How Content Curation Can Improve Your Newsletter

Adding content written by others to your newsletter can help both your reader and your career

Your audience wants to read the best content containing the most current info. And they don’t really care whether you wrote all the articles in your newsletter yourself. 

And they like curated content.   

That’s why museums are so popular. Because people like being able to see the most impressive paintings, sculptures, scientific information, etc. in one place, grouped together in an exciting way, and accompanied by fascinating insights that add value. 

You can provide a similar service for your newsletter readers by adding curated content. 

Why We Need Curation -- We’re Drowning in Content!

There’s an overwhelming amount of content out there right now on just about every topic. 

Yes, there’s a lot of really good stuff available. But people no longer trust the media. And it’s getting harder and harder to tell credible info from poorly researched -- or deliberately misleading -- material. 

We Need Trusted Advisors to Tell Us What’s Important

By annotating and sharing the most interesting material you find -- your newsletter reader comes out ahead. And so do you.

How Readers Benefit from Content Curation

Most readers appreciate that curated content can: 

• Save audience time and effort -- because you determine which articles are credible and worth taking a look at, your readers avoid having to weed through inferior content that wastes their time; 

• Offer broader perspectives -- instead of only those held by the newsletter publisher;

• Establish you as a trustworthy provider of useful information -- who shares important material with his or her followers and cares about more than just adding to their mailing list or making the sale.

How You and Your Career Benefit from Content Curation

The curated content you add to your newsletter can:

• Save you time and energy -- that you’d use to write all original articles;

• Promote branding and expertise -- that shows you know your subject very well and you keep up with developments in your field;

• Establish trust and credibility -- among readers who begin to see you as a trusted advisor who shares high quality, useful content;

• Build your network -- among the content creators and influencers whose material you share;

• Offer audience insights -- by checking your analytics to see what content your audience clicks on, you can determine what material you should write about and what new products and services you might offer;

• Nurture thought leadership -- curating content can actually help you become a thought leader since reading what others write about your subject forces you to keep current with developments in your field. 

How to Curate Content 

To start curating content for your newsletter, subscribe to thought leaders and newsletters in your field. Also, set up a Google alert for any topics you think your audience might be interested in. 

When you find articles that are possible candidates for curation, consider: 

• Whether your audience might find it interesting;

• Whether the author and/or publication is credible;

• Whether the article fits in with those you have written as well as the others you have curated. (Remember the museum analogy -- an exhibit is more interesting when all the pieces seem to fit together.) 

Then, carefully read the articles that fit the above criteria, adding a brief summary and a few lines with your own perspective. This last step is crucial -- it’s your opinionated comments that establish your expertise and add value to your readers. You can also add other sources that have different viewpoints.

For example, author and health coach Chris Kresser (info@chriskresser.com) sent out the June 2020 issue of his email newsletter saying:  

“I’m going to try something different with this email. Each week I come across a lot of interesting stories and studies that I think would be of interest to you…” 

He then offered six curated links on Covid (very appropriate topic that was on everyone’s mind!) with his opinionated commentary. Here is one of his curated pieces:

“Airplanes Don't Make You Sick. Really. Interesting piece by a Harvard professor of building science arguing that airplanes are relatively safe environments during COVID-19. This doesn’t mean that airports and the entire air travel experience is low-risk, however.”

He then references a piece that makes a different conclusion: 

“And read this article for a counterpoint.”

So, by using two sources very different in flavor (the Washington Post and National Public Radio), he’s shown himself to be a true thought leader -- someone more interested in disseminating important information than pushing his own viewpoint. (Of course, this helps him appear even more trustworthy, which, in 2021, actually makes him more likely to gain a customer.)

At the end of the curated pieces, he concludes his newsletter by asking his readers: 

“Is this helpful? Hit reply and let me know what you think!”

Given his congenial tone and his masterful curation, it should be no surprise that his audience responded overwhelmingly “yes!”