Content Curation – Doing It the Right Way

Although content curation is used extensively online as a way to share knowledge, many who used this strategy are doing so incorrectly! In short this process involves finding, gathering and arranging information from various sources in a way that makes sense to your readers! Being you're using information put together by other sources care must be given to how you choose to present your findings!

Let's quickly review 5 tips you can use when you choose to share knowledge created by others with your readers!

Relevance

Anytime you're preparing to present content to your readers you always want to be sure the topic is of interest to them! It makes little or no sense to invest the time and/or energy to create, borrow, gather or otherwise prepare information that nobody reads! Keep your topics relevant to not only your own needs but those of your readers as well!

Limit Sources

When you do find sources of quality information avoid the temptation of using too many of them since this could confuse viewers! Remember every new source reflects the work of individuals that use different tones and ways to express themselves! Multiple sources will therefore reflect multiple styles of expression or delivery thus creating a more challenging read for people! You do NOT want to make it any more difficult for people to comprehend the point you're trying to make so limit your sources for an easier read!

Source Arrangement

The information you pull together must be done in such a way that flows smoothly and is easily understood! When you choose to share knowledge that has been previously published by another person you must consider where to place it so that it makes the most sense! Much like a puzzle, every piece of curated content must be placed in a certain sequential order for it to clearly deliver any message!

Add Your Voice

As previously mentioned every author tends to have their own unique voice insofar as to how they use their words to make their point! When using the curation process it is vital that the curator adds their own comments and/or explanations to further assist people to understand the text they're viewing! In particular since you are now addressing your readers, it only makes sense you do so in the tone to which they've become accustomed! This helps put your 'stamp' on any content you've curated thus making it more easily identifiable with you! Ultimately your input is critical for explaining the relevancy as well as the importance of the content your readers are viewing!

Always Credit Your Sources

One common mistake many make when they pull together and use, as is, other sources of information is failing to credit the original author! You do NOT want to develop a 'seedy' reputation online by plagiarizing the work of others! Simply leave links in place or otherwise credit your sources because failure to do so will result in the loss of loyalty your readers may have towards you!

Content curation is a very valuable 'tool' any marketer can use to share knowledge by gathering  information put together by others! The time you can save by curating information in this way allows for you to therefore present an even a greater volume of interesting reading material to your readers! The tips shared above are meant to help curators increase their effectiveness by staying on topic, presenting information in a sensible manner and always crediting your sources! Done the right way, this strategy is a great time-saving tool, but done in haste, it could cost you both your credibility as well as your readers!