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Curation can be done well, and it can be done poorly. Generally, when it’s done well, someone with a unique slant on a topic selects content of particular value and spends time putting that content in perspective. It feels insightful, and valuable.
At its most basic, it’s when you find a hidden gem of interesting content on a specific topic for a certain person, and you send it to them, with a note.
Ryan Skinner gives his six key recommendations:
1) As narrow as possible:
If you’re one guy with one hour a week, you can’t curate a good newsletter about cloud technology. The less resources you have at your disposal, the narrower should be your topic, your focus and your audience.
2) More than a link:
This is the era of frictionless sharing, goddammit. Friction is a demonstration of care. Anyone can send a link. If you’re going to curate and share, add something. Some insight. Commentary. But no more than necessary.
3) Slap asses:
If you’re going to curate someone’s content, you owe it to yourself and to them to be open about it. Preferably, it’s someone you follow and share comments with. And be sure to give them credit.
4) Give away the reins:
To whatever extent possible, allow the people you’re curating for, to influence contents in the future. The likes of Reddit have made this idea their raison d’etre. There’s a reason for that.
5) Keep it 50/50:
For every time you curate one story, you should create and publish another. That means your email newsletter would be 50% own content and 50% others’ content.
6) If you doubt, don’t:
We’re all overloaded with content. If you have even a moment’s doubt about sharing a piece of content, don’t do it. Better to wait for the right one than more or less spam someone.
Read the full article: http://www.velocitypartners.co.uk/2012/01/18/get-to-terms-with-content-curation-pros-and-cons-and-6-principles/
[Originally scooped and curated by Robin Good - further editing by Giuseppe Mauriello]
Via Robin Good
