Why Content Aggregation is Important!
Do you ever have those moments where you feel like you are at a loss for words? Don't worry because that is normal and it happens to everyone. On social media, when you don't post, your brand can get lost, which is why it is important to remain visible. Sometimes, you may feel like you are running out of things to say on each platform and if you master the art of content aggregator, you will never feel silent again! Dictionary.com's definition of aggregation is "the state of being so collected." Basically, that is what you are doing; you are collecting information and sharing it with your followers.
Tools to Help with Aggregation
The beauty of social media is that there are tools that help us do this. The first thing you need to decide is what type of content you want to share with your followers. This can be images, videos, links and anything interesting and reflects your brand's voice. If you have an editorial calendar or detailed content posting schedule, you will know what content to post when. The content aggregation is meant to be a filler and allows you to share content between planned posts. When creating your overall social media tactical plan you can select which hashtags, accounts and topics to follow on each platform.
Sharing Other People's Content
When you are sharing other user's content, most of the time they get notified (depending on their profile settings). This is a very good thing because it lets them know that their content is valuable and it's important enough to share with your followers. It also encourages them to follow and share your content. This is also a great way to gain new followers because you are now linking your brand to someone else's. When you are sharing someone else's content it's important to remember to always mention in your post that it is a repost and who it came from.
How to Share
If you want, you can copy and paste the content and image to share it on your platform (and add your own copy). This is something that people do but it can be a bit tricky and more time consuming. An alternative is to use a secondary application or a function in the primary application to assist in the sharing process. Here are a few tips on how to share content on three popular social media networks:
Facebook: On Facebook there is the option to share under each post. You can share to your Timeline, a friend's Timeline, in a Group, on a Page you manage or in a private message. Make sure you select the right place you are sharing this post to and include your own copy where it says, "Write something…" You have more options when sharing on a computer compared to the app. on your phone, so keep that in mind. I prefer sharing content from my Mac.
Twitter: When sharing someone else's tweet you must include the RT (Retweet) and their username when tweeting. If you change (modify) any of the copy in the tweet you include a MT (Modified Tweet) and their username when tweeting. If you are on a computer you can select the Retweet option and it RTs automatically but if you're using the app you have the option to "quote" the tweet where you can modify it or add in your own words. I prefer to RT/MT from the Twitter phone application.
Instagram: If you have mastered taking screenshots on your computer or phone, you can use this method to #regram images you find on Instagram. However, there are applications available (for free) to allow you to do this with ease. An app that I recommend is Repost. I like this because it copies the desired image, copy, #repost tag and username right into Instagram for you. I make sure to always add my own additional copy to put my own unique touch on the post.
There are different methods and ways to track and share content and everyone has their favourite methods. As long as you are sharing valuable information and creating conversation, you are doing great! Content aggregation is important because two heads are always better than one and you never know what will spark your creativity.
From the Custom Fit Online team