Why curation? Master the tsunami of information.

Photo: Steve Corey (CC)

The peril of the modern age isn’t being cut off from civilization. It’s being overwhelmed by it.

We have information from traditional media. But instead of seven radio stations and three TV stations, we have thousands. (We won’t talk about newspapers, or consolidation of corporate ownership.)

We have information from emails, text alerts and news sites. But also blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, streaming video and more.

Curation is a must for any content marketing professional in 2014. Curation is how I turned my first blog ever into a destination for readers and Google searchers.

(And curation is my topic for SouthWired in October.)

Why should you master curation?

1. Save time. Instead of hunting for blog post topics and current information in your industry, it comes to you. Set up listening posts and filters so you can stay on top of information easily.

2. Look like an expert. When you can cite data and quotes from a wide variety of sources, you look like you know what you’re doing. When you stumble for an answer, well …

3. Become an expert. You get smarter with each trip to the well of knowledge. Curation simplifies the learning process. You don’t have to know how to repair every make and model of car ever manufactured to know basic repair and maintenance. Chances are if you know how to change the oil and battery in one car, you’ll be able to do it for most cars.

4. Share with ease. Your wealth of curated info can easily be shared in media, in email newsletters, in blog posts, in presentations, in slides, in listicles, in social media and more. Build that expert reputation quickly and authentically.

5. Synthesize. Having access to the breadth and depth of news in your industry makes it possible to catalog it for others to more easily consume. You know what that makes you? Indispensable.

6. Analyze. Doing something with curated info is the most challenging, but also the most valuable. Being able to understand and forecast trends or dissect patterns of behavior can help your company outmaneuver competitors and serve your customers more effectively.

Don’t drown in information. Surf it with curation and ride the waves to new destinations.

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