Social Media Content Curation Guide
Every day, hundreds of articles, videos, and posts are shared online. Some stand out, while others vanish into the endless scroll. It’s tempting to repost anything just to stay active, but random content rarely grabs attention or keeps your audience engaged. Content curation gives you a way to find and share the meaningful posts your followers will notice, appreciate, and even discuss.
In this article, we’ll guide you through spotting the gems, sharing them thoughtfully, and combining them with your own content so your social media feed feels fresh, lively, and trustworthy.
What is Content Curation?
So, what is content curation? It’s the process of discovering, collecting, and sharing content from other sources that your audience will find useful or interesting. This could include blog articles, videos, infographics, social media posts, or quotes from industry experts and fellow creators.
Curating content is not about reposting everything you find. It’s about selecting material that aligns with your brand and adds value for your followers. When done well, it helps your audience stay informed, entertained, or inspired, while showing your brand as a knowledgeable and trustworthy source.
Why is Content Curation Important?
Using curated content in your social media plan brings several advantages:
- Saves Time: You can share useful posts without creating everything from scratch.
- Builds Connections: Highlighting content from other creators can start conversations and even lead to collaborations.
- Shows Expertise: Curated content demonstrates that your brand knows the industry and can point followers to helpful and trusted resources.
- Keeps Your Feed Interesting: A mix of formats and topics keeps people engaged without you repeating yourself.
- Encourages Interaction: Different viewpoints spark discussion and comments from your community.
How to Include Content Curation in a Social Media Strategy
Adding curated content works best when it fits naturally with your other posts. Understanding your audience, competitors, and industry trends will help you choose content that really connects.
1. Define Your Goals
Start by thinking about what you want to achieve and how that ties into your brand or business’ overall objectives. Your goals might include:
- Increasing engagement on your content
- Driving traffic to your website and increasing conversions
- Growing authority in your industry
Decide which platforms will be most effective. Each social platform has its own audience and style, so tailoring your approach will make your content more effective.
2. Understand Your Audience
The better you know your audience, the more relevant your curated content will be. Consider their interests, challenges, and the kinds of posts they interact with most. Pay attention to the questions they ask or problems they want to solve.
Use analytics or simply watch how your followers engage to identify the topics and formats they respond to. The more insight you have, the easier it is to select content that your audience will actually appreciate.
3. Track Reliable Sources
Staying on top of trends in your industry helps your curated content feel fresh and relevant.
Look out for:
- Trending hashtags and topics that your audience is talking about
- Blog posts, newsletters, or social updates generating conversation
- Insights shared by influencers or industry thought leaders
Curated content works best when it comes from sources you trust. Keep a list or spreadsheet of blogs, websites, and creators that regularly share useful content, noting what kind of posts they publish and links to their profiles or sites. You can also explore tools like Ahrefs or BuzzSumo to discover new sources and see which posts are performing well in your niche. To stay on top of the latest topics, use Google Trends to track what’s popular in your industry and set up Google Alerts for keywords or subjects you want to follow.
4. Analyze Your Competition
Watching competitors can provide useful insight without copying their content. Pay attention to what they post, which types of content get the most engagement, and which hashtags they use.
This information can help you spot opportunities to share content that stands out or fills gaps in the conversation. Metricool’s Competitor Analytics helps you track these patterns over time, so you can adjust your strategy while keeping your curated content unique.
5. Plan Your Content Calendar & Analyze the Results
Your content calendar is your best tool to organize curated posts alongside your original content. Planning ahead makes it easier to balance different topics, formats, and sources, so your feed doesn’t feel repetitive.
Scheduling posts helps you maintain a steady presence, keeping your audience engaged without having to scramble for content at the last minute. At the same time, tracking performance lets you see what your followers enjoy the most, giving you insight into what works and what could be adjusted.
With Metricool, you can handle all of this from a single dashboard. You can plan your posts, schedule them, and follow how each one performs. Having everything in one place not only saves time but also gives you a clear picture of your social media activity, making it easier to experiment, learn, and keep your feed interesting.
Curated vs. Created Content – How do They Complement Each Other in Social Media?
Content creation and content curation are two distinct approaches to sharing content for your audience.
💡 Created Content: This is original content your brand produces yourself. It can be videos, social media posts, blog articles, or graphics that showcase your perspective and expertise in your own brand voice. Created content helps your audience understand what your brand stands for and gives you the chance to share insights and ideas that are unique to your business. It also helps build credibility and shows that your brand can generate its own value, not just share what others are saying.
🔄 Curated Content: This comes from other sources, like articles, podcasts, videos, social media posts, or even content created by your followers. Curating content allows you to offer your audience different perspectives and information they might not find elsewhere. It also keeps your feed fresh, adds variety, and can spark conversations with your community. Sharing curated content shows that your brand is aware of trends and what’s happening in your industry.
Using a mix of created and curated content gives your social media a well-rounded feel. Original posts let you share your own insights and show your expertise, while curated content keeps your feed relevant and current. It may seem easier to just find and repost content, but the most successful accounts still plan ahead and track what works for both. By combining the two, your feed becomes more engaging, informative, and enjoyable for your audience, and it’s easier to post consistently without repeating yourself.
Best Practices & Tips for Social Media Content Curation
When curating content for your social media channels, keep these best practices in mind:
- Maintain a Consistent Brand Voice: The content you share should reflect your brand’s personality and values. Whether it’s a news article, infographic, or social post from another creator, it should feel like it fits naturally with your own content. A consistent voice makes your brand recognizable and helps your audience know what to expect from your posts.
- Leverage User-Generated Content: Content from your customers or followers can be surprisingly powerful. Sharing reviews, testimonials, or social posts created by your community adds variety to your feed while building trust. It shows that you pay attention to your audience and value their contributions.
- Use Relevant Hashtags and Trending Topics: Keeping up with trending topics and relevant hashtags helps you reach more people. Join conversations your audience cares about, share content that relates to what’s happening in your industry, and don’t be afraid to add your own perspective to make it more engaging.
Monitor and Engage: Sharing content is just the start. Pay attention to how your audience interacts with curated posts. Respond to comments, answer questions, and participate in discussions. Engaging with your audience shows that you are listening and helps foster a sense of community around your brand.
Metricool to Curate Your Social Media Content
Metricool brings all your social media management into one place. You can create, schedule, and track content across all your platforms, so it’s easier to balance your original posts with curated content. It helps you stay organized while keeping your social media active and engaging.
Here’s how Metricool can help you curate social media content:
- Content Planning & Scheduling: Manage both curated and original posts from a single dashboard. Scheduling ahead keeps your feed consistent without feeling forced.
- Audience Demographics: See who your followers are, what they enjoy, and when they are most active. This insight helps you share content that matters to them.
- Engagement Metrics & Analytics: Find out which posts spark the most interest and reach, so you can adjust your content mix over time.
- Competitor Analytics: Check what other brands are posting and see which topics are connecting with their audience. This can give you ideas for content your own followers might enjoy.
- Hashtag Generator: Use the Instagram and TikTok Hashtag Generators to find popular tags that make your posts more visible.
- Aggregated Inbox: Collect all your comments, mentions, and messages in a single inbox. This makes it easier to respond quickly and engage with your audience.