I presume most of you have heard the phrase content is king. In fact, you’ve probably heard it repeatedly on the Internet. It may be so embedded in your head that the phrase even irritates you. Well, whether or not you believe that content is truly king, you still understand how important content is for your business in order to be successful. You must have content that is unique, interesting and valuable for your audience. It is no secret that content is what brings traffic to your website. We know that traffic increases leads and conversion, which means more sales for you! But what kind of content do you create and how do you create it? This is where content creation and curation come into action.
What is Content Creation? What is Content Curation?
The two terms may sound similar but there actually is a difference. So what is the difference between content creation and content curation? Let me explain.
Content Creation
Content creation is the process of writing original content. The content is unique and all the ideas, opinions, and thoughts are yours. Once you’ve created the content you can share it with your audience. Essentially, you own the content.
Content Curation
Content curation is the act when you inform others what is happening in your industry. You share someone else’s content, ideas and opinions. Content curation is more about awareness. With content curation you research, organize and then share the content.
Which one is better?
At Simplexity Marketing Group, we believe that both content creation and content curation are necessary. We believe you should balance the two strategies for effective content marketing. Because we can’t always write amazing content every single day, we share content from other influencers to our audience on social media. We know there is no way we can fill up our Twitter or Facebook feed with our own content, so we share others.
Truth be told, we share more content from others than we do ourselves. Sharing content from other influencers isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it can be a good thing. It shows that you value the content enough to share it with your audience. You don’t just share it because YOU like the content but because you think your audience will benefit from the information.
Content curation also helps increase your social presence while also not taking too much of your time. You simply spend time researching the best content to share. When you do share someone’s content, people are going to notice, including the person’s content you shared. Content curation has the potential to develop relationships. It can be a really good networking opportunity and can increase your brand awareness.
While content curation is wonderful, you also need to practice content creation. I will say that content creation tends to take more time. You have to figure out your topic, do some research, and then do the actual writing part. After you’ve written your content you need to edit it and then you are able to share it with your audience. A good piece could end up taking you over a week to create! But don’t be discouraged because content creation is where you get to shine! You can share your knowledge with others. This is your chance to tell stories and share your experiences. I have found that people love hearing stories. We love telling them and enjoy hearing them. Take the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge in ways your audience can benefit.
Aside from that, you need to have authority in your industry and content creation helps you do that. It is also a great way to build a following and loyal audience. Your content has the power to influence others. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to express your opinions and share your experiences with the world!
Do you find that content creation or content curation benefits your business more? What content marketing strategy works best for you? Share with us in the comments below.
