This document provides a presentation on building thought leadership through curation in the age of curation. It defines curation and differentiates it from simple aggregation. It then outlines key steps to becoming a successful curator, including finding content sources, selecting quality content, editorializing by adding context and perspective, arranging content, deciding on a format, sharing curated content with the target audience, engaging in discussion, and tracking results to improve over time. Examples of curation from journalism are also discussed.

1. Building
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
in an age of
CURATION
Presentation by Corinne Weisgerber, Ph.D.
St. Edward’s University • @corinnew

2. cu • ra • tor

3. cu • ra • tor
Someone who plans and oversees the
arrangement, cataloguing, and exhibition
of collections. S/he describes and
analyzes valuable objects for the benefit
of researchers and the public.

4. content
IS KING

5. content

6. content
created

7. content
aggregated
created

8. content
aggregated
created curated

9. content
curation vs. aggregation

11. sper•ma•lo•gos - a bird picking up seeds here and there.
A loafer in the marketplace who picks up scraps of learning
& then parades them around without first digesting them.

12. An aggregator simply bundles together pieces of info
without providing a frame or contextualizing them.

13. An aggregator simply bundles together pieces of info
without providing a frame or contextualizing them.

14. Is bundling tweets and repackaging them in
newspaper style format really curation?

15. Is bundling tweets and repackaging them in
newspaper style format really curation?

16. A curator adds a point of view and contextualizes the info
s/he is culling together thereby framing the message

17. “ Anyone can collect links, and algorithms
can aggregate. But only trained
editors have the skills to select and
collect the best information and build a “
loyal audience. - Mark Briggs, Journalism Next

18. curation
How to become a
KING

19. curation
How to become a
KING

20. STEPS
to successful
curation

21. find
STEPS
to successful track select
curation
engage editorialize
share arrange
create

23. 1.
FIND
• Identify your niche

24. 1.
FIND
• Identify your niche
• Find content sources

25. 1.
FIND
• Identify your niche
• Find content sources
- set up a network (PLN)

26. 1.
FIND
• Identify your niche
• Find content sources
- set up a network (PLN)
• Aggregate what you discover

27. “ The summation of human experience is
being expanded at a prodigious rate, and
the means we use for threading through
the consequent maze to the momentarily“
important item is the same as was used
in the days of square-rigged ships.

28. “ The summation of human experience is
being expanded at a prodigious rate, and
the means we use for threading through
the consequent maze to the momentarily
important item is the same as was used
in the days of square-rigged ships.
“
Vannevar Bush, 1945

30. 2.
SELECT
• Filter content

31. 2.
SELECT
• Filter content
• Select content:

32. 2.
SELECT
• Filter content
• Select content:
- quality

33. 2.
SELECT
• Filter content
• Select content:
- quality
- originality

34. 2.
SELECT
• Filter content
• Select content:
- quality
- originality
- relevance

36. 3. EDITORIALIZE
• Contextualize content

37. 3. EDITORIALIZE
• Contextualize content
• Introduce/summarize

38. 3. EDITORIALIZE
• Contextualize content
• Introduce/summarize
• Add your perspective

39. A retweet with no comment of your own can easily be seen
as a sign of approval of what you’re relaying. For instance:
RT @jonescampaign smith’s policies would destroy our
schools
Unadorned retweets must be avoided. Use colons &
quote marks to make clear you’re simply retweeting
opinionated material.
RT Jones campaign now denouncing smith on education:
@jonescampaign smith’s policies would destroy our schools

41. Arrange
4.
• Sort content

42. Arrange
4.
• Sort content
• Rank content

43. Arrange
4.
• Sort content
• Rank content
• Lay out content

44. Arrange
4.
• Sort content
• Rank content
• Lay out content
- Juxtaposition

45. INFO MOLECULES
“A curator is an information chemist. He or she mixes atoms together in a
way to build an info-molecule. Then adds value to that molecule.” - Scoble

46. INFO MOLECULES
“A curator is an information chemist. He or she mixes atoms together in a
way to build an info-molecule. Then adds value to that molecule.” - Scoble

48. CREATE
5. • Decide on a format

49. CREATE
5. • Decide on a format
- Paper.li, Scoop.it

50. CREATE
5. • Decide on a format
- Paper.li, Scoop.it
- Storify, Storiful

51. CREATE
5. • Decide on a format
- Paper.li, Scoop.it
- Storify, Storiful
- Twitter curation

52. CREATE
5. • Decide on a format
- Paper.li, Scoop.it
- Storify, Storiful
- Twitter curation
• Credit sources

54. SHARE
6.
• Identify your audience

55. SHARE
6.
• Identify your audience
• What media do they use?

56. SHARE
6.
• Identify your audience
• What media do they use?
- share where they are

57. SHARE
6.
• Identify your audience
• What media do they use?
- share where they are
• Sharing as a lagniappe

59. 7. ENGAGE
• Host the conversation
- Provide space
- Participate
- Animate

61. 8.
TRACK
• Track engagement

62. 8.
TRACK
• Track engagement
• Track thought leadership

63. 8.
TRACK
• Track engagement
• Track thought leadership
• Improve

64. curation
EXAMPLES
from the eld of journalism

65. “ Every company needs to become
a media company - Tom Foremski
“

66. Andy
Senior Strategist @ NPR
CARVIN

70. Bing’s editor’s picks

71. Cattenom:
World’s 7th largest nuclear power plant

72. Cattenom:
World’s 7th largest nuclear power plant

73. Cattenom:
World’s 7th largest nuclear power plant
First nuclear power plant to tweet

74. .5% ()
623 Tweets Individuals
March 11 - April 11
Major Switch to Retweets 31.1% (194)
Industry
18% (112)
Gov. orgs
.2% ()
Automotive
12.7% (79)
Orig. Tweets
28.9% (180)
News
8.7% (54)
Politicians

75. An aggregation of industry, gov. & media voices
Learned the language of RTs

76. Curation using Scoop.it

77. Disney’s Campaign
Why use visitor’s video footage?

78. Disney’s Campaign
Why use visitor’s video footage?

79. credits
Corinne Weisgerber, Ph.D.
Asst. Prof. of Communication
St. Edward’s University
Twitter: @corinnew