“Content creation” is a term that in digital marketing means to produce texts, articles, images, videos, audios (or any combination of formats), which offer information or entertainment and meet particular objectives of attracting web traffic and potential customers.

Content creation and its Relationship with Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing is an approach that, instead of pestering the customer with unsolicited advertisements, attracts them by providing them with content that is of interest.

For example, let’s contrast an inbound option and one that is not: an organic pet food business can distribute flyers to people who pass by or can create informative articles on its site on topics that have to do with its business line.

The first sample is not inbound marketing because the public is not segmented, and also no one ever asked for the flyer. Chances are most people who get one have no pets or interest in organic dog food and end up throwing it away.

Instead, resorting to the second strategy and developing an article titled ” Everything you need to know about organic pet food “will appear in the searches of users who have much more in common with the ideal client’s profile.

Hence the importance of content creation in digital marketing helps companies reach the right people to increase their sales.

How does Content for Digital Marketing Work?

When content is created and published on a website or social media. It can remain found by people who are looking for related information. To ensure the reflectivity of their content. Companies use the principles of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), that is, optimization for search engines.

Optimizing for search engines means following the SEO strategies of keywords, link building, dissemination. Among others, to appear among the first results of the searches carried out by potential clients.

If the article “Everything you need to know about organic pet food” appears among the first results of the SERP. That site will draw a lot of traffic (visits) from the audience already segmented of those visits will convert in clients.

Of course, although we are summarizing it here a lot. There are hundreds of factors to take into account in any content strategy. First, you have to plan an editorial calendar according to the business objectives, the client’s needs, expectations, competition actions, etc.

Then, you have to spread this content on social networks and related pages. Finally, you have to analyze the strategy results to be able to improve and evolve continuously.

Who is in Charge of Content Creation?

Creating quality digital content that is capable of attracting potential clients is usually a team effort. Here are some of the profiles that are generally involved in this aspect of digital marketing:

• Experts in digital marketing: These are professionals who know the entire inbound marketing process. And can do the research and prospecting needed to generate an efficient editorial calendar.
• Commercial writers: They are the professionals who are in charge of writing the text of the contents. They usually have a background in persuasive writing, but also SEO writing.
• Designers and editors: They are in charge of creating and editing audiovisual content, such as photographs, videos, or podcasts.
• Programmers: They are in charge of integrating the contents to the websites. They remain often also involved in the creation of interactive content, such as tests, games, or dynamic infographics.
• Community managers: They are in charge of determining and carrying out the content dissemination strategies on social networks.

The term “content curation” refers to the method of collecting and presenting different content to others. Content curation plays an important role in content marketing strategy, allowing even the smallest teams to distribute content continuously without always having to write it. As far as readers are concerned, this content has added value, as the content has been carefully selected and contextualized with the appropriate comments.

What is Content Curation?

Social media started implementing content curation even before this concept was used as such. The options to “Like” and “Share” content from the Internet confines are key elements of social networks. On Facebook alone, users give several million likes per minute and share more than a billion messages a day: one click is enough to spread the content in a dizzying way. The online platform Pinterest has turned this idea into its business model, to the extent that at no time are users expected to publish their content, but rather that, on the contrary, they can collect their favourite images, relevant information or blog posts. They have discovered on the Internet in the boards organized by subject.

Content curation goes in the same direction. Here the sellers also become distributors who disseminate articles, infographics or videos of interest to their target audience through different channels. Mainly, and pleasing the example of the art curator, the normal thing is to visit museums and art galleries to get closer to the artists’ work. Museums offer a wide selection of works by various artists, whether on a specific subject or simply the highest quality. Such as the reasons for selecting and information about the conception of the work and the artist. In the context of a marketing strategy, this means that the content has to be redistributed and has to be crafted. A) Yes, he selects content and comments on it at some point to later present it to his audience, in the same way as a curator in a museum.

However, on the Internet, it is important to filter the content. Too much information means that a carefully curated range is worth more than an additional contribution on the same topic. A good content curator helps your readers keep an overview and access information more easily.

Why Should Content Curation be Implemented?

Creating your content is still as important as ever. In other words, content curation is not about giving up content creation entirely but rather about adapting it and including it in projects’ content and online marketing strategies. With content curation, you expand the range of information, offering your customers more than your knowledge and experience. Here are some of the reasons in favour of this online marketing tool and the few against it.

Pros

Content Dissemination

For online marketing to work, you need to publish quality content regularly. However, especially for freelancers and small or medium-sized businesses, balancing quantity and quality can become a problem. Whoever is in trouble because the deadline (self-imposed) is about to expire surely will not be able to devote enough attention to the quality of their texts, images or videos. The content curation aims to solve this problem. This way, you can spend more time producing to provide your audience with quality content from other sources.

Channel Strengthening

Many companies use social networks to spread their content. Because if you use Facebook only to present your blog most recent article. Your audience will have very little reason to visit you on this social network, which can also happen with the blog, your company, your newsletter or your RSS feed. Now, if you use your social platforms to curate content, you are automatically offering added value to your audience. Thus, your Facebook page, Twitter account or Google+ profile can become important focal points to which users looking for information on specific topics will turn.

Positioning as an expert

Presenting informative technical articles gives the impression that you know what you are talking about and are therefore an expert on certain topics. In the same way, content curators can also demonstrate that they have subject matter knowledge. The careful selection of articles guarantees, on the one hand, that they are always up to date and, on the other, that you know exactly what is important and interesting for your readers. Comments are also powerful tools to position yourself as an expert because showing a clear and transparent position indicates that you are fully engaged with the subject.

Timely response to trends, news, and events

In some sectors, communication takes place daily. Now, if you overlook a change because you are still working on an article about past events, it is very expected that you will disappoint many of your clients or readers. Content curation, meanwhile, allows you to react quickly to new trends.

Increased Credibility

The opinions of those who describe and value things from their perspective are quickly perceived as biased or implausible. A one-sided view on complex issues is only positive in some cases – valuable discussions arise when differing opinions are confronted. In this case, content curators kill two birds with one stone. Showing that they are capable of seeing further and that, at the same time, they can stimulate exchange with their users using content from different authors, especially since many users usually participate actively in the comments of the shared content.

Expansion of Thematic Areas

Nobody knows everything, but it is not necessary either. As a space for sharing knowledge has always attached greater importance to the community’s cooperation than to understand a single person. Create engaging content in your area of ​​expertise and broaden your subject field by curating your colleagues’ content.

Influencers’ Discourse

If you share content from others, indicating the source is essential: a good education and copyright. Informing the authors of the distribution of their work also confidently impacts your network of followers. Since it stay only advisable to refer to reputable sources, it remain recommended that you attract well-known influencers’ attention by using labels and mentions. For them, this type of content distribution is also profitable since their publications’ reach increases indirectly. In the best of cases, they react by sharing your content as well.

SEO Optimization

Content curation can have a positive impact on search engine ranking. Google positively values ​​the distribution of high-quality links and the frequent production of quality content. Often resulting in a better positioning on the results pages. On the other hand, search engine algorithms penalize duplicate content. Consequently, it would help if you did not focus only on shared content but also on commenting and producing your content.

Cons

Increase in work

No one should stop producing their content. However, a bad organization of time could cause neglect of the own creation favouring the curation of others’ content. Here it should remain noted that relevant media stay also investigated during the creation process. Thus, if you share the quality information that you have come across during your investigation, the effort made remain compensated.

Strengthening Competition

Many entrepreneurs and merchants are concerned. That they will take advantage of them by sharing content from others or their competitors. No one guarantees that your competitors will also share your content. Still, it is very useful for any marketing campaign to put the target audience as the main focus of the effort. From the perspective of readers and customers, content dissemination stay always seen as a positive feature. In the long term, the channels in which content curation remain implemented will remain more effective than those without such a strategy.

Redirect traffic

Content curation links to other content. It means that the traffic stay redirected to a website that remain not yours. It has never been the purpose of online marketing, as the main objective is to attract as many visitors by the way possible to your website. However, at this point, the satisfaction of your followers is decisive. In other words, if your audience enjoys the content you share, they will continue to visit your different platforms and, indirectly, you will be increasing traffic to your website.

How does Content Curation Work?

In principle, content curation is very simple. Who has not clicked on the options “Share” on Facebook or “Retweet” on Twitter? Unfortunately, for online marketing purposes, this is not enough. For your readers to benefit the most from your work as a curator, you must follow certain guidelines.

What to Share?

Do you want to position by hand as an expert in content curation? Posting relevant content can make you the first choice for your audience, but for this, to work you have to convince your followers:

The subject area must remain adapted to the target. Audience and must not stay abandoned later. One aspect that cannot remain lost sight of at any time. You are likely to lose perspective and put your goals above those of your readers. But every message you post should meet the interests of the target audience. It is how you attract a committed audience that will be responsible for encouraging communication on your channels.

Share content that is engaging, controversial, or unusual. In the same way, as for its creation, it is ideal for sharing quality content. Your followers are very likely to lose interest if they come across superficial and irrelevant messages.

Stay up to date! Content curators abide by the same principles as a news agency. The goal should be to share the content before others. Therefore, if you overlook any content, your users will not hesitate to visit other sources.

Style Guide

If you are thinking of designing your website yourself, you must know what a style guide is. I assure you that your work will get very complicated if you don’t create a style manual for your brand. You may end up burned and with a website that does not have the image you expected.

A style guide is a manual that defines the identity of your brand, its colors, fonts, or the tone in which you are going to address your clients. In short, all the necessary elements to build a solid image.

What if I don’t have one? Most likely, your website will end up being a mix of elements without coherence between them. I imagine that is not what you want for your business, right? That is why I have prepared a list with 5 points to define your brand’s image.

1. Define your Audience

The first thing you must do before starting the design phase is to identify your ideal client. It is a crucial decision that many people overlook and that you should not forget.

Don’t worry. It is normal to have doubts at first. Think about the being who may be interested in consuming your content (your ideal customer) and talk to him.

Please do not make the mistake of covering all audiences, thinking that it will be better because it is not. Focus on a well-defined audience and try to capture their attention. Your business will be much more successful this way.

2. Choose your Brand Colors

Now that you know your audience, it will be much easier for you to build a brand capable of capturing their attention. The next step to achieve this will be to choose the right colors for your website. Create a palette of a maximum of 4 colors and respect it at all times.

Try not to make weird mixes. There are tools like Adobe Color CC that will help you create a combination quickly and easily. Remember that the colors you select should reflect the character of your brand. You have to feel comfortable with them and transmit values ​​that identify you.

3. Select the Fonts

The world of fonts is immense, and if you start browsing through it, you will indeed find millions of fonts that you want to use in your project. Please do not do it. Choose a clear and straightforward letter that does not distract people’s attention. Your visitors have to remember the text they have read, not that the blog’s letter was very cool.

I always recommend not choosing more than two fonts for the design of a website. The first, for titles and headlines, can be a little more risky and striking. The second, for the texts of pages and articles, should be a letter that facilitates reading and does not attract special attention.

4. Images with the Same Style

Creating a mood board with images representing you or your company can help you define the design you want for your website. The tones and spirit they reflect must be consistent with your brand and content.

In the mood board, you must apply the color palette and the chosen fonts, in addition to looking for a type of photography with which you identify: light backgrounds, blurred edges, vintage aesthetics, etc.

5. Choose your Words Wisely

How are you going to address your readers? In a severe and informal tone you, there are many ways to connect with your audience, but without a doubt, words are your great weapon.

Define your style and not change it because it will differentiate you from the competition. For example, if you look at my articles, you will see that I always write informally, addressing directly a specific person. This is not by chance. Think about how you want to talk to your readers and still use the same tone.