When creating social media and marketing content, many hotels bump up against time, resource, and budget constraints. Content creation isn’t just a matter of locating, producing, or disseminating a certain quantity of information. The quality of the information is also hugely important, perhaps more important than quantity. Publishing content that is valuable to your guests is the key to building relationships with social media and marketing content.

If you’re strapped for time, budget, or personnel, consider the practice of curation as a viable alternative to creating content from scratch.

Content curation defined

Content curation is the process of discovering, gathering, and presenting digital content that surrounds specific subject matter.

The concept goes beyond mere aggregation or collection, however, and involves taking the time to filter, organize, and select only the “cream of the crop” resources, and, time permitting, adding a touch of your own perspective and brand voice into the mix.

It’s not unlike what the curator at a museum does to produce an exhibition. She identifies the theme, decides which paintings to include, and determines how they should be annotated and then displayed for public viewing.

Content curation benefits

Content curation builds trust and credibility for your brand because it keeps your guests informed. Your curation efforts educate and engage guests, providing them with a valuable service. They will appreciate your information because it relieves them of the need to do their own research on aspects of their trip like hotel amenities, activities in the area, tips for getting around, and more. It may also inspire them to book a trip, for example, when they learn about a new activity or experience.

You can use curation to communicate a wide variety of topics, depending on the business goals for your hotel and what would best support your brand.

How to curate content

How might a hotel marketer or social media manager leverage curated content?

Find relevant sources of information

If you’re interested in curating content for hotel marketing and social media efforts, the first step is to find relevant information sources. Here are some that we recommend:

Google News: Use keywords to find news items relevant to your hotel’s geographical area, and then subscribe to a feed using RSS or email.

Twitter search: If it’s happening in the world, it’s being talked about on Twitter, which covers just about every topic imaginable, and in real-time. You can search on Twitter using keywords or hashtags to find relevant information, or use the advanced version, to delve deeper.

Local newspapers, blogs, and email newsletters: Stay up-to-date with local events. For example, a hotel in San Francisco should leverage sites like Fun Cheap SF to keep apprised of unique local events that may remind guests of their experience with your city or inspire them to book another trip.

Collect your information in one location

Keeping your curated content and events in one place with a content publishing calendar is a good way to organize your campaigns and prevent last-minute content scrambles. As you discover new pieces of content on Google, Twitter, and RSS feeds from local blogs, populate your content calendar with copy and links, the dates you intend to publish, and any other required materials.

Relevant content for maximum guest engagement

Whatever source of content or method of aggregation you choose, content curation can save your hotel’s marketing and social media teams time, money, and effort. It can also help you develop your brand relationship with guests – if you can show them that you care about their experiences by providing additional value at no extra charge, you are well on your way to developing deep relationships and brand trust. Consider curation an integral part of your content marketing strategy—whether you’re strapped for time and money or not.