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Content Curation
May 2011 | Volume 9 Issue 5
It’s becoming more and more difficult to find information you need online quickly, especially high-quality content. To combat the information overload created by the Web, many are looking to trusted sources for content curation. Like a museum curator, content curators filter, organize, analyze and share content on a particular topic from a variety of sources with their audience—a role that’s a natural fit for communicators. In this issue of CW Bulletin, our experts share their definitions of content curation and offer tips and tools for helping your audiences find the information they’re interested in, positioning you as a trusted resource, and building your brand and reputation.
Natasha Nicholson
Executive Editor
Amanda Aiello-Beck
Managing Editor |
Features
CONTENT CURATORS
by Donna Papacosta
If curation isn’t yet on your radar screen, it soon will be. Why? We are constantly bombarded by an ever-growing array of information, and it’s becoming more and more difficult to make sense of it. In a world where high-quality information is harder to find, learning to meaningfully filter through content is an increasingly valuable skill.
CURATING CONTENT
by Shel Holtz, ABC, IABC Fellow
For years, we have been warned that the consequence of the “everyone-can-publish” Web model will be information overload. Search engines are less and less helpful in filtering online information. Searching for something specific can often result in thousands of irrelevant links.
The problem, though, isn't information overload. After all, I can stand all the information I can possibly get—about things I'm interested in. This is where content curation is gaining steam.
SOCIAL MEDIA CURATION
by Stephanie Schwab
To maintain a strong brand presence, you’ve got to fill your social media streams with content and then actively engage with your fans and followers daily, plus reach out to new followers and influencers. One of the problems is that the average lifespan of a tweet is only five minutes to an hour, and a Facebook status update lives for two days at best. So how can you develop enough content to continuously push out interesting stuff without hiring a huge team of content creators? You curate it, of course.
BUILDING YOUR BRAND
by Christy Barksdale
With the rise of content marketing, an influx of online content farms and advances in technology, anyone can now be a publisher. The result? An overwhelming amount of content is now available online. By including content curation as part of a comprehensive content marketing strategy, an organization can provide a valuable service to its customers, prospects, and industry as a whole by addressing its audiences’ need for quality content and their lack of time to find it.
by Pete Codella
The first thing that probably comes to mind when you think of curation is a museum. Museums are overseen by curators, content specialists who are responsible for taking care of the museum’s collections. About a year ago, the term curator was hijacked and applied to digital communication. By effectively curating online content, your organization will become the go-to place and a trusted resource for your audience.
Columns
7 Business Books to Add to Your Reading List
by Daria Steigman
Don’t get me wrong; I read a lot. It’s just that in the past couple of years I’ve found myself increasingly gravitating toward blog posts; magazine articles; and other quickly digestible sources of ideas, insights and inspiration. And I’d forgotten how good a good book can be—or how much you can learn when you’re not confined to 140 characters, 1,000 words or the length of an average magazine article. To help me get back on track, I started a book review series late last year. Here are seven business books everyone should add to their reading list.
Recovering from a Crisis Starts with Values and Ends with Trust
by Linda Smith
A crisis plan is an organizational footprint for the first day of a crisis, but a company needs more if it wants to survive and recover from a major setback. A crisis plan, a team and prepared materials certainly help. However, to recover from a crisis, an organization needs to thrive under intense scrutiny—and that starts with values.
- "REI GPS Goes Online," Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI)
- "Army Strong Stories," Weber Shandwick/U.S. Army
Communication in the News
Related Resources provides additional articles and resources for understanding this month's topic of content curation. You can also find some of these links alongside each corresponding feature article for quick reference. Links include:
- "Content Is No Longer King: Curation is king," by Steve Rosenbaum
- "The 7 Needs of Real-Time Curators," by Robert Scoble
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This issue sponsored by:
Executive Education for Forward-Thinking Leaders
The Centre for Applied Leadership and Management at Royal Roads University delivers quality, applied-learning professional programs that respond to a world driven by knowledge and innovation.
Our graduate certificates, professional and executive development, and custom programs provide organizations and professionals with practical, short-term learning for long-term impact to meet the needs of forward-thinking leaders. For program information, including information about the IABC/RRU Executive Accreditation Seminar, visit http://www.royalroads.ca/iabc.
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