Social Media Roundup: Curation for Associations

Curating content online is like curating art — well, kinda.

Some people have better taste than others, and like someone who can pick the right photo, someone who knows what makes a good story has a certain intangible skill that can sometimes be hard for the average person to grasp.

Maybe you should hire one? Curation for associations, and more great stuff, in today’s Social Media Roundup:

Curate Your Voice

Yes, you can. @goldasich  (opens in a new tab): Can you hire someone to curate content for you? http://t.co/0usEjG4M  (opens in a new tab) #contentcuration  (opens in a new tab) #contentmarketing  (opens in a new tab) #cmworld  (opens in a new tab)

— Jay S Daughtry M.Ed. (@ChatterBachs) October 16, 2012  (opens in a new tab)

Not hip and in the know? Perhaps your association knows a company that is. And perhaps that company specializes in curation for associations — and can give you the kind of voice you want to have. “A content curator should forever be on the lookout for new credible content sources for gathering new tidbits, articles, news and blogs related to your business and audience,” writes Well Planned Web’s Deana Goldasich  (opens in a new tab). “This goes well beyond a basic Twitter feed, Facebook search and Google. A real content curator sets up and constantly refines dashboards, alerts, tags and feeds to scour.” Need an idea of what to look for? Fortunately, she has a list. (ht @ChatterBachs  (opens in a new tab))

Focus on Users’ Needs, Not Just Yours

https://twitter.com/MJTydings/status/258216363355676674

An oldie but still very true: So, what’s wrong with your association’s site? According to Nielsen Norman Group’s Amy Schade, you’re focused on the wrong thing. Among the biggest mistakes? Don’t hide your content behind a login wall. “It’s OK to require users to log-in, but don’t do it right away,” she said during a 2011 presentation  (opens in a new tab) covered by MeetingsNet. “The user doesn’t know yet if your organization or your site is worth it. Give them something, then ask for the log-in.” Other no-nos: Cheesy stock images and a design that doesn’t follow traditional convention. (ht @MJTydings  (opens in a new tab))

How’s your site looking these days? Show it to us in the comments.