The Content Marketing Tool You've Overlooked

You've probably used some of these content marketing strategies:

• Lead magnets
• PDF freebies
• Podcasts
• Blog posts
• Email newsletters
• and more!

Trying to get all of your different pieces of content to mesh and help with your marketing funnels can be daunting.

But, I wanted to share with you one tool which can benefit both you and your audience:

Curation.

Curation as Content Bliss

Using an app like Wakelet.com is a sure-fire way to help yourself curate relevant content for your audience.

What may start out as research for your next blog post or a portal of links for your newsletter can morph into a tantalizing piece of content your audience will find helpful and beneficial.

For instance, check out this collection on Wakelet I had created on one specific topic.

It took over a couple of hours of independent research and organizing. And, yes, it was really meant for me at first. In the end, though, I had created a professional-looking piece of curated goodness that will benefit others. In fact, Wakelet saw enough value in it to Tweet it out to their followers.

Now I have some solid material I can weave into a future blog post. I can easily link to this collection or export it as a quality PDF freebie for my audience.

Curation as a Service to Your Audience

Time is a commodity.

Research and curation is a labor.

But, it's a labor of love your audience will appreciate.

What may seem like a drag on your time will bring value to your audience. In fact, a carefully curated piece of content can engage your customers.

Allow me to show you three "exhibits" of how curation can work...

Exhibit A: "The Swipe Up" by Erin Moon on Substack

Erin publishes a delightful newsletter with loads of curated content from the internets. Stuff like positive tweets, odd GIFs, interesting YouTube clips, book reviews, and uplifting quotes from others.

But here's the kicker: Scroll to the end of one of her posts, and what do you see?

An outpouring of audience connection.

She's delivered valuable content to her readers, and in turn they invest into her brand. Her brand feels more personal and real. It feels more face-to-face due to her curated content and the down-to-earth style of her writing.

In Erin's case, her curated content aligns with her brand's style, tone, and delivery.

Exhibit B: "Scripture Sauce" by Jordan Hopkins

I created this inspiring newsletter to deliver a dab of Bible goodness to my readers. Each post features thoughtful writing and a piece of curated content under a section called "Bonus Sauce!".

Like Erin, I want to delight my readers and offer some value beyond my words. And the curated content works: Substack's data shows my audience clicks on the curated content more than anything else. I do adhere to best practices by sprinkling in relevant links in the text, but my audience is drawn to curated content beyond the text.

Plus, relevant content you've handpicked for your audience tends to generate more conversation. One of my readers recently said he watched the video at the end of this post with his kids.

This is humbling. My content is moving beyond a digital storefront of ideas by trickling into genuine human connection.

Exhibit C: "Letters from an American" by Heather Cox Richardson

This informative and well-researched newsletter has a large readership. Her content, though not fancy, is highly informative, bringing clarity to modern history for her audience.

As well, her style of curation is different.

As you read her posts, you won't find a bunch of hyperlinked citations. Her copy is clean and easy to read. Instead, you will find a visual list of curated sources at the end of her posts.

This is super helpful as you can see the tweets, news clips, and articles she's referencing. So, instead of having to click on hyperlinks and be sent off screen every three seconds, the reader can peruse the curated list of sources and pick the most valuable ones to view.

Her curation is valuable, relevant, and helpful.

What Can You Curate?

Think about your brand and its heartbeat. Think about your audience and their expressed needs.

What kind of content can you curate to add value to their lives?

As content creators, we know how important audience trust is (Ethos is one of the pillars of persuasion). In the end, if we only add curated material to sell something, we may erode trust.

But, if you commit to investing in your audience by offering them high-value, curated content they can't find anywhere else, then it's mission success.

Sound off!

Do you offer curated content? If so, how do you leverage it to bring value to your audience?