Would your email marketing campaign be fun at parties? Some campaigns get the conversation rolling with fun and interesting content. Other campaigns just talk about themselves all night until the host comes along and ushers them out the door.

Don’t let your campaign sound like a self-interested bore. Charm your subscribers with something unexpected: curated content in their inbox, hand-picked and recommended by you.

The best part? You’re probably already curating content on your blog and social networks. Sharing your top links in your email campaign can make you a valuable resource for entertaining and informative content. The result? More loyal subscribers.

How It Works

It works like this: You find blogs, articles, videos, photos and more that you know your subscribers will love. You then compile your hand-picked links in a weekly email newsletter or split them up into bite-sized daily doses.

The subscribers who sign up for your newsletter look forward to finding out what’s new in this week’s email. Soon, you become an authority with your quality resources and your customers trust your opinion.

It’s an indirect marketing approach, but your subscribers will welcome the reprieve from the onslaught of marketing emails. The more you can stand out with content that’s welcome and appreciated, the more loyalty you’ll foster in your customers.

Content curation works best when you focus on a single topic, like a certain aspect of your industry. Then, hunt down the best online resources related to your topic. HubSpot recommends measuring quality and relevance in your curation process: “No one wants a list of ten mediocre industry blogs. They want the best.”

Here are a few examples of what curated content in your email campaign could look like:

Weekly Round-Ups

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TThor rounds up cool links and the latest news in technology, gaming and computer design and development.

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Brain Pickings is a little more editorial-heavy and draws from a number of creatively inspirational resources for their blog and email newsletter.

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Startup Digest compiles links to business events, job openings and industry news in the subscriber’s specified city.

Daily Snacks

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Very Short List curates films, books, art projects and other creative endeavors from artists who don’t get enough media exposure. They feature a short write-up about one new project they discover every day.

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Milkshake is another daily email with short features about causes, humanitarian projects and environment-friendly businesses they find that are worth supporting.

Who It Works For

A curated content campaign works best with a narrow focus. If you’re a small business, pick one area of your industry to keep your subscribers informed about, like news developments or innovative products.

Who It Works For

A curated content campaign works best with a narrow focus. If you’re a small business, pick one area of your industry to keep your subscribers informed about, like news developments or innovative products.

Take advantage of the opportunity to give your brand some personality. A weekly digest of what your staff is reading can give your customers better insight into your company’s interests and concerns. Make it as formal or casual as you want, depending on your subscriber base. Your campaign could cover anything from the week’s top stock tips to your staff’s favorite YouTube channels.

Bloggers can get plenty of mileage from curated links in the inbox:

  • Round up links to what you’re reading this week or point your subscribers to other blogs that inspire you.
  • Did you cover a newsworthy topic? Round up additional intelligent discussions of the event across the web.
  • Or send your readers weekly fun with links to sites that kept you entertained throughout the week. Videos, games, whatever.

Designers, crafters and creative professionals in any artistic industry can help their clients get creative with links to fun DIY projects or lists of classes happening in subscribers’ local areas. Cover trends in your genre, linking to discussions from critics, bloggers and art connoisseurs.

With enough quality sources to draw from, any business can start curating content to offer their email subscribers something different and valuable in their inboxes.

What’s In Your Collection?

What are your experiences with curating content? Can you think of other kinds of resources to compile and share?

In your experience, what kind of content resonates with your subscribers the most: content you’ve created or content you’ve curated and shared?