by Robin O’Neal Smith
When you visit a museum and notice a sign with artwork: “From the Collection of….” Somewhere there are many more pieces of art, but a curator selected the specific items they wanted to display. And the other items are stored elsewhere.
Just like at a museum, we curate items in a variety of ways. Consider all the possible items you have to display in your home from pictures to artwork to certificates, to meaningful memorabilia. You can’t use them all, so you become a curator and select the ones you wish to use the most.
Becoming a master curator
It is the same with curating content online. Think about your newsfeed on social media. There are hundreds, if not thousands of posts per day that show up in your feed. You never consider sharing every single item that appears. You pick the items you like the most or are most meaningful to you. The ones that make you laugh, or smile, or cry. The ones with useful information. These are the ones you share and pass on. And this sharing is a form of curation.
The same goes with blog posts. As you read certain posts you know they are pieces some of your friends and followers would enjoy, and you share them on social media or in a blog post so others can read them too. You wouldn’t share every blog post you see. You use criteria to pick the ones you share.
However, everyone’s criteria could be different.
Important curation rules
Whether you curate blog posts or social media content there are a few rules that make your posts stand out.
- Use Great Headlines – Grab attention so they will want to read more.
- Use Content Aggregators — Find posts to share. Feedly.com is a great example to find the best content.
- Include a Graphic – Whenever possible, include a graphic that relates to the topic. If sharing on social media the graphic follows a post that is shared.
- Make Sure the Material is Share-worthy – If you were reading would you want to share with your friends?
- Is it Accurate – Check it out on Snopes.com if there is a question.
Download the curation steps for both social media posts and blog posts and let being a curator help you provide meaningful content for your readers.
Robin is a freelance writer, blogger, and virtual assistant providing technical assistance, editing, social media and podcast editing to bloggers, authors, coaches, podcasters and speakers. She enjoys taking these tasks off others’ plates so they can shine in the areas they are gifted in. Traveling and spending time with her family are priorities. Connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram.
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