Web content curation allows information specialists to maintain control of the content they are sourcing. They are able to add a personal touch to their newsletters with comments emphasizing specific points or placing the content in the appropriate context for the organization or reader at hand.

Here are three steps to curating web content to improve scalability, relevance, and consistency.

Build a web content curation strategy & phrase your needs

It might sound like we’re stating the obvious here but far too many
web content specialists do not currently have a firm content curation strategy in place. Who has the time to put a content strategy together when there are deadlines to meet and not enough staff or time?

This is one of the most common justifications for not developing a web content strategic plan. However, most people don’t realize how much more efficient you can become by simply writing your goals and ideas down on a piece of paper. Strategic planning can be that easy.

Start by thinking about what you are trying to achieve, and what you can put in place to help you achieve those goals. Such simple questions help you
focus on what the most important tasks to complete are and help you envision the end results. Try and place yourself in an ideal world, where you can achieve anything without limitations. This will help you aim as high as possible, and then work out how to get there.

Simply put, this technique helps you take your blinders off to finally see the big picture. It also gives your web content curation team and co-workers a clear mental image of what you are trying to achieve. So what type of goals should your strategy include? Depending on what you are trying to achieve, the most obvious objectives would be in line with your end users’ key needs and interests such as client updates, industry developments, regulatory changes and so forth. It’s also important to think about the scope of the entire project: the reason why you are collecting and curating all this information.

Once your goals are set, it’s time to review the tools you need to achieve
your objectives.

Prioritise your web content platform

Now that you are clear on what you want to achieve in your web content curation strategy, it should be a lot simpler to set your priorities of what you need in a tool to support those objectives.

The most important thing to keep in the forefront of your mind whilst searching is that you are looking for a tool that fits into your plan, not the
other way round. You should never have to adapt your plans to suit
technology. With this in mind, prepare yourself for conversations with vendors by writing down a list of your priorities in a support platform. What would be nice to have? What is an absolute deal breaker? It’s important to get this clearly set out before approaching any web content platform providers so that you don’t get distracted by any sales pitches. Building a list of key requirements will help you stay on track when navigating what might seem like quite an intimidating market.

Don’t be afraid to approach a number of different providers with your list. You are more than entitled to try out and compare a variety of options to enable you to make a confident and informed decision. Having that list in hand will make this process a whole lot easier, and you might even find some other points to add onto it along the way.

Review and assess success

So you’ve got your platform up and running, things are ticking along quite
nicely – you’ve got a whole host of extra time on your hands to dedicate to
other areas of your work, your end users are hungrily consuming all the great content you’re sending their way and life is seemingly wonderfully easy.

Great! This is just what we a aiming for. Still, try not to sit back on your laurels too much. It’s key to remember that as your organization evolves, the tools you are using need to as well. Book some regular slots in your calendar to remind you to review your platform. Remember that list you wrote? Check in to see whether the platform is still matching those needs. Or perhaps those needs have changed. Ask yourself, has the platform grown with them?

It’s also worth checking in with your web content platform provider’s Account Manager every now and again – they should approach you for regular reviews, you just need to be sure to say yes! As time goes by various updates will have been added onto the platform, they will be the best person to consult to ensure that you’re using the tool in the most efficient manner possible, and that you’re getting the most out of it.