The constant quest to create, create, create, to keep pre-planning reams of content for your blogging, and your social media posting, can be, quite frankly, overwhelming in its insatiability!

 

Well, here’s the good news! Perhaps the reason you’re stuck on the creative hamster wheel twice as long as you should be is because you’ve forgotten that there’s two equally important halves of social media marketing.

 

In fact, they’re like the yin and yang of social media marketing, (but without the light and dark characteristics!).

 

“Their interaction is thought to maintain the harmony of the universe and to influence everything within it,” so the dictionary tells us. And, I’m not inclined to disagree in terms of universally good, consistent social media content.

 

So, allow me to re-introduce you to content curation… the kissing cousin of creation, and the snazziest little time and effort saving side-stepper in the business!

 

Content creation and content curation – the two halves of the whole that your social media plan shouldn’t be without

 

• Content Creation

 

The creation of the content you post on social media platforms can include:-

• Text only posts (which are often accompanied by an image or photograph).
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• Inspirational quotes.
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• Special offers.
• Top tips.
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• Paid for activity, like ads on Facebook and LinkedIn, and promoted tweets on Twitter.

 

Each post should adhere to the underlying principle of appealing to your followers, be congruous to the identity of your business, and align with your objectives.

 

The best laid plans involve starting, building, and maintaining a content library that you can dip in to on a rolling basis.

 

A keen eye should always remain on the here and now – sector specific events, local, national and worldwide news, popular culture. Yet, it’s also essential to have your other ‘evergreen’ content racked up and ready to regularly go on a plug-and-play basis.

 

• Content Curation

 

The curation of content is the leveraging and sharing of the best, and most relevant, of other peoples’ content.

 

What does the process of content curation involve?

 

The process of content curation often involves the use of somebody else’s material that has some sort of synergy with you and your business objectives, plus the all-important resonance with your followers.

 

When you’ve identified suitable material to curate, and nailed an effective re-purposing angle, it’s ready for your content library, good to go whenever you like.

 

But, let’s not forgot to look closer to home, besides curating external content. Because you can, of course, also re-purpose your own content. In fact, some of your ‘evergreen’ content can be re-purposed in different ways almost indefinitely!

 

3 reasons why content curation is an important implement in your social media toolbox?

 

• Content curation helps you position yourself as a ‘mover and shaker’ in your sector, with your finger right on the on the hot-or-not pulse of what’s happening.

 

• Content curation adds value for your followers, especially if you share robust and regular content that’s created an expectation on their part of seeing great quality posts from you. Engagement enhancement is the likely result, because you’re offering your opinion, and you’re inviting other people to add their own in to the mix.

 

• Content curation amps up your credibility in the eyes of the person/business whose content you’re curating, e.g. an influencer or key journalist in your sector. Let’s be honest, it’s quite complimentary, and elevating to their profile, for you to be sharing and discussing their content! Needless to say, these relationships can be extremely valuable in terms of future social media collaboration.

 

 Re-purposing some of your own content

 

You can re-purpose some of your own content by re-posting and commenting on your most popular post of the week, or including it in a weekly newsletter.

 

This re-shines a light on a key message that’s already successfully engaged your followers, re-preaching it to the already converted. Plus, giving it another chance to be seen by those who missed it first time round.

 

 

 

Content curation really is the gift that likes to keep giving, don’t you think? And, going right back to the key pain points set out in opening paragraph, it’s QUICKER to curate content than it is to create it.

 

Win:Win!

 

Any questions or feedback whatsoever, my contact details are in my profile, and, of course, my DM box is always open.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

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