The

Straight Talk Guide

to Content Curation
from
Learn how
to curate
content
like a pro
without all
the jargon.
Curation.
The word itself has a bit of a cool edge to it. Think of an art museum
curator. We picture someone smart, fashionable and discerning.

Curation is everywhere these days. Many of us take pride in our

handpicked book/record/wine/insert-hobby-here collections. The
term has even made its way into online marketing. Which is what
brings you here.

Want to know how curation fits into your marketing strategy? You’re
in the right place.

This guide will cover:

1. What curated content is;

2. Why it works as an online marketing
approach;
3. Best practices for curating content;
4. A step-by-step guide to curating
content the right way; and
5. A curating checklist.

First, let’s start with the basics.

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 What the heck is curation?
What

Curation is the process of sifting

through the vast world of content
and information available online, Real Life Examples
identifying information that
you find useful, and sharing that Netflix. Your landing page
content with your audience. For is a curated selection
business owners, your audience of movies, shows and
documentaries you
Why

includes your customer base.

might like based on your
viewing history.
Think again about a curator
at an art museum. Spotify. Your playlists
are curated selections of
Their job is to select works of your favorite music.
art that align with the museum’s
collection and purpose, or with Amazon. The platform
Dos & Don’ts

the direction of a specific exhibit. offers users a curated

The best curators are selective list of product
recommendations based
and intentional, not apathetic. on their purchase history.
Likewise, your curated content
should be clustered around and
related to a specific topic.

The types of curated content you can share include:

• Articles • Videos
How

• Guides • Social media posts

• Reports • Product reviews

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 9 Blog post
9 Video tutorial
To clarify, 9 Guide
What

Content curation differs from content creation.

9 Links to articles
9 Re-posts and shares on
social media
9 Entertaining memes or GIFs

Curation focuses on gathering useful content centered on a specific

topic from multiple sources, re-organizing it and sharing it with
Why

your audience in an easily digestible way. Curated content includes

articles and links pulled from external sources, like news websites,
trade publications and social media.

Content creation, on the other hand, refers to the content your

business develops on its own, like an original blog post, video tutorial
or guide.
Dos & Don’ts

A robust content marketing strategy includes a healthy mix of

creation and curation. Once your business starts generating enough
content of its own, it’s possible to start curating your original
content around specific topics.

For example, a landscaping firm that features a backyard makeover

each month on its YouTube channel can use that list to curate its
most popular videos or feature projects that included a swimming
pool installation.
How

You may be thinking,

“This sounds like a lot of work. Why should I care?”
We’re glad you asked.

5
 Here’s why curating works.
What

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to marketing

your business. These are a few reasons to dive into content
curation.

Earn expert status.

Passing relevant news and trends along to customers
elevates your business as a go-to for trusted information
Why

and boosts awareness of your brand. When people know

that they can rely on you to deliver useful info, they’re
more likely to open your emails and visit your website.

Invest time in defining how you want your customers

to think about your brand. Be deliberate about what
you share over email or social media; don’t firehose
your subscribers and followers with irrelevant
Dos & Don’ts

content.

Save time.
It’s hard work to write a blog and develop other quality
original content on a daily basis. What happens when you
don’t have time to write a post? This is where curated
content can help. You should already be staying up-to-
date on industry news, trends and forecasts. Why not
gather the most useful articles and social media posts
How

you find, and share them with customers? It’s faster and
more cost-effective than creating original content, and
serves the same purpose - to keep the conversation
going.

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 Deliver value.
What

Think of content curation as another way to deliver value.

Share content that educates and helps customers make
decisions. If you run a tree trimming service, you want
your customer to read a news report about tree trimming
ahead of hurricane season.

Content curation delivers value without making

it all about your business. Why is that important?
Why

People don’t like others who only talk about

themselves. The same goes for content marketing
strategy. Successful content marketing encourages
conversation, it doesn’t dominate it.

Better understand customers.

Sharing curated content is a good way to quickly figure
Dos & Don’ts

out who your audience is, especially when you’re just

starting to build your audience. Tracking performance
on curated articles allows you to quickly learn what info
your subscribers and followers find valuable, as well as the
format they like to consume it in (e.g., email newsletter,
tweet, vlog).

Use the data to better inform your products or

services. For example, a community bank that
notices subscribers like articles on personal finance
How

can offer more tailored services, like a webinar on

personal finance basics.

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 Grow business.
What

Curation allows you to share more content, more often.

People will notice if what you’re sharing is worthwhile.
They’ll also be more likely to think of you the next time
they need to make a purchase.

Make contacts.
Curating content is all about elevating the work of others,
Why

which also happens to be a great way to meet like-minded

people. Also, know that others are more likely to share
your stuff, when you’re sharing theirs.

In addition to encouraging a dialogue with

customers, leverage curation to connect with
leaders and influencers in your industry.
Dos & Don’ts

Stay informed.
The internet is an infinite pool of information and content.
Curation helps your business stay sharp by keeping you
and your team plugged into the news and reports that are
most relevant in your work.
How

Ready to get started?

Let’s take a look at curation best practices.

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 The dos and don’ts of content curation.
What

Content curation is a low-cost, efficient way to keep the

conversation going with customers, but it’s easy to mess up.

Keep these best practices in mind as you get started.

Don’t... Do...
Why

Don’t overshare. The point Do add context. Sharing

of curation is to come up with content with no context
content that is hand-picked for puts you dangerously close
your audience, not to share links to spam territory. There
just for the sake of sharing. The should be a clear reason
more generic (and prolific) your why you are sharing a
curated content gets, the lower particular piece of content
its value is to the reader. Don’t with your audience. Don’t
Dos & Don’ts

sacrifice the quality of your be afraid to offer your take

curated content for the sake of or opinion on the topic
quantity. being covered.

Don’t plagiarize. Do give credit. Make an effort to

Never (ever) try to shout out the blogs, companies
pass other people’s and other sources where your
content off as your curated content is coming from. Tag
own. Your audience and creators in social posts, and include
the content creators links to the original work. It’s the
How

will notice, and your right thing to do and has the added
reputation will be benefit of strengthening your online
damaged. network.

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 Don’t... Do...
What

Don’t overdo it. Do use caution. Put

Curated content should thought into what you
not replace original content share, and think about how
generated by your business. curated content reflects on
Aim to strike a balance, mixing your brand. What does it
original content with content say about your values? How
created by someone else. For will it be received by your
example, an email newsletter audience? Is there a chance
can feature original blog posts, people will take it the wrong
way? Be especially careful
Why

while also including a handful

of links and content from with sharing content that is
external sources. satirical or controversial.

Don’t lose focus. Do experiments. Experiment

Make sure to focus with sharing different types
curated content on of curated content in different
specific topics. If your
Dos & Don’ts

formats, and measure the

weekly newsletter results. This is how you zero in
shares curated content on what really matters to your
on business one week, audience. Share curated content
gardening the next and in blog posts, an email newsletter
windsurfing the week after and on social media channels.
that, your subscribers will Also, mix up the type of content
lose interest fast. Pick you share; share curated
a topic or two and dive videos, guides, social media
into it, providing relevant, posts and even other blogs
timely and useful content and newsletters, in addition to
How

specific to that area. articles.

Ready. Set. Go.

It’s time to start curating.

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 How to do curation the right way.
What

Your audience wants to hear from your brand on a regular basis,

but they don’t always want to hear about your brand. Striking that
balance is the difference between a content marketing strategy that
includes curated content, and one that does not.

How do you do content curation the right way?

Why

Here’s a step-by-step guide for getting started.

Step #1 Figure out what topics you will curate

Dos & Don’ts

The goal of content curation is to deliver the content that

is most useful and valuable to your audience. Brands that
do this well focus on sharing content clustered around a
specific topic or set of topics related to their product or
service. How do you pick what topics to focus on?

First, think about what your business does.

What is your product or service? What topics do you find

yourself reading about when you’re learning about your
How

own industry? Your audience will be interested in some of

that content as well.

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What

Next, think about what your audience actually

cares about.
This is different from what your business does, but the two
can intersect. Your audience cares about a lot of different
things, from their health and well-being and that of their
families to saving money. Your curation sweet spot is a
Why

blend of what you do and what your audience cares about.

Case Study: Outdoor retailers like Patagonia, REI

and Huckberry are great examples of how to achieve
this blend. What do they do? They sell outdoor
gear. In addition to gear, their audience (read: their
customers) really cares about being outside, finding
adventure and taking care of the Earth. The curated
Dos & Don’ts

content those brands deliver includes video profiles

of rock climbers, mountain bikers and fisherman;
articles on climate change, developing sustainable
wetsuit material and developments in federal
conservation regulations; and guides to hiking trails
and beaches. All of that content relates to their
brand, even if it’s not about their brand.

Curate around topics that help your audience understand

how your product can help them meet their needs, as well
How

as the topics that they genuinely care about.

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What

Step #2 Pick reputable sources

The bulk of your curated content is going to be in

the form of articles, videos and other content linked
from external websites, blogs and social media feeds.
The places where you look to find content are called
content sources.
Why

There are tons of places to get content online. Having

a list of vetted sources makes the curation process
easier and helps you avoid sharing content that is
unreliable or that may reflect poorly on your brand.
We cannot overstress the value of picking reputable
sources.
Dos & Don’ts

You wouldn’t do business with someone

you don’t trust. Don’t share articles from a
website or blog that you don’t trust.

Good sources to start gathering content from include

news websites, industry or trade publications, and
blogs run by companies you partner with.

Use our chart on the next page to determine if your

How

source is reputable or if you should look for another.

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 Does the source
publish new content
regularly?

Yes No

Within the
Is it clear who is
last month.
behind the blog,
website or
platform?
Hmm, I’m
not sure. When was their
last published
post?
Does the blog /
Does the source use site include
No, not proper spelling contact info?
at all grammer, and
Yes, very clear.
punctuation?
Yes

Yes
No
Yes

Does the source

content align with Is the source’s
More than a
your brand’s tone No content on
month ago
and quality topic and easy
standards? to read?

I’ve found errors. Does the source

provide links to
the original
source of info
No
including data
How often? Yes and stats?
No

No
Occasionally

Yes
Frequently
Look for another This is a reliable
source. This one source. Curate
isn’t reliable. away!

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 Step #3 Develop a curation workflow
What

With a list of topics and content sources in hand, it’s time

to start curating.

If you’re curating content manually, think about how often

you will be looking to share curated articles and links.
Use that schedule to inform how often you will search for
content and gauge how much you’ll need to gather. Do
Why

you want to look out for curated content for a few minutes
each day? Or for 30 minutes on a specific day of the week?

If content curation is new to you, it may be helpful to

dedicate time each week to look for content. Think about
what your audience would find interesting when reading
the news or an industry blog, and keep an eye out for
interesting articles shared by other brands.
Dos & Don’ts

Next, plan how and where you will gather links to curated
content. To start, it could be as simple as bookmarking
links and gathering links in a specific folder.

Here are a few other ways to start finding

content.

• Create lists on social media. Build Twitter lists

around specific topics or hashtags, and follow specific
hashtags on Instagram and Facebook. Your general
How

feed is noisy; creating lists allows you to home in on

the content that matters most to your audience.

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 • Join niche groups. The Internet is filled with groups,
forums, message boards and clubs that focus on
What

specific interests. Find the groups your audience

members are most likely to be members of and join
the conversation. Be respectful of the group dynamic;
the goal here is to listen, not to spam groups with
promotions from your brand.
• Use Google Alerts. Use Google search to sign up
for alerts on topics your readers care about. A word
of advice: Set very specific search parameters,
otherwise your inbox will be flooded. Also, be sure to
Why

click through and read content served up by Google

before sharing it to make sure it meets your sourcing
standards.
• Sign up for email newsletters. Sometimes curated
content comes from other curators. Subscribe to
email newsletters from other brands in your category,
as well as newsletter that aggregate news or focus
on a specific interest. Don’t be afraid to share
Dos & Don’ts

announcements from other companies if you think it

might be useful to your audience.

Step #4 Assemble a curation toolkit

If reading this and feeling overwhelmed, it may be worth

considering adding curation software to your content
How

marketing toolkit. Curating content by hand is doable, but

it’s hard to scale. And scale is what you need to establish
yourself as a trusted source of information.

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 There’s a range of tools available to help ramp up your
curation efforts, including
What

• Flipboard
• Pocket
• [Link]
• Feedly
• [Link]
• UpContent
• Quuu

And we’d be remiss if we left out [Link]. Our platform

Why

has built-in curation features that make it easy to deliver

curated content via email newsletter.

Visit Pushing Send, the [Link] blog, for a complete list of

curation tools, what they do and how to use them.
Dos & Don’ts

Step #5 Plan out how to share content

Once you’ve assembled curated content think about

how you want to share it with your audience. Consider
questions like:

• Is the content best suited for social media?

• Is it better shared as a link in your email newsletter?
How

• Perhaps you want to share a roundup of the week’s

most interesting curated content in a weekly blog
post?

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 There’s going to be a lot of overlap here. Don’t be afraid to
What

share the same curated content on social media as you do

elsewhere, though you’ll want to tailor your posts to each
platform. For example, you always want to provide context
and commentary with the curated links you share, but that
context will have to be shorter and snappier to fit in a short
tweet versus a post on Facebook or your blog.

Think about how often you want to share curated

Why

content.

You don’t want to overshare, but you also need to be

consistent. How frequently you share content often
depends on the platform. Social media feeds refresh
often, making it possible to share curated content every
day without getting on your audience’s nerves. For other
Dos & Don’ts

platforms, like newsletters or blogs, consider sharing

curated content at least once a week.

Also, think about how much curated content you are

sharing in relation to original and promotional content.
There are multiple ways to approach this mix, but a general
rule of thumb is to fold a healthy amount of original
content into your curated content.

Messages that only promote your brand should

be the smallest slice of your content marketing
How

pie.

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 Here are two approaches for thinking about your content
mix.
What

• The Golden Rule. This guideline is also known as the

30/60/10 rule. That stands for 30% original content,
60% curated content and 10% promotional content.
In this mix, curated content is the bulk of day-to-day
content, while original content, like blog posts, get
about half as many shares.
• The [Link] Rule. This rule is geared specifically for
social media. For every 10 posts, share five pieces of
Why

curated content, three pieces of original content and

two pieces of content that are fun and personal. The
idea with the last two posts is to make a concerted
effort to humanize your brand.
Dos & Don’ts

Step #6 Track performance

Congrats! Now that you’re curating content like a pro, it’s

important to track the results of that work.

Each blog post read, social media share, and email

click-through gives you a clearer picture of what
your audience is interested in.
How

Pay attention to trends, and use that information to

further refine the topics and content you pay attention to
when curating.

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 Here are a few tools to help you get started on
What

tracking how your content is doing.

• Google Analytics. This is the most popular tool for

tracking website and content performance with good
reason - it’s free and it works. This tool allows you to
dig into the demographics of your audience, where
they’re coming from and what content they’re clicking
on. You can also use it to measure the effectiveness
of social media campaigns.
Why

• Facebook Page Insights. Also free for business

profile users, this tool allows you to gather
information on what actions your audience is taking
on your Facebook page, including post engagement
(i.e. likes, comments, shares) and audience data, like
when your followers tend to be online. It also shows
you what types of posts are doing well on pages
similar to yours.
Dos & Don’ts

• Instagram Insights. Similar to Facebook’s analytics

page (Facebook owns Instagram), your Instagram
Insights page lets you dig into data on your most
popular posts and your overall reach. Unfortunately,
there’s no desktop version of this tool. It’s only
available for use by business account holders in the
mobile app.
• Twitter Analytics. You have to be a paid advertiser
on Twitter in order to start using its analytics page,
but the tool has useful features. Among other
How

data, it gathers your top tweets, engagements and

impressions over time, which can help you see what
content could be repurposed at a later date.

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You’ve made it to the end of this guide.
We’re impressed by you and psyched for you. You’re now on your
way to a well-rounded, thoughtful content curation approach.

In this guide we:

Explained what curated content is;

Learned why it works as an online
marketing approach;
Talked about best practices for curating
content; and
Gave you a step-by-step guide to curating
content the right way.

Now here’s a gift from us to you.

Use this curation checklist as you would a packing list before a

trip. Run through it, make sure you have what you need and happy
curating!

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 Your straight-talk curation checklist by

Time to start sharing cool stuff with your audience. Here’s a checklist to get
you started.

I know what topics I want to curate.

Write down three topics that are relevant to your business/industry and to
your audience, and three topics that your audience is actually interested in.

Topics my business is interested in... Topics my audience is interested in...

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.

I have a list of content sources.

Remember, you want to source content from places that are reputable, publish
regularly and match your brand standards for writing. Think about trade
publications, industry blogs, news websites, magazines, email newsletters and
the blogs of your partner companies.

Write down five industry sources, five general sources (news websites,
magazines, interest blogs), and five social media sources you could gather
content from.

Industry Sources General Sources Social Media Sources

1. 1. 1.
2. 2. 2.
3. 3. 3.
4. 4. 4.
5. 5. 5.

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 Your straight-talk curation checklist by

I have a system for gathering and storing curated content.

This could be as simple as setting up a folder in your web browser where you
can drop links to curated content.

Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4:

Find content Bookmark link Save in ‘Curated Content’
folder

Curation tools:

I have a plan for sharing curated content.

Make a list of all the channels you have for contacting customers, including
social media accounts. How often do you want to share curated content on
each channel?

Also, figure out your desired content mix. For example, for every 10 posts, post
five (5) curated pieces of content.

Channel How often will I share? What’s our content mix?

Email Newsletter
Company Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube

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 Your straight-talk curation checklist by

I have a plan for tracking content performance.

Place a check-mark next to which tools you will be using to track how curated
content is performing.

Tool

Google Analytics

Facebook Insights

Instagram Insights

Twitter Analytics

I have a favorite ice cream flavor picked out.

Because (obviously) you deserve ice cream for making it through this checklist.
Excellent work!

Flavor

Vanilla

Chocolate

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We don’t want to brag, but…
We have a lot more where this came from. Content marketing is kind of our
thing here at [Link] and we could talk for days about this stuff. But we won’t
do that. Instead, we’d like to take a minute to introduce what we do and how it
could help you and your newly minted content curation strategy.

There are all sorts of ways to share useful content (both original and curated)
with your audience. In our view, the email newsletter is one of the most
effective channels. Email newsletters are a direct way to stay in touch with
your audience on a regular basis, without having to post daily updates to a blog
or compete with the real-time stream of thoughts, content and media that fills
feeds on social media and other platforms.

Here at [Link], we’re dedicated to helping our users better inform the world by
sending smarter email newsletters. Our platform offers users a fast and easy
way to:

1. Build an email newsletter;

2. Fill it with original and curated content that your audience will find useful;
3. Send it out to your email lists on a regular basis.

The icing on the cake? Our platform uses artificial intelligence to

customize your email newsletter for each subscriber on your list based
on what articles they click on. Each time you hit send, [Link] generates
a unique email newsletter for each reader. The result is a newsletter that
has a consistent look, feel and branding, but with slightly different content
depending on the reader. Pretty cool, right?

We’re here to help whether you’re completely new to the world of email
newsletters (welcome!) or have an existing newsletter that hasn’t gotten much
traction (let’s talk!).

Visit [Link] to get started building a smarter email newsletter.

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