We know it is important to have as many contents as possible on your website and social media.
(For details, please refer to the article "An Integrated Approach to Content Marketing".)

So how do we generate so many contents?

There are two ways to generate contents: Original and Curated.

Method 1 - Original

Original contents are written by you. You are the original creator of the content. Content here includes article, tutorial, eBook, photo, video, infographic, case study, etc.

In general, Google prefers original content over curated content. And you have full control over everything – the layout, the presentation format, etc.

However, creating original content usually requires a lot more effort, both time and money. You might not have the luxury to invest so much resources into this.

Method 2: Curated Content

The simplest form of curating content is sharing a photo on Facebook. You saw an interesting photo, added some comment and clicked the Share button. This is content curation!

Of course, there are many other different ways of curating contents. However, best practice content curation usually follows the following key steps:

1. Identify a topic
2. Collect quality and useful contents related to the topic
3. Link to and give credit to the original source
4. Add value add some inputs, views and comments of your own

Below are some common ways of content curation with examples:

1. Share an interesting article

Example: The Content Marketing Pyramid: A Strategy For Generating More with Less
Don't just share. Add a couple of your own views or comments.

2. Curate other people’s research

Example: How to Generate More Leads and Sales from Your Website – Top Bloggers Share What’s Working Now
You compile the best of other people’s research. Very important is to value-add to the content by including your own commentary.

3. List of useful articles on a selected topic. Example:
• Useful Resources on Writing Good Headlines
• AllTop.com - Social Media Marketing
4. Weekly news or round-up. Example:
• 5 Best Posts This Week on Convince & Convert
• Wall Street Journal - This Week's Most Popular
5. Curate interesting pictures or photos. Example:
• 10 Gadget Rumors That Are Probably 100 Percent True
• What Iconic ’90s Teen Heartthrobs Look Like Today

Summary

When you run out of original ideas, give content curation a try. By having a mix of original and curated contents, you can generate a lot more contents with limited amount of resources.

Content curation also give your website/social media more spice and variety, and help establish your business as a thought leader in the industry by sharing useful, relevant and up-to-date contents.

Over to You...

1. Brainstorm what are some of the contents you can curate.
2. Take a look at what are some of the contents your competitors (or some other companies in your industry) have curated.
3. Take a look at this article: Useful Resources on Content Curation. You will find a lot more ideas there how to curate contents.