To Create or To Curate, That is the Question!

One of the most highly recommended marketing practices in today’s fast-paced world of online branding, social media and vlogging is to repost content that resonates with your own business brand and messaging. The goal is to increase your online visibility, reputation, credibility and website traffic — ultimately leading to more paying clients.

There are many software companies whose platform automates and systematizes the curation and scheduled reposting of online content to fit into our busy marketing schedules. I have followed a number of them myself, though not at the point yet of signing on.

BUT I ask myself (and my readership):

“Does reposting other people’s content and messaging really tell your prospective clients who you are and what personal strengths and skills you bring to the table when engaging in a business relationship?”

Of course curating and sharing online content from other sources than your own will help tell folks what your interests and philosophy are, but it doesn’t really give them a taste of what it would be like to work with you, does it? You just begin to look and sound like all of the thousands (or millions if it’s popular content) of other people who have shared the same repost in their marketing streams, right?

When I’m choosing someone to work with I would much rather select consultants, coaches, mentors, homebuilders, financial advisors, etc. based on being able to check out content they themselves have created rather than their reposting of content from other sources.

However, I have to say that I think this is not really an EITHER / OR scenario!

Without curated libraries of stories, facts, data and philosophies from our rich human history and diverse cultures, we would be a rather narrow and limited society. So, let’s not ignore all the valuable content that is being created both online and offline minute by minute. There is great value to the filtering and careful selection of relevant and well-thought out or researched content, and sharing it with our chosen community and business network.

But for me, I want my content to weigh more heavily on the Creation vs. Curation side of the equation — perhaps 70/30 or maybe 60/40. 

What do you find to be an effective practice? Please weigh in with your comments and suggestions!

AND, please share and repost my article to everyone in your network. 

OMG, did I really say that??!! Yes, indeed I did.

Remember, it’s a BOTH / AND scenario and there are two sides to this equation!

(Cover photo by Chris Allen. See more at my portfolio site: chrisallenimages.com)