Key takeaways
- Set a curation schedule and stick to it. Audiences expect regular, predictable posts (daily or weekly cadence works if consistent).
- Use scheduling tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to ensure curated posts publish even when you’re offline.
- Publish on multiple platforms. Test Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and niche networks (Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram) based on your audience data.
- Avoid repeating the same sources and draw from many trusted outlets to keep curated feeds fresh.
- Always add your brand’s voice: a short opinion or insight increases engagement and spreads awareness.
- Pair social curation with your email curation program to strengthen overall digital presence.
Introduction
A while back, we spent some time talking about how best to curate content in the inbox – if you missed that post, feel free to check it out here. However, as effective and important as this process might be as part of your email marketing operations, there’s no denying that this practice is also a potent force in the world of social media. To ensure that you’re getting the best of both worlds, let’s shift the discussion back to maximizing your presence on Twitter, Facebook, and other networks via the curation and sharing of content from around the web.
Build a Curation Schedule
To kick off the discussion, Mashable’s Steven Rosenbaum points out that it’s hard to go wrong with a set schedule of curated posts. The big reason for sticking to certain dates and times for the sharing of curated content arises from the fact that audiences of all shapes and sizes expect – and enjoy – regularity.
Whether your curate three new links or posts a day, or you stick to weekly offerings instead, it’s important to avoid missing publishing dates whenever possible. Just like your followers in the inbox, those who keep an eye on your brand via these networks generally don’t take well to sporadic or unpredictable actions that fail to conform to an expected or normal schedule.
If you find that you’re having trouble sticking to this kind of rigid and consistent approach, don’t be afraid to enlist the help of a management app like Hootsuite or Buffer. These platforms offer up quick and easy scheduling tools that ensure your curated content posts go live, even when you’re not in front of your computer.
Embrace Multiple Platforms
Rosenbaum also suggests embracing multiple platforms as you lay out the foundation for incorporating curated content into your social media engagement operations. Much like the relationship between Outlook, Gmail, and other platforms and your email contact list, different segments of your audience prefer different networks, so why not reach out to these viewers across multiple channels?
In some cases, you might find that these target segments yield a greater amount of interaction on niche platforms like Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram when compared to the “Big Three” – Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Naturally, this approach requires a willingness to delve into any available data that’s related to the habits of your audience on social media, but the payoff for uncovering networks that provide more impact with your brand’s followers is well worth the work that comes with this process.
Don’t Run the Content Well Dry
As far as the actual content that your brand shares, Matthew Collis of The Huffington Post points out that it’s all too easy to “run the well dry” by sharing from the same sources over and over. Yes, you always want to provide your readers with great content, but it’s equally important to pull from multiple outlets as a way to keep things fresh and vibrant.
If you don’t mix things up from time to time, it won’t take long for your audience to start viewing your regular posts as rehashed or automatic offerings that simply trigger whenever the overused source in question makes a post of their own. You’re much better off drawing from as many trusted and valued outlets as possible to ensure that variety and selection stay at a premium within your curated content practices.
Add Your Voice to the Conversation
One of the greatest shortcomings of most curated content campaigns – regardless of whether you’re enacting this approach on social media or in the inbox – comes in the form of failing to add your voice to the discussion. Yes, the point of curation is to share interesting and engaging selections from around the web, but your followers also want to hear what you have to say about this content as well.
You are the expert, so feel free to sound off with a poignant opinion or piece of insight on the topic at hand. By doing so, your brand can promote even more conversation and interaction – something that any organization operating on social media craves. Even if these readers disagree with your stance, they’ll still engage your brand and help spread awareness about your social profiles within their own circle of friends and family members.
With these tips in hand, your brand is now ready to make a big splash on social media with a steady stream of high-value curated content. When paired with a similar program in the inbox, there’s no limit to how fast your digital presence can grow once you get the wheels of this approach in motion.
FAQ
A curation schedule is a set cadence for sharing curated links or posts (e.g., three items a day or a weekly roundup). Use one because audiences expect regularity. Consistent dates and times reduce unpredictability and help maintain engagement.
Use social media management apps such as Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule curated posts in advance so they publish on time even when you’re not at your computer.
Embrace multiple platforms rather than only the “Big Three.” Test Twitter, Facebook and Google+ alongside niche networks like Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram and choose those that match your audience’s habits.
Don’t repeatedly share from the same sources. Pull content from a wide range of trusted and valued outlets to keep your feed varied and prevent posts from feeling rehashed or automatic.
Include a brief opinion or insight with each curated link. Positioning your brand as the expert encourages discussion and interaction, increasing reach even when followers disagree.
Use both together: pairing social curation with inbox curation amplifies your digital presence and lets you leverage curated content across channels for broader reach.
Choose a frequency you can sustain reliably. Examples include multiple posts per day or a weekly roundup. The priority is consistency, so avoid sporadic or unpredictable publishing dates.
