How to Make Money Curating Content

We are constantly bombarded with information. Content curation provides a way to organise this information. Here's how you can make money with it.

June 13, 2024

Hey, thanks for joining for another week of New Venture Weekly.

This week we’re going to look into how you can make money with content curation.

We live in a world where information is everywhere and (almost) everyone has access to it.

But with so much information, we all suffer from information overload.

So how do we sift through the ever-growing pile of content that bombards us daily? Content curation.

Let’s jump in!

🗞️ Things worth checking out

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This database takes the guesswork out of entrepreneurship. Instead of sifting through endless ideas, you’ll have access to a curated list of high-potential problems that are begging to be solved.

Here's what you get:

  • Problems & pain points

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Benefits:

  • Focused Strategy: Direct your efforts toward problems with proven demand and strong potential for success.

  • Time Savings: Cut down on research time with ready-made competitive analysis and research.

  • Lifetime Access: As new problems and opportunities emerge, you’ll be the first to know, without paying a penny more.

💡 How to Make Money Curating Content

🗂 Overview:

Everyone has heard of content creators but not everyone is good at creating content.

An alternative is to curate content.

Take any niche, industry, trend or hobby you’re interested in and curate the best content (news, resources, tools, updates, trends, etc) about it.

This provides value and positions curators as go-to sources for quality and insight - for example, Rowan Cheung from the Rundown AI.

This type of content can be delivered through newsletters, directories, YouTube/TikTok videos, Twitter, Instagram or dedicated platforms.

⭐️ Examples:

  • Morning Brew - Curates news and sends it in an engaging daily newsletter that sold for $75m.

  • The Rundown - Newsletter that curates AI news, developments and tools.

  • Socialty Pro - You’ve probably seen these types of videos all over TikTok and Instagram.

  • Best Affiliate Programs - Curated directory of high-paying affiliate programs.

  • Exploding Topics - Curates trends that are about to take off

  • Landingpage.fyi - Curated directory of landing page resources, tools, checklists and more.

  • Wedding Wire - Curated wedding content, resources and tools

  • Angel Match - Tool to help you find investors for your startup.

  • Good Books - Curated book recommendations

  • No Code Tech - Curated resources, guides, tools and more to help you create and use no code software.

  • Nomad List - The biggest online community for digital nomads

  • Lettergrowth - List of newsletters looking to collaborate

  • Directory Meta - A directory of directories

🔧 Tools:

  • Newsblocks - Newsletter writing tool that helps you curate content and send it automatically as an email newsletter.

  • Aboard - AI tool to simplify curation for your everyday life.

  • Feedly - A tool that tracks topics and trends from news sites, blogs, YouTube channels, etc

  • Beehiiv - Email newsletter platform that makes starting, growing, and monetising your audience easy.

  • BuzzSumo - Content research tool for markets, SEOs and writers

  • Pocket - Browser extension that saves & organises articles, videos, and links from across the web

  • Upcontent - AI-powered curation solution that tailors content to the unique needs of your organization

👎 Problems:

Why is content curation useful?

  • Information Overload: Curators filter out low-quality content, helping users navigate the excess information online.

  • Time Savings: Curators save their audience time by consolidating high-quality information from multiple sources.

  • Enhanced Discovery: Curators expose their audience to overlooked content and emerging trends.

  • Trust and Authority: Consistent, high-value curation builds credibility, establishing curators as industry authorities.

  • Community Building: Curated content can strengthen community ties by focusing on specific interests or niches.

📈 Stats:

  • Volume of Data: According to a report by DOMO, over 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created every single day as of 2020.

  • Social Media Content: As per DataReportal, the average social media user is bombarded with content, spending roughly 2 hours and 20 minutes on social media platforms daily.

  • Impact on Productivity: A survey by RescueTime found that people generally check their email or instant messaging every 6 minutes.

  • Digital Consumption: An eMarketer report indicated that the average US adult spent over 7 hours and 50 minutes per day interacting with digital media in 2020.

🧐 Opportunities:

Opportunity #1: Start a Newsletter + Directory

Start a newsletter in a niche that interests you and curate content that is helpful to your audience.

If relevant, add a directory for resources, tools, advice, services, products and more relevant to your chosen niche.

Go even further and create a YouTube channel and TikTok page and create videos on the topics you discuss in your newsletter.

You can earn money through sponsorships across your newsletter, directory and videos.

On top of that, you can create your own products and services based on insights you’ve gained from your audience.

Opportunity #2: Build a Curation Tool

"During a gold rush, sell shovels" rings very true here.

Thousands of newsletters are created every day and millions more are sent out every day.

There are directories for everything, newsletters on every topic, and YouTube videos about everything.

Create a tool that helps curate this content and organise it easily - similar to Aboard or Feedly.

This could either be targeted at everyday users trying to organise their thoughts and things that interest them or at people trying to create content curation businesses.

For example, Feedly has an estimated annual review of about $35m.

Creating a tool that specifies in particular niches would likely be the best place to start - for example, a tool that specialises in content curation for Banking & Finance could attract very high subscription costs.

🗂️ Niches:

  • Tech Innovations

  • Startup Ecosystem

  • Health and Wellness

  • Financial Markets

  • Sustainable Living

  • Remote Work

  • Artificial Intelligence

  • Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

  • Fashion Trends

  • Indie Games

  • Craft Beer and Brewing

  • Education Technology

  • Science Research

  • Travel Destinations

  • Home Gardening

  • Gourmet Cooking

  • Personal Development

  • Esports and Gaming

  • Pet Care and Training

  • DIY Home Improvement

  • Vintage Collectibles

  • Adventure Sports

  • Independent Music

  • Digital Art Trends

  • Mindfulness and Meditation

🛠 How to Build:

Opportunity #1: Start a Newsletter + Directory

1. Define Your Niche: Choose a niche that you're passionate about and where there's a demand. This could be anything from tech innovations to sustainability practices.

2. Launch the Newsletter: Use email marketing tools like Mailchimp or Substack to create and distribute your newsletter. Focus on delivering high-quality, curated content that adds real value.

3. Develop a Directory: Build an online directory that categorizes resources, tools, services, and products related to your niche. This could be a simple website or a more interactive database.

4. Expand to Video Content: Start a YouTube channel and a TikTok account to reach a broader audience. Create video content that complements the topics you cover in your newsletter.

5. Monetization: Introduce sponsorships across your platforms once you have enough reach and engagement. Additionally, consider creating and selling niche-specific products or services based on the insights you've gained from your audience.

Opportunity #2: Build a Curation Tool

1. Identify the Gap: Research existing tools like Feedly and Aboard to understand what they offer and where they might be lacking. Pinpoint a gap in the market, especially in high-value areas like Banking & Finance.

2. Develop the Tool: Design a tool that categorises content effectively, perhaps with advanced filtering, tagging, and analytics features. Focus on usability to ensure it appeals to both casual users and professional content curators.

3. Target Market: Decide whether you will target everyday users or niche professionals. A tool focused on a specific industry could justify higher subscription fees and attract a dedicated user base.

4. Monetization Strategy: You could use a freemium model where basic features are free, but advanced features require a subscription. Additionally, consider partnerships or integrations with existing platforms that can provide a steady stream of users.

🚀 How to Grow:

For the Newsletter + Directory Business:

1. Content Marketing: Regularly publish high-quality, informative blog posts and articles that target your niche audience. This isn’t just your newsletter but perhaps SEO-optimised lists like (10 Best Tools for X, etc).

2. Social Media Engagement: Utilize platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Meta and TikTok to share your content and engage with your community.

3. Partnerships and Collaborations: Partner with influencers and other businesses in your niche to co-create content or offer mutual promotions. This can extend your reach and add credibility to your brand.

  • Example: This newsletter you’re reading. I’ve partnered with Half Baked to promote our newsletters to each other’s audience.

4. Paid Advertising: Invest in targeted ads on social media and Google to attract subscribers to your newsletter and visitors to your directory. Customize your ads to appeal specifically to the interests of your niche.

For the Content Curation Tool Business:

1. Targeted Content Marketing: Create valuable content that addresses common pain points around content overload and management, positioning your tool as the solution.

2. Product Demonstrations and Webinars: Host webinars and live demos to showcase the functionality and benefits of your tool. This helps potential customers understand how they can use your tool effectively.

3. Referral Programs: Encourage users to refer others to your tool by offering incentives, such as a free month or premium features. This can help grow your user base organically.

4. Strategic Partnerships: Partner with content creation platforms, educational institutions, and businesses that could benefit from using your tool. This could also include integration with other tools used by your target audience.

5. SEO and PPC Campaigns: Use SEO strategies to rank for keywords related to content curation and management. Complement this with PPC campaigns to drive immediate traffic and conversions.

6. Community Building: Build a community of users around your tool by leveraging forums, social media groups, and other platforms where users can share tips, give feedback, and help each other maximize the use of your tool.

7. Customer Success Stories: Showcase testimonials and case studies from users who have benefited from your tool. This can help convince potential customers of its value and effectiveness.

🔥 Free Stuff

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