In 2024, it's estimated that there are more than 5 billion social media users on the wide web. Yes, that's right. We said billion, not million.
As you can see, standing out on social media is not as easy as it used to be, and today's social media users are expecting top-notch and relatable content with every post.
As a social media manager, you know that task is not an easy ask. That's where content curation made just for your target audience is key to growing your brand.
If you're looking for the top ways to help your brand grow on social media, then this article is for you!
This guide contains:
- What is content curation?
- Why is content curation so important?
- 7 steps to establish your content curation strategy
- 5 Brands that absolutely slayed at content curation
Let's get started!
What is content curation?
The process of finding, choosing, and disseminating excellent information to your audience on social media is known as content curation.
You're effectively working as a filter or curator, sorting through the massive quantity of information available online to identify content that fits your audience's interests, wants, and preferences—instead of producing all the content yourself.
Articles, blog posts, videos, infographics, memes, and any other kind of information that you think will connect with your audience and improve their social media experience can all be included in this carefully chosen content.
Engaging your audience, starting discussions, and establishing your brand as an informed and reliable resource within your sector or speciality are the goals of content curation.
Why is content curation so important?
Content curation is a valuable strategy for keeping your brand's profiles active, engaging your audience, staying informed, and establishing your brand as a trusted authority in your industry.
It's important to social media managers for several reasons:
Keeping Up a Consistent Presence
Regular and steady content updates are essential for social media platforms to function well. You can use content curation to add well-chosen content to original content, keeping accounts lively and interesting even when you're not actively producing new content.
Adding Value to Followers
You can provide your followers with insightful analysis, amusement, and useful information by carefully selecting pertinent, high-quality content from various sources. Ultimately, this increases audience trust, credibility, and loyalty, boosting engagement and strengthening brand affinity.
Staying Relevant and Informed
Social media managers must stay updated on the latest trends, news, and discussions in their industry or niche. Content curation lets you monitor what's happening in real-time and share timely and relevant content with your followers, demonstrating your expertise and keeping your audience informed.
Expanding Reach and Visibility
Curated content often comes from various sources beyond the brand's network. By sharing content from influencers, industry experts, or other relevant accounts, you can tap into new audiences and extend their reach, increasing your brand's visibility and attracting new followers.
Fostering Community Engagement
Curated content can spark conversations, debates, and interactions among followers. You can use curated content to initiate discussions, solicit feedback, or ask questions. That will help foster a sense of community and build stronger relationships with their audience.
7 Steps to Establish Your Content Curation Strategy
Content curation has become a cornerstone of effective social media management. By strategically selecting and sharing relevant content from diverse sources, you can engage your audience, build credibility, and enhance brand visibility.
With the right steps in place, it should be easy to curate your content. So, let's look into 7 steps to establish your content curation strategy.
#1 Define your goals
The first question you should ask yourself is why you want to curate content. Is it just something new you want to try, or do you believe the information is something that will resonate with your audience?
Before diving into content curation, it's essential to clearly define your objectives. Whether you want to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, or generate leads, these are all valid reasons for content curation.
Still, it's key to establish this upfront. By outlining your goals from the start, you can tailor your content curation efforts to align with your overarching social media strategy and effectively measure success.
#2 Identify your target audience
Understanding your audience is key to successful content curation. Take the time to research and analyze your target demographic's interests, preferences, and behaviour patterns on social media.
This insight can help you curate content that resonates with your audience and fosters meaningful engagement.
#3 Define which social media outlets to use
Not all social media platforms are created equal; each has unique audience demographics and content preferences. Consider which platforms your target audience frequents most and focus your content curation efforts accordingly.
Whether it's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or others, tailor your curated content to suit the platform's format and audience expectations.
If you want an easy way to share curated content, check out Sendible's unique share button.
It can be installed on any website or blog you own, making it easy for team members to choose from a library of content you've curated and share directly through the Compose Box without needing to leave your website.
Plus, if you are browsing the web and come across some content you would like to add to your content curation strategy, be sure to add Sendible's Google Chrome extension to your browser.
That way, you can easily publish or schedule content you come across while browsing the web without having to open our social media tool.
The easier the process to share curated content is, the better set up for success you will be.
#4 Check out the competition
Be sure to always keep your finger on your competitor's pulse. You never want to copy them, but learning valuable insights into their content curation strategies is helpful.
Check out the content types they share, how often they post, and which posts get the most engagement. This competitive analysis can help you identify market gaps and refine your content curation approach.
#5 Create shareable content
While content curation primarily involves sourcing and sharing third-party content, don't overlook the importance of creating original, shareable content.
A good rule of thumb is 60% curated content and 40% original content. As a brand, you want other brands to share your content, so make sure you create top-notch content that excites them.
By producing high-quality, engaging content that adds value to your audience's feed, you can establish your brand as a thought leader and drive organic reach and engagement.
#6 Stay on a solid schedule
Consistency is key when it comes to content curation. Establish a regular posting schedule and stick to it to maintain a steady flow of content on your social media channels.
Whether you post daily, several times a week, or on specific days, consistency will help keep your audience engaged and coming back for more.
If you struggle with coming up with content regularly, be sure to empower yourself with success through a social media content calendar. Instead of worrying about what you will post on the day you need something to go out, you can set some time aside and map your whole month out.
Plus, if you tap into Sendible’s content library, you can set yourself up for success by pumping out posts when inspiration strikes and saving them to be scheduled later.
That will ensure that you keep the consistency in your posting and also continuously offer the opportunity for engagement.
#7 Continuously analyze the results
As you implement your content curation strategy, monitoring and analyzing its performance is key to its success.
If something seems to not be working, the data will help you make effective decisions on whether or not to continue a strategy. Use social media analytics tools to track key metrics such as engagement rate, reach, and click-through rate.
By analyzing the results, you can identify trends, understand what resonates with your audience, and refine your strategy to optimize results.
5 Brands that absolutely slayed at content curation
Now that we have looked into all things content curation let's take what we learned and see what that might look like in action.
Below are 5 brands that absolutely slayed at content curation. Let's see what they did and why it worked.
#1 Mint Mobile
What did they do?
Mint Mobile is a pretty popular brand, not only for its cheap phone plans but also because Ryan Reynolds is its spokesperson. That fact alone should generate popularity (and it certainly does). However, the brand has a unique personality and tone of voice that only Ryan Reynolds himself could get away with. From using curse words in copy to making fun of other brands, the brand's unique personality shines through in every post.
In the example above, Mint Mobile reposted someone's Instagram post with a selfie of the individual and a wax version of Ryan Reynolds. They added a caption responding to the original poster and then shared it on their social media pages.
Why did it work?
The reason this curated content did so well is that the brand stayed true to its voice and shared content that would get its followers to interact and engage with it. Not every brand can tell people not to feed Ryan Reynolds, so Mint Mobile followers had some fun with it!
The takeaway:
If someone tags your brand with something fun, find a way to incorporate it to stay true to your brand's voice, get your followers engaged and talk more about your brand.
#2 Wendy's
What did they do?
Wendy's is already pretty popular for their cheeky responses and roasting other brands. In the post above, Wendy's absolutely made fun of McDonald's and got their followers engaged in the comments, which really made the post take off.
Why did it work?
Wendy's followers are there for fun. And that's exactly what Wendy's gives them – quite consistently. The brand is NOT known for its high-quality images and beautiful feed. It's known for its humour and laughing good times.
The takeaway:
Embrace your brand's voice. If you have a positive and inspiring tone, and that's what followers are tagging you, then share it! If you find articles and posts similar to your tone, don't be afraid to add them to your curated content schedule.
#3 Sephora
What did they do?
Sephora is a known makeup brand whose slogan is "We belong to something beautiful." That being said, everything that Sephora creates and curates is intended and focused on something beautiful. The brand frequently partners with influencers who share experiences on using the brand's products. In the scenario above, Sephora shared a video of a woman named Carla using its products.
Why did it work?
Sephora's followers are interested in all things beauty. By partnering with someone relatable, the brand tapped into a unique way to share curated content. Followers see their brand's product in action, so the brand definitely wins from this.
The takeaway:
Consider sharing user-provided photos and videos if your brand has a product or service. That way, it is a unique take and review of your brand's products and services. It will diversify your content and provide an elevated review for your followers.
#4 Aldi UK
What did they do?
Aldi is known for its super low prices and awesome quality. The brand remains relatable by sparking conversations with its users. In the example of curated content above, Aldi shares a love story that happened in its own parking lot.
Why did it work?
The brand found a way to get people engaged and talking about it. Instead of just focusing on what the brand sells, it focused on a human interest love story that happened at the store. This was an excellent idea, as followers loved reading about the story and were highly engaged with the post.
The takeaway:
Find a way to humanize your brand, regardless of what you sell. People want to know that your brand loves people. So, find a way to make that stand out on social media. Whether sharing curated content that speaks to your followers or creating your own content, keep your brand relatable so your followers will stay engaged.
#5 Baseball America
What did they do?
Baseball America is a news channel for all things baseball. The brand currently has more than 200k followers on Facebook and consistently shares content from articles it has created. To break things up a bit, the brand called out MLB for a video they posted that had some of their players.
Why did it work?
Since Baseball American generally just posts articles they created themselves, reposting content from another brand is something quite unusual for them. Since this was different, followers enjoyed the change and engaged with the brand.
The takeaway:
Having curated content on the schedule is a great way to break up the monotony and keep things lively on your social media pages.
Final Thoughts on Content Curation
Standing out on social media in 2024 is not only possible but right within your reach. Simply follow the tips above to set yourself up with a solid strategy, and check out some unique social media accounts to inspire you.
Once you're feeling inspired, set out to create the top content curation strategy out there to help your brand reach that next-leve ofl success.
Ready to be empowered by top-notch social media tools? Learn how with our powerful scheduling platform!
