most common include:
- WP RSS Aggregator for fetching content from different websites and compiling them in one place.
- W3 RSS Validator for testing your RSS files and ensuring that they are well-implemented on your website.
Crowdsourced Aggregation
This is a type of aggregation that relies on input from users. Sites like Reddit and Digg are popular examples of crowdsourced aggregation. In these cases, users submit articles, videos, and images on a number of topics.
Most of these sites also allow users to vote on submitted content. Some good examples of outsourced aggregation sites include:
There are several tools you can use if you want to accept user-submitted content as part of your curation strategy. They include:
- WP User Frontend Pro for accepting user-generated content (UGC).
Social Media Curation
Social media curation is the process of finding and sharing content on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This can be done manually or automatically using a tool like Spotlight.
One of the advantages of social media curation is that it allows you to share content with a large audience quickly and easily.
A good example of social media curation done right is Sparktoro’s Trending section.
Some tools you can use for social media curation include:
- Spotlight Instagram feeds for aggregating Instagram content
- Pinterest for curating all your favorite images
- Twitter lists for listing and following your favorite topics on Twitter
Anthologies
An anthology is a collection of works by different authors, usually in one specific genre or subject area. For example, a collection of essays about a certain topic or a compilation of poems by different authors.
While anthologies mostly come in the form of literature books, there are also several good online examples.
They include:
Some tools you can use to create your own online anthologies include:
Email Newsletter Curation
This is another popular type of content curation, and it can be done in various ways. One approach is to compile a weekly or monthly email newsletter with links to your favorite articles, blog posts, videos, etc.
Alternatively, you could create a curated blog post or video series that highlights the best content from around the web on a specific topic.
Finally, you could also compile a social media roundup post or video that includes the latest and greatest content from your favorite social media channels.
Some great examples of curated newsletters include:
Which Type of Content Curation Should You Use?
Now that you know about the different types of content curation, it’s time to decide which one is right for you.
There isn’t a single approach that’s perfect for everyone. So, you will need to find the type of curation that works best for your interests, skills, and audience.
That said, the type of content curation that will be the best fit for you will depend on several factors. These include:
- Your content goals.
- Your skills.
- Your audience.
- The platform you are using.
Content Goals
The first thing you need to ask yourself is what your content goals are. What do you want to achieve with your curated content?
Are you trying to build an audience? Grow your brand? Share your thoughts on a particular topic? Once you know your goals, you can start to figure out the best way to reach them.
Skills
What are you good at? What can you do better than anyone else? Are you an expert on a certain topic? Or are you great at finding and sharing exciting content?
Your skills will help determine the type of curation that’s best for you. For example, you might be better at aggregating social media content than blog or newsletter content.
Platform
The platform you are using is also important. Some platforms are better suited for certain types of content curation.
For example, if you are using a blog or website, you might want to focus on curated blog posts or videos. If you are using social media, then you might want to focus on curated social media posts.
Audience
Finally, you need to think about your audience. Who are you trying to reach? What type of content do they like? What kind of tone do you want to use? Once you know who your audience is, you can start to tailor your content accordingly.
Once you have a good understanding of your content goals, skills, and audience, you can start to tailor your curation approach to fit those factors.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of curation until you find the one that works best for you.
Conclusion
Content curation is a powerful tool that can help you build your brand, connect with your audience, and discover new content. There are a variety of different ways to do content curation, so find the type that best suits you and your audience. And most importantly, be consistent with your curation strategy and keep experimenting until you find what works best.
