The publication of content, as well as discussion about the right way to use it to engage consumers and peers, is ongoing. However, why reinvent the wheel when you can roll up on what’s already out there?
The following tips will help you curate content and use it for multiple purposes, such as keeping tabs on the pros and re-introducing content in your own unique ways.
Monitor BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo helps creators identify who and what is hot regarding consumption and virility of content.
The search box allows you to search for topics (or individual domains). Here, a general search for ‘leadership’ elicits 155 pages of ideas and information.
- Filter the search according to the variety of content, and find a ‘content hole,’ combining popular content with varieties of content not yet explored.
- Be selective with dates. Don’t (just) check on what’s currently popular. Go back further and revisit previously popular content, adding to it with updates, fresh data, and perspectives from industry leaders.
- Notice the ‘angles’ of headlines, and explore different perspectives. For example, ‘How Successful People Stay Calm’ got a lot of views. Would a pivot, like ‘How Successful People Fail,’ be just as popular or interesting?
- Take notice of authors for potential guest blogs, interviews, and in making references to existing content, points, and established ‘norms’ of marketing.
- Obviously, we want to look at platforms to view how well particular content did on respective sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. (Don’t reinvent the content wheel!)
Additionally, use BuzzSumo to look at potential influencers based on subject matter and publication.
Peruse events and tradeshows
People make long-term connections at events and tradeshows, yet it’s difficult to get to all of them (or even a few each year).
However, considering the breadth of hash tag information, one can glean a lot of information, as if they were actually there. And, you can take advantage of offered information afterwards.
- Take a look at the most popular or all of the tweets assigned to an event.
- Notice participation of influencers and what interested them.
- Take the best of information and make it more available for the masses, such as making a ‘Top-Ten Takeaways’ or ‘Those Who Stole the Show’ type of roundup effort.
View Bitly bundles and influencer shares
People use Bitly to shorten URL links as well as track how well shares impress others. What’s great about Bitly is you can toy with the URL to take a look at notable parties, like Rand Fishkin.
Now, we can look at particular content as well as access the bundles of others.
We see what content AJ Kohn (a fantastic curator) finds interesting enough to share as well as bundles he has created for his own curation efforts.
Use AllMyTweets for expert quotations
It’s advantageous to get an influencer or notable party for an interview, but, often, experts are busy and ‘hot commodities’ when it comes to their contributions. However, you don’t necessarily need to ask them for their opinions straight out; you can search for topics and get their opinions.
For example, Google’s Penguin remains an ongoing discussion and topic in search marketing. What does a knowledgeable source, like Danny Sullivan, think on the topic and what does he share?
Placing Danny’s Twitter handle in AllMyTweets, and doing a Ctrl+F search within for “penguin” gives you the kind of information you can use on the topic.
We can do this for other influencers and topics. For example, what can we learn from Larry Kim regarding PPC?
Make distinct lists
Twitter never sleeps, and it can be difficult to sift through the never-ending stream of opinions, facts, screenshots, industry dialogue, etc.
Yet, making distinct Twitter lists helps in a two-fold way; one, you’re alerting the people on the list about their inclusion, and, secondly, you’re making it easy to access knowledge on developing dialogue regarding a topic, like pay-per-click.
It’s easier to get information on particular topics, such as newspapers divide information into sections such as Business, International News, etc. Also, if you want to keep your ‘secret weapons’ private, you may do so.
Pro tip: Peruse the lists of publications and personalities you found of interest from BuzzSumo.
It’s up to you
That’s it! You’re now a much more powerful curator than at the beginning of this post. Best of all, you can start making these curation efforts right now! Get out there and start riding the waves of discussions and developments rather than stuck at the first mile, trying to figure out how to set this content wheel in motion.
