Content curation and content creation are two essential skills for any content marketer, but they are not the same thing. In this article, you will learn how to distinguish them and why they both matter for your content strategy.
Content curation is the process of finding, organizing, and sharing relevant and valuable content from other sources with your audience. Content curation can help you build trust, authority, and engagement with your followers, as well as save time and resources. Content curation is not copying or plagiarizing other people's work, but rather adding your own perspective, commentary, or context to it.
Here's a thing I notice about content curation: We make this seem like it is something you add to your workload. I find that many professionals consume content as part of their ongoing job. Staying up to date is a critical piece of your professional life. The real addition is not finding the content - you are likely already doing that. It is putting it somewhere (slack, a running file, a bookmarking system) and then circling back to offer your community the best pieces from your day or week with a brief insightful comment on why it is worth a read and how it will help them do their jobs better.
For content curation, you need to be skilled enough to identify accurate, relevant information from the entire pool. Your readers come to you for your perspectives, and you need to give them those along with the resources that help them build their own POVs. Content creation on the other hand is an absolute presentation of your thoughts and ideas on a topic, that adds to the knowledge banks of your readers and keeps them coming back for more of your expert advice. To sum up, content curation puts you across as a learned authority on the topic you curate about. Content creation makes you an information pioneer of the idea being discussed.
I like to describe things through real life examples. An Art curator's task, is to select the most captivating, unique, and relevant pieces to display in a gallery. Now lets shift this to the digital world I describe Content curation, as the finding, sifting and sharing of existing content that resonates with an audience's interests, values, and needs. its a carefully crafted selection process of mixing and matching content from various sources to create a harmonious list for your audience. another example is what DJ's do in clubs.
Content curation involves gathering and sharing existing content from various sources, adding value through organization or commentary. Content creation involves producing original content from scratch, such as articles, videos, or graphics.
Content curation, to me; Content Curation Unveiled: Discovering, sifting, and sharing the most relevant and valuable content from the digital universe. Your Trusted Filter: I comb through the noise to handpick gems that matter, saving you time and keeping you informed. Engagement Hub: A curated collection that sparks conversations, opinions, and connections among our community. Effortless Learning: Stay up-to-date without drowning in information overload – curated insights at your fingertips. Personalized Touch: Each piece is chosen with your preferences in mind, delivering tailored value to you. Dynamic & Current: A continuous journey of exploration, ensuring the curated content stays fresh and relevant.
Content creation is the process of producing original and unique content for your own platform, such as a blog, website, podcast, or social media channel. Content creation can help you showcase your expertise, personality, and value proposition, as well as attract and convert leads, customers, and fans. Content creation is not just writing or recording content, but also planning, researching, editing, and optimizing it.
Unlike curation, content creation is to do more with gathering one's own ideas, thoughts, research and keeping it original and unique.
Whereas content curation is sourcing and sharing of existing pieces content. Content creation is the unleashing of your imagination, expressing your ideas, thoughts, and expertise; Whether you're crafting a blog post, shooting a video, or composing a song. Your content is your voice in the digital world.
Indeed, content creation is a multifaceted discipline, and there's a dimension that's often overlooked - the heartbeat behind every piece of content, which is the creator's authentic voice. While the mechanics of research, editing, and optimization are essential, the true magic lies in a creator's ability to make a piece genuinely resonate with their audience. It's like crafting a piece of art. Every article, video, or podcast episode is a canvas where creators paint their understanding, experiences, and emotions. And just like art, content has the power to evoke emotions, challenge perceptions, and catalyze change.
Content curation and content creation are not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary. You can use content curation to supplement your own content, fill the gaps in your content calendar, or inspire new ideas for your own content. You can also use content creation to add more depth, originality, and differentiation to your curated content, or to address specific needs or questions of your audience. The optimal balance between content curation and content creation depends on your goals, resources, and audience preferences.
?? To balance content curation and content creation, focus on your auditory needs. When you write a book, you can be free and creative. There's no need for curation. When you prepare an article to cover some topic deeply, you'll need a hand from others. Others who have already created something. Then choose wisely the piece of content that brings a new value to what you've already written. And as always… let it read to someone else before you decide that you're done with a piece.
In order to balance between content curation and content creation, we need to understand the distinction between the two as this will help in navigating the digital content landscape effectively. So I would say a balanced approach involves knowing when to curate to provide value and when to create to express uniqueness. - Curators act as filters and aggregators - Creators are the innovators and authors - Curators don't claim ownership of the content - Creators assert their intellectual property rights - Curation involves sourcing and sharing existing content - Content creation involves originating new material. We can be both curator and creator as long as we meet our audience's needs and our own creative aspirations
One thing I have realised during my content journey is that one is incomplete without the other. The basics and foundation of both curation and creation are different yet similar in certain aspects. The art of balancing both the components requires you to be diligently observant, pay more attention to detail, have a keen eye for research and be a ninja at editing.
Content curation is like a museum curator, selecting and organizing existing content. Content creation is the artist painting a new masterpiece from scratch.
You first need to understand when to CREATE and when to CURATE! While certain topics or discussions may be better suited for creation, it may make sense to curate during other times. Secondly, you need to experiment with new formats, styles or sources for both CURATED and CREATED content. Thirdly, you have to analyse the performance of your content, either CREATED or CURATED. Check what works best for your audiences and adjust your content strategy for best results.
To curate content effectively, you should adhere to a few best practices. Firstly, choose sources that are relevant and reputable, and that match your niche, audience, and tone. Additionally, utilize tools and platforms to discover, filter, and organize content such as RSS feeds, newsletters, social media, or content curation platforms. Furthermore, provide your own voice or opinion to the curated content instead of sharing it as is. Moreover, attribute and link to the original source of the curated content while respecting copyright and fair use guidelines. Finally, measure and analyze the performance and impact of your curated content in order to adjust your strategy accordingly.
"Effective Content Curation Guide: Insights in Brief" - Purpose Clarity: Define why you're curating – educate, inspire, or engage? - Audience Insight: Understand preferences, serving tailored content. - Source Diversity: Curate from reputable sources for a holistic view. - Continuous Exploration: Keep content fresh by regular research. - Enrich with Context: Add commentary, diverse viewpoints. - Channel Strategy: Choose platforms fitting your audience. - Track & Adapt: Monitor metrics, refine strategy accordingly. - Innovate Formats: Experiment with engaging content types. - Feedback Loop: Value audience input, refine your approach. - Authenticity Matters: Infuse your personality, build trust.
Here are some ways I use to curate content effectively ?? Reposting or sharing content of other creators with my perspectives. ?? Validating content of other creators by actively engaging and offering my persoective. ?? Practicing the art of merging quotes, facts and analysis from relevant authentic sources with content. ?? Bringing together the views of two or more crwators with respect to a certain topic and adding my views on it. ?? Repurposing my own content with fresh perspectives from other creators to make it a wholesome piece of curation.
This is my game plan. 1. I take a moment to understand my audience. This way I won't recommend a sci-fi novel to a group of history buffs. 2. Quality. I choose content that resonates with my audience's interests and offers real value. The allure of quantity is tempting. I avoid it. 3. I don't limit myself to a single source. I mix and match; Diversification ensures a broader perspective and minimizes bias. 4. I maintain a human touch. Automation is tempting but I don't let the tools take over. 5. I establish a routine. I try to make content curation a consistent practice. Building trust takes time. 6. I attribute content to its original creators. My reputation matters. 7. Lastly, I review and refine my curation efforts.
Creating content effectively requires following some best practices, such as defining content goals, audience, and value proposition that align with your overall marketing strategy. Additionally, you should conduct keyword research, competitor analysis, and audience research to identify the topics, formats, and channels that work best for your content. Utilizing tools and platforms like content calendars, editors, or content management systems can help you plan, produce, and publish your content. Furthermore, you should optimize your content for search engines, social media, and user experience with techniques such as SEO, headlines, images, or calls to action. Lastly, measuring and analyzing the performance and impact of your created content will allow you to adjust your strategy accordingly.
1. Document. This will help prevent burn out. 2. Share other peoples ideas/content and share your thoughts on them. Curate content. 3. Share solutions (doesn't have to be from you). 4. Understand the culture of a platform. 5. Use Ai, but do not rely on it. 6. Keep it simple. 7. Don't be afraid of being controversial. 8. Be authentic. You can't fake it for long.
Content curation and creation are skills that can be learned and improved over time. To do so, you should follow and learn from other content curators and creators in your niche, experimenting with different types of content, formats, and channels. Additionally, ask for feedback and suggestions from your audience, peers, or mentors to improve your content quality and relevance. It's also important to stay up to date with the latest trends, best practices, and tools in content marketing and apply them to your own content strategy.
1. I believe one should find what makes them tick, what they are passionate about. Your content should reflect your interests and expertise. I find it easier to create content when I am genuinely enthusiastic about the subject matter. 2. I believe one should be curious. Whether its honing your skill, learning new a skill or staying up to to date with industry trends. Be a perpetual learner. 3. Do not be afraid to fail or make mistakes. I don't see failure as a loss but as lesson of how not to do things.
The first step to being efficient and effective at both curation and creation is to be good at consumption. It can include various modes and kinds of sources to bring out the best version of content. Understanding when and how to curate is a crucial element of content creation just as experimenting what and where you create is an essential element of content curation. It is all about exploring, experimenting and organising content to bring it to an exquisite shape that matters to the audience.
The difference between content creation and content curation is the difference between being an artist and being an art critic. Both require expertise in whatever the field is. But one talks about the game while the other plays it. And people are more likely to respect your ability to do the former if you've done the latter.
1. Take everything content you consume with a grain of salt. Question everything, in order sieve out truth from nonsense. 2. Be open to learn from others everyday. Even if you are an expert on the subject matter. 3. Do not chase perfection. Perfection is the enemy of progress. 4. Strategize, Execute, Analyze, Adapt and Repeat.