While Google Plus is no longer operational as of April 2019, the lessons and strategies it offered for content curation and sharing industry news remain highly relevant. These approaches can easily be applied to current platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, or even Google My Business. Below is a guide on how to leverage these principles for content curation and sharing industry news, inspired by Google Plus’s features.

1. Understand the Role of Content Curation

Content curation involves finding, organizing, and sharing valuable third-party content with your audience. It positions your brand as a thought leader by providing timely and relevant information while saving time by not having to create all original content. Curation ensures you remain visible and valuable to your audience even when you’re not producing your own material.

2. Find Relevant Sources for Industry News

Start by identifying the most authoritative and trusted sources in your industry for news, trends, and insights:

• Follow Industry Blogs and Websites: Identify leading websites, blogs, and news outlets within your sector. Subscribe to their newsletters or use an RSS feed to stay updated on new posts.
• Use Google Alerts: Set up Google Alerts for key terms relevant to your industry. You’ll receive daily or weekly emails with curated content from across the web based on those keywords.
• Leverage Social Listening Tools: Tools like Hootsuite, Feedly, or BuzzSumo can help you track mentions of specific topics or trends in real-time, ensuring you always have the most relevant and up-to-date information.

3. Create Circles for Targeted Content Sharing

Google Plus’s “Circles” allowed you to group connections into different categories. While this specific feature is no longer available, the principle of segmented audience targeting can be applied to modern platforms:

• Segment Your Audience: Divide your audience into segments based on their interests, needs, or the type of relationship you have with them (e.g., clients, industry peers, influencers).
• Share Tailored Content: Share industry news and curated content that is relevant to each segment. This ensures your posts are targeted and more likely to resonate with your audience.

On LinkedIn or Facebook, you can create private groups for specific topics, fostering more tailored discussions.

4. Use Communities to Curate and Share

Google Plus Communities were ideal for sharing industry news and engaging with like-minded professionals. While these communities no longer exist, the concept is still vital across many platforms:

• Join Industry-Specific Groups: Participate in groups on LinkedIn, Reddit, or Facebook. Engage with posts and share curated content that can add value to discussions.
• Create Your Own Community: If you see a gap, create your own group or community. Use it as a hub to regularly share industry news, case studies, and curated articles that benefit your followers.

When curating content for these groups, ensure you add your perspective or commentary, providing context on why the content is important or relevant.

5. Use Hashtags and Keywords to Enhance Discoverability

Hashtags were widely used on Google Plus to categorize content and make it more discoverable, and the same applies to platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn:

• Use Relevant Hashtags: When sharing curated content, include industry-specific hashtags to expand the reach of your posts. For example, if you’re sharing tech news, use hashtags like #TechNews, #Innovation, or #AI.
• Research Trending Hashtags: Look for trending hashtags in your industry and capitalize on them by sharing relevant content tagged appropriately.

On LinkedIn, research hashtags that are popular among your target audience and use them to increase the visibility of your curated content.

6. Add Value with Personal Commentary

One of the best ways to make curated content stand out is by adding your personal insights or perspective to the article or news piece you’re sharing. This establishes your expertise and adds value beyond just a link share.

• Explain Why It’s Important: When sharing news or articles, write a brief summary or offer commentary on why the content is relevant to your audience.
• Highlight Key Takeaways: Extract the most important points from the article and explain how they impact your industry or audience. This helps busy professionals grasp the significance of the news without having to read the entire article.
• Ask Questions: Invite your audience to engage by posing a question related to the article. This not only adds value but also encourages interaction.

7. Diversify the Types of Content You Share

For effective content curation, you should share a variety of content types to keep your audience engaged:

• Articles and Blogs: Share insightful articles from trusted sources that provide in-depth analysis of industry trends or developments.
• Infographics and Visuals: Curate and share infographics that summarize data or industry insights in a visually compelling way.
• Videos and Webinars: Share relevant video content such as TED Talks, industry conference highlights, or interviews with thought leaders.
• Podcasts: Recommend podcasts that cover industry topics or feature interviews with key players in your sector.

Diversifying content types ensures your audience remains engaged and can consume information in formats they prefer.

8. Leverage Analytics to Optimize Content Sharing

Regularly analyze the performance of your curated content to see what resonates most with your audience:

• Track Engagement Rates: Use platform analytics to monitor likes, shares, and comments on the content you curate. This will help you understand what type of content your audience values most.
• Adjust Timing and Frequency: If you notice a trend in engagement based on the time or day you post, adjust your content sharing schedule accordingly. Most platforms provide insights into when your audience is most active.
• Measure Growth in Followers: By consistently sharing valuable curated content, you should see growth in your followers and connections. Track this to measure the impact of your efforts.

9. Collaborate with Industry Experts

Collaborating with industry leaders or experts can enhance your content curation efforts:

• Feature Expert Insights: When sharing industry news, tag experts and invite them to share their opinions or thoughts on the topic.
• Guest Contributions: Invite industry experts to contribute guest articles or curated lists of their favorite resources or news. This not only diversifies your content but also boosts your credibility.

These collaborations can help your content reach a wider audience and establish your platform as a hub for industry insights.

10. Stay Consistent with Content Curation

Consistency is key when it comes to content curation. You need to regularly share valuable content to maintain your position as a trusted source of industry news:

• Create a Curation Schedule: Set up a schedule for curating and sharing content. Depending on your audience’s preferences, you might curate content daily, weekly, or bi-weekly.
• Use Automation Tools: Tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, or Feedly can help automate the process of curating and scheduling content, ensuring you remain consistent without overwhelming your schedule.

Conclusion

Although Google Plus is no longer in operation, its strategies for content curation and sharing industry news remain highly relevant. Today, these principles can be adapted and applied to platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and others. By identifying trusted sources, engaging with relevant communities, and sharing content thoughtfully and consistently, businesses can position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Through careful monitoring of analytics, personalized commentary, and collaboration with experts, content curation can become a powerful tool for maintaining engagement and fostering meaningful industry conversations.