A Guide to Curation in Community: Balancing Value and Connection

A Guide to Curation in Community: Balancing Value and Connection

Curating content in a community is not just about creating a resource for your members to access. It is an exercise that creates immense value for both you and your members. When we curate, we can't help but learn and understand the community we serve. In this guide, we will explore the importance of community curation and how it can benefit both community builders and members.

For members, the value of community curation is clear. It gives them the ability to access trusted and vetted information quickly. Instead of searching through a sea of content, they have a source filled with hand-picked information. This saves them time and provides them with a sense of security in knowing that the information they are accessing is reliable.

However, the value of community curation extends beyond the members. For community builders, the act of curation is where the true value lies. It forces you to process what your members are sharing and learn from it. As you curate content, you will notice new ideas popping up and spreading. You become a source of knowledge and insight for your community.

Community curation is for you first, and your members second. Before you save anything, you ask yourself whether it is worth saving. You are essentially deciding if something is valuable. If it is, you capture it. But it is important to exercise caution. If everything is special, then nothing is special. It's crucial to curate only the content that truly brings value to your community.

One of the key benefits of community curation is the ability to connect the dots. While a repository of information can be helpful for anyone in a business, the power of curation lies in the ability to see patterns and make connections. By curating and organizing content, you can identify valuable insights and trends that may have otherwise been overlooked. This allows you to provide even more value to your community and help them navigate through the noise.

Now, let's shift gears and explore the concept of maintaining close friendships within a community. Studies have shown that our social-network size tends to shrink as we age, particularly after 65. This is known as Dunbar's number, which represents the meaningful and stable relationships we can have at any one time. The range of variation falls somewhere between 100 and 250.

Maintaining close friendships requires time and investment. Research suggests that it takes about 200 hours of investment over a few months to move a stranger into becoming a good friend. Additionally, there are seven factors that people use to evaluate whether someone has the potential to become a friend. These factors, along with the time investment, play a crucial role in shaping our close relationships.

In understanding the dynamics of close friendships, it becomes evident that we can only maintain a limited number of these relationships. Our social networks are highly structured, with each layer being three times the size of the layer directly preceding it. This means that while we may have acquaintances and connections in a larger network, our close friendships are limited in number.

So how does this connect to community curation? Community is about helping your people, which includes both members of your community and potentially every employee in your company. By curating content and providing valuable insights, you are nurturing and strengthening the relationships within your community. You are building a network of trusted connections and fostering a sense of belonging. This ultimately leads to a stronger and more engaged community.

To make the most of community curation, here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Be selective in what you curate: Only save and share content that brings true value to your community. This will help maintain the trust and credibility you have built.

2. Look for patterns and connections: As you curate content, pay attention to the insights and trends that emerge. Connect the dots and provide your community with valuable insights they may not have discovered on their own.

3. Invest time in building relationships: Remember that community curation is not just about the content, but also about the people. Take the time to engage with your community, build relationships, and foster a sense of belonging.

In conclusion, community curation is a powerful tool that benefits both community builders and members. It allows us to process and understand the community we serve while providing valuable insights and resources to our members. By curating selectively, looking for patterns, and investing in relationships, we can create a thriving community that brings immense value to everyone involved.