Curated content is a very helpful tool in a social media marketing campaign if used well. If you do it right, you can make industry connections, shout out admirable expertise and engage your audience all in one move.
Curated content is simply content that isn’t yours, that you are using as part of your social media marketing campaign. But, unlike your original content, it comes with a collaboration effort in using content from other creators and allows you to share what you think is relevant information. In turn, they might just share some of your content, too, growing your audience.
But there is more to using curated content than just adding someone’s content to your social media. Take a look at our top 5 tips to make the most of your curated content.
1. Be selective and keep it relevant
Don’t just add any curated content to your social media accounts. Enough of that and no one will be able to decipher you from “appreciation” accounts, or meme accounts, that appear to add any old viral thing happening in the day.
Your viewers want to hear more from you and your industry, so keep your content relevant to your business. This isn’t as limiting as you’d think. You can branch out depending on your business into any relevant topic. No matter your industry, you’ve already got relevance in entrepreneur and leadership content, for example. Define your business by your content, so that users can arrive and know immediately what you’re all about.
2. Re-use, recycle, repurpose
Curated content doesn’t mean taking the same photo that’s going viral and adding your own text to make it a meme – not only that, anyway. You can repurpose content that was made for an entirely different point, different platform, different format and apply it to your genre or industry.
For example, if you are a B2B business you can post content from industry talks, self-help creators, etc. Take a screenshot and add a caption instead of posting the entire video, cut long videos into a short-form format, and repurpose someone’s point to fit your niche.
3. Fill gaps in your content calendar
Curated content can be very useful in filling a gap in your social media content calendar. It’s generally accepted that you should find a balance between original content and curated content if you’re going to use curated content, and not rely on it. Not only will you come off as unoriginal, but users might wonder why they would follow your social media accounts if they can find the same material elsewhere.
But posting something original every day is easier said than done, especially if you’re running a business alongside your social media accounts, so curated content can be a useful tool for filling a space that you have no content for.
4. Aim to satisfy a feeling
Content is most effective when it fulfills an emotional need – and there are a lot of emotions you can hit with your content.
The most obvious one is happiness. Give someone a laugh with your content and you will have struck gold, which is why it’s very common. A little oversaturated, in fact, but there are other things you can target. Anything cute is sure to burrow its way into users’ hearts and stay, which is why pet accounts are so popular, but you’ve also got satisfaction, which comes from the #oddlysatsfying genre. It might have started with squeezing jelly but now it encompasses cleaning and before and afters on beauty and DIY.
And then there are the more serious emotions, like justice. If you are willing to wade into current events or politics you will find a lot of support, but also a lot of heat.
And finally, there is one of the most effective feelings: having learned something. If your curated content is in any way educational, whether it’s a hair tip or a business idea, your audience will love it.
5. Always credit your sources
You’re not in journalism uncovering the Watergate scandal. Your sources want credit for their work and it is considered the unethical practice to deny it to them.
In fact, it’s considered quite the scandal today, where everyone from the creators of TikTok sounds to Instagram artists finding their work on art-appreciation accounts, to photographers taking pictures of Stan Sebastian finding their work on fan edits, are looking for credit for their work.
If the online marketing, entertainment, and arts industry as a whole are going to keep assuring people that exposure is as good as payment for their work, then everyone should get into the habit of crediting everyone in order for people to gain their deserved exposure.
If you’re interested in more aspects of affiliate or social media marketing, take a look at our blog, or book a free call with a member of our team for more personalized advice.
