Created or curated – that is the question. Here at Q, we think you need a bit of both.

What’s the difference?

You’d be forgiven for not knowing what the difference is; after all, surely all content is created?

Created content is original content that has been produced by your own company or by an external agency. It means that you own the content, and more importantly, it means the material you share on your blog, website, social media, etc., is truly representative of your company’s thoughts and insights. Posting original content positions your company as an authoritative voice in your field.

Curated content is content that you’ve found from external sources, that’s relevant to your industry and your readers’ areas of interest, shared on your online platforms.

The benefits

It might seem counter-intuitive to share content that will promote other businesses, but it can be a great way of fostering relationships.

Curated content

  • Time effective – Producing original unique content on a regular basis is a time consuming business. Curated content can keep your social channels ticking along with less impact on your time.
  • Fosters relationships – ok, so you don’t want to be promoting your competition, but sharing content from credible relevant industry sources can help you build relationships. You never know when those contacts could come in handy!
  • Gives your audience a platform to read alternative views and be introduced to different resources – providing your readers with different views can help engage your audience, so they can make their own minds up or get involved and have their own say.
  • Gives you the chance to comment, offer opinion or add insights to something which is already out their in the public domain

Created content

  • Shows you as an authoritative industry figure – writing original content shows you know your stuff and keep on top of what happens in your industry.
  • Gives you a platform to show an individual’s or company’s opinions, skills and knowledge – you have a unique voice that has been influenced by your experiences, so why not share that with your audience?
  • Enhances your perception as a trustworthy source – in a world of fake news, readers are increasingly looking for sources they can trust. Creating your own content can help you be seen as a credible source.
  • Builds stronger relationships with your audience – as well as boosting your credibility, sharing your own opinions will help readers learn more about your company and what it stands for, further strengthening their relationship with your business.

Combine the two

Some combinations are made for each other; bacon and eggs, steak and chips, public transport and face masks… Just like these classic combos, a mix of created and curated is a content pairing made in heaven. Your audience gets to know who you are in the original content you share, but the curated content keeps your content flowing on a regular basis.

Analysis by Convince & Convert found that having a balance between the two types leads to a better performance than those focusing on just the one. Companies in the ‘balanced’ group – businesses that use curated content 50-75% of the time – see 20% fewer clicks than those that use just curated content, but conversions are 10 times higher. When compared to created content, balanced saw more clicks and a higher conversion rate.

Created and curated content both serve very different purposes. If you limit yourself to just one, you’re missing out on a number of valuable opportunities. If you need help getting the balance right, get in touch with us today.

Ben Hollom

June 29, 2020