Curation is commonly associated with people who move about in libraries or museums, but yet again, the digital sphere has taken that little word and reworked it into something of its own. In digital marketing, being a curator is not necessarily the job of a single person, we are all content curators.

Curated articles are written during a lengthy process consisting of the collection of information, evaluation thereof and using said information to compile your own article, dusted with additional resources which add value to your argument.

4 tips to keep in mind when curating an article:

• A curated article is shorter than the standard article length, meaning you should be clear and avoid verbosity.
• Ensure that you are up to date with developments in the field to which you are writing.
• Curate from reliable sources at the top of the hits list.
• Keep in mind that curation is an opinion or an argument with relating sources.

Information comes before opinion. Conduct research to get an idea, form an argument and then search related content. One niche at a time, one opinion at a time and one argument at a time makes it manageable to pull off successfully. Carla van Straten (2013)

5 Steps to curate content according to Curata

1. Identify
   Choose a topic which is topical and relevant to your audience.
2. Find sources
   Regard the work of industry professionals as part of your research.
3. Organise
   Filter through resources and establish which will aid your argument.
4. Add value
   Avoid plagiarising as you use sources to substantiate your argument – thus your argument will add value to your resources and vice versa.
5. Publish and promote
   Publish the article and promote it on your social networks.

The key though to write by, is that you should have your own opinion around the topic you are writing about. Resources should be used as a support in this argument and should not take over the entire article. This can lead to repetition and plagiarising, which you definitely want to avoid if you hope to get any hits on the article. Finally, your article should prove valuable to the reader, and aid them in understanding the message you are trying to convey.

The Basics of Content Curation in the Digital Sphere

Become an Opinion Leader Through Content Curation

Step-by-Step: Content Curation