When it comes to content marketing a firm has two possible avenues: curating content and creating content. The question is when is it appropriate to curate and when is it appropriate to create? And when is it appropriate to do both?
Creating Original Content
I purposely am going to start with creating content because if you have the resources, it’s no doubt the best solution. However, it’s not always logistically possible. What I mean by that is you might not have the funds to generate research, you might not have internal staff with capacity to write, you might not have the systems in place, etc. Whatever the reason, it just is not operationally possible. However, if you can create content it by and large has more power over curated content. The reason is because original thought creates conversation where as curated content repurposes someone else’s conversation. It’s that plain and simple. Though one can appear intelligent and knowledgeable by knowing the conversations taking place on a subject and curating that content for their prospect and client base, it’s better to be the one creating the conversation.
Curating Content
Curated content can be effective in two ways:
- It can be a sole content strategy enabling you to market some thought leadership until you’re able to develop the resources needed to create your own. There are tools in place that easily allow you to curate content right into your site without huge investments. This enables you to quickly illustrate expertise, push relevant content to your client base, and encourage them to start a dialogue with you.
- However, content curation is best leveraged when aligned with original content from your firm. If you’re producing original research, insight, and opinion an effective content curation engine can let you pull in other content around that topic to support your insights and opinions. It’s a tactic that enables you to move your content from opinion to validation, further illustrating your expertise in the marketplace.
Possible Tools for Content Curation:
Have a question on content curation or your content marketing strategy or seen success with a certain curation platform? Share below.