I love to travel. My husband and I try to spend our vacations becoming immersed in a culture. It’s one of our favorite things to do together.
As a content creator, I’m predictably an avid content consumer as well.
With my love of content and travel, I often find myself pouring through travel blogs looking for the best way to plan a trip and the best activities to do in a country.
One thing that makes that easy is content aggregation. For me, I use a specific content aggregation site dedicated to travel blogs to find the best information.
For marketers, content aggregator sites can be a useful strategy to reach new audiences. That’s why it’s important to consider using them in your marketing strategy to promote your brand.
Below, let’s review content aggregation in detail, from what it is to the different kinds of content aggregators.
Essentially, content aggregator sites repost and collect content so viewers can see articles from various media on a given topic such as marketing, business, or design. Usually these sites are set up to automatically aggregate content through RSS feeds.
For example, on Rotten Tomatoes, you can read reviews on movies from different blogs and sites, all in one place.
As a note, content aggregators shouldn’t post content without using proper credit and linking to the original source. If they do, that’s considered copyright theft.
Additionally, content aggregation is different from content curation in that it’s automatic. With content curation, the content is actually selected by a person or team instead of gathered through automation. Usually with content curation, there’s also commentary or context. On the other hand, with content aggregation, there’s no original content at all.
So, now that we know more about content aggregation, you might be wondering, “What does this have to do with me?”
Well, to start, content aggregation can help marketers distribute your content on multiple platforms, making it easier for people to find you. The more platforms you’re on, the more exposure you have.
Content aggregation is a tactic you could implement in a brand awareness strategy.
Additionally, becoming involved with content aggregators can help you become involved in your community. With many content aggregation sites, you can comment, vote, and participate in community forums.
Before you get started, it’s important to understand the different kinds of content aggregator sites. The two most valuable to marketers are blog and news aggregators. Below, let’s review more about those types of aggregators.
Blog Aggregators
A blog aggregator is a type of content aggregator. On a blog aggregator site, the focus would be on different blogs, such as WordPress sites for example. Additionally, there could be even more niche focused blog aggregators, such as a travel blog aggregator that’s focused on aggregating content from travel blogs, like I mentioned above.
On the other hand, some aggregator sites aren’t as focused on one topic. Some aggregator sites span a variety of topics such as pop culture, business, travel, and news.
Below, we’ve gathered a list of some example blog aggregators you could consider using for a content aggregator strategy.
1. Popurls
Popurls is a popular content aggregator. On this site, users can choose which platforms they want information from.
For example, Popurls pulls content from sites like Reddit, Huffington Post, The Verge, Google, Wired, and YouTube.
While you can’t submit your site to be included in this aggregator, it’s still a powerful content aggregator to be aware of if you’re going to start using content aggregation.
2. Alltop
Alltop aggregates content on a variety of topics. Users can search for topics they’re interested in and view aggregated content from some of the most popular blogs on that topic.
As a marketer, Alltop is a great site because you can submit your site to be listed on it. Just go to the contact page to submit an inquiry.
3. Travel Blogger Community
Travel Blogger Community is the content aggregator site that I use when I’m searching for travel blogs. This site aggregates content from travel blogs to maximize exposure for that content.
With this site, you can request to have your content featured. This is a great example of a niche content aggregator. Your industry might have a content aggregator like this, so be sure to do some research if you’re going to implement a content aggregation strategy.
4. Flipboard
Flipboard is a popular blog aggregator that allows users to create their own feed based on their interests. It can also be used for news aggregation, depending on your interests. On Flipboard, users can read a snippet of the content before being redirected to the main site.
News Aggregators
Just like with blog aggregators, news aggregator sites are focused on aggregating content from various news sources. The news can be location based or industry based. For example, if you write about SEO news and updates, there could be a content aggregation site for that.
Below we’ve listed some example news aggregator sites:
1. Google News
With Google News, users can see the top news stories for the day instead of having to use the search engine.
Google News aggregates content for users based on search history, geographic location, and other factors.
Users can also customize their feed by “following” certain topics, sources, or searches.
2. Pocket
Pocket is an interesting content aggregator site because you can bookmark and save content to read later.
Users can also customize their feed, choosing a variety of topics to follow.
3. WP News Desk
WP News Desk is a news aggregator site that aggregates content discussing news in the WordPress community. The content it shares is pulled from WordPress blogs specifically.
4. Feedly
Feedly is a content aggregation site that’s focused on helping users create their own feed so they aren’t overwhelmed with information overload.
This site has both free and paid plans, so users can aggregate content from as many sources as they want, and any niche they want.
5. Reddit
Perhaps one of the most popular content aggregator sites, Reddit is mainly used for social news. It’s also used as a discussion forum, so users can comment and discuss the latest news. Members of the site can submit content such as text posts, images, and links.
With content aggregator sites, marketers can get exposure to their content, while becoming more involved in their community. While it might not be the main part of your marketing plan, it’s a unique and interesting tactic to create brand exposure.