Social Media Curation: A Step-by-Step Guide
Social media curation is a powerful strategy to keep your audience engaged by sharing relevant and valuable content from various sources. It's an excellent way to position yourself as a thought leader without creating original content all the time. Whether you're a marketer, content creator, or small business owner, effective social media curation can enhance your brand’s visibility and drive engagement.
Here’s how to curate social media content effectively:
1. Understand Your Audience
Before you begin curating content, it's essential to understand what your audience wants. Use analytics from your social media platforms to gather insights on what types of posts resonate with them. Are they more interested in industry news, how-to guides, or inspirational quotes? Knowing this will help you filter out content that doesn’t align with their preferences.
2. Choose the Right Platforms
Each social media platform caters to a different audience and has its own unique features. For example, Twitter is great for real-time updates, while Instagram thrives on visuals. Determine which platforms your target audience uses most frequently and tailor your curation strategy accordingly.
3. Find High-Quality Sources
The foundation of successful social media curation is sharing quality content from credible sources. Use tools like Feedly, Pocket, or Google Alerts to track industry trends and find the latest articles, videos, or infographics that your followers will appreciate. When curating, aim to provide value—share articles that educate, inform, or entertain.
4. Balance Your Original Content with Curated Content
Your social media feed shouldn’t be solely composed of curated posts. A good rule of thumb is the 40/60 or 50/50 ratio—40-50% of your content should be curated, and the rest should be original. This keeps your voice prominent while still offering your audience a wide range of information from external sources.
5. Add Your Insights
When sharing curated content, don't just hit the "Share" button. Add value by providing your own commentary or opinion on the piece. This could be a short sentence explaining why the content is relevant, a personal takeaway, or a question that sparks engagement from your followers. Adding your perspective helps reinforce your thought leadership.
6. Schedule Your Posts Consistently
Consistency is key to a successful social media curation strategy. Tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, or Later allow you to schedule posts in advance, ensuring you maintain a regular posting schedule. This ensures your feed is active even when you’re busy with other tasks, keeping your audience engaged at all times.
7. Monitor Engagement
Regularly monitor how your curated content performs in terms of likes, shares, comments, and clicks. Use platform analytics to measure engagement and adjust your curation strategy based on what types of curated content resonate most with your audience. If certain topics or formats generate more interaction, focus on curating more of that type of content.
8. Give Credit to Original Sources
Always attribute the content to the original creators. Tagging them in your post or including their handles not only acknowledges their work but may also boost your visibility if they choose to engage with your post. Proper attribution helps build relationships and trust within the community.
FAQs About Social Media Curation
1. What is social media curation?
Social media curation is the process of gathering, organizing, and sharing relevant content from other sources on your social media platforms. It helps to provide value to your audience without creating new content all the time.
2. How much-curated content should I post?
It’s best to keep a balance between original and curated content. A 40/60 or 50/50 split is ideal, ensuring that your feed is both informative and reflective of your brand’s voice.
3. Why should I curate content instead of posting only original content?
Curating content saves time, provides value by sharing industry insights, and positions you as a resourceful authority in your niche. It also allows you to offer your audience diverse perspectives.
4. What tools can I use for social media curation?
You can use tools like Feedly, Pocket, Google Alerts, and Flipboard to discover content, and social media scheduling tools like Buffer or Hootsuite to schedule your curated posts in advance.
5. How can I make curated content more engaging?
Add your commentary or ask a question related to the post. This encourages interaction and helps spark meaningful conversations around the curated content.