Social Media Content: Create or Curate

If you spend any time studying what success online looks like, you’ll eventually stumble across the phrase “Content is King.” It’s the idea that to succeed online, you must create compelling content.

While we agree with the importance of relevant, engaging content for online success, we also realize that there are some industries where regulation limits one’s ability to create content. The amount of content needed for success on social media also depends on the frequency at which one sees results.

It can also be very time-consuming to create relevant, interesting content on a daily basis. Often, business owners don’t have the time or staff to dedicate to the task.

So the question is, if you can’t create killer content (either due to regulation, lack of time or just a lack of creative inspiration), how can you create enough “Social Authority” to be effective?

One solution is to become a “curator” of reliable content created by others who speak and write about your industry.

For instance, financial services companies face strict regulations regarding what they can and cannot post online.  However, there is a ton of information they can share online. And with more published every day, there is a never ending stream of topics that financial services clients are interested in learning more about.

By becoming an “aggregator” of consistently reliable information, a financial services company could strategically utilize social media to build awareness for themselves. Thought leadership and brand awareness can be achieved without creating content of your own.

Published on: March 9, 2011