Killer content curation tacticsLaura Crest, blog editor & content curator for SuccessWorks, SEO Copywriting.com

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So what is content curation?

Lee Odden, CEO of Top Rank Marketing, asked 10 content marketing experts to define the term

Ann Handley of Marketing Profs said: “...Content curation is the act of continually identifying, selecting and sharing the best and most relevant online content and other online resources...on a specific subject to match the needs of a specific audience.” 2

Why should it matter to you?

Rebecca Lieb of Econsultancy said it well: “Why bother? Tons of reasons....In an era where marketing is supplanting advertising and storytelling is an ever-more essential part of the marketing message, carefully curated content - well presented - is an immense brand asset, be it to a humble, over-caffeinated individual blogger or a Fortune 100 company.”

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Credibility, trust, & authority: the branding benefits of curation Once the sacred realm of

journalists, content curation is now recognized as not only a way to build your brand, but build trust in your brand

Offering superior, well-organized & truly useful content - consistently & over time - can help establish you/your brand/your client’s as a trusted, go-to source of valuable information. Golden!

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Set up a separate email address specifically for subscriptions

Set up an RSS feed if you’re into that (and if it’s an option)

Set up Gmail alerts for select topic interests (e.g., “SEO copywriting”) and favorite sources (e.g., “Heather Lloyd-Martin,” “Danny Sullivan”)

Use bookmarks for sources you may just want to check periodically

So how to do this?

More on how to curate content

Monitor (and engage with) relevant forums, groups, & blogs for topic threads & links

Social Networking Sites - Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest

Bookmarking Sites - StumbleUpon, Delicious, etc.

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Use hashtags (#) on Twitter to segment your interests (e.g., #SEO, #Content Marketing), then follow the yellow brick road of links cited

Make a point of following industry thought leaders

Use a smart Twitter application to save precious time (e.g., HootSuite, TweetDeck)

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Twitter for serendipity

Curate the curators!

There are many sources of weekly curated content, and their number is growing by the day.

Be discerning: look for authority and expertise not only with the source, but also with the individual contributor(s) cited.

That said, weekly (and daily) “roundups”, “wraps”, “recaps”, etc., can be great sources of “pre-curated”, quality content - and perhaps more importantly, of links for cultivating your own content curation list.

Notable daily’s include Search Marketing Land & sister site, Marketing Land. Exceptional weekly’s include SEO Copywriting, Social Media Examiner, State of Search, HubSpot, GigaOm & Reel SEO (video).

Don’t forget the news!

It’s easy to forget more mainstream online resources like the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fortune, and Forbes.

These sources often “catch” news relevant to the industry before the industry does, & offer valuable context & links!

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Professional journals & online magazines There are also hidden

“gems” in the way of both print & online professional journals & magazines

These sources are goldmines for original thought and hard data

Exemplary online sources include Target Marketing Magazine, Open View Partners, Entrepreneur, Website Magazine, & Marketing Sherpa

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What to take away from this Content curation, done well,

can not only help establish your brand, but also infuse it with “cred” = golden!

There are scads of resources for curation: news, social media, blogs, forums, pre-curated dailies & weeklies, professional journals & online magazines

Set up a smart, streamlined system for cultivating content

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Talk to me!

Thank you for gracing me with your presence!

Should you wish to contact me with any questions, thoughts, feedback, or fantastic guest posts, please do!

Email: laura@seocopywriting.com

Twitter: @ljcrest

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