In our constantly connected world, so many of our decisions are based on the information we have on hand. That makes collecting that information all the more important. The internet contains an unending stream of information and data at all times, so compiling that data should be a priority for businesses. However, as you no doubt have realized, with so much information available, collecting it all is a difficult task. That’s why content aggregators have become so valuable to company strategies.
What is a content aggregator?
In a certain sense, content aggregators take information from a wide variety of sources and distill it into a more digestible form. The advantage of using a content aggregator is that it only looks through and compiles the information you want. Content aggregator sites are plentiful, but with modern technology, businesses can aggregate their own content. Contention aggregation has become a notable field that has only grown in recent years, so much so that the field has branched out into other sub-genres and types.
The Different Types of Content Aggregators
In addition to general content aggregators, more specific types should be noted. One of most common and most popular is the social aggregator tool. Sometimes called a social media aggregator or a social network aggregator, this tool has several uses. Some companies use them to place all of their social media networks into one place for easy management. Others use social media aggregators to curate content specifically over social media. In much the same way content aggregators peruse the whole web, social media aggregators only focus on other social media accounts for useful data.
In fact, you can usually tell what specific content an aggregator compiles based off of its name. Video aggregators, for example, curates online videos across the web. A search aggregator looks at the search results that come from different search engines. Blog aggregators focus on blogs. Review aggregators will collect review information of certain products and services. News aggregators are some of the most widely used aggregators around as they compile news stories from various news sources all over the world.
The Benefits of Using a Content Aggregator
Now that you know the many different content aggregators that are available out there, you may still wonder why you should be using one. The benefits that come from using content aggregators can vary, especially depending on the type you use, but most feature advantages that will help you and your business remain competitive and successful.
Cost reduction — Collecting data can be a monumental challenge, especially when it’s web data. Doing so manually would require a large amount of resources and many hours of work. Content aggregators cut down on both of these elements. The result? Lower costs compared to if you would do it on your own. As businesses are looking for ways to stay within a budget, using content aggregators gets results at a minimal cost.
Simple and easy — Most of content aggregation is done automatically with very little input needed from the user. That makes it simple and easy to use while still leading to significant and beneficial results. Content aggregation streamlines the process of content curation and places everything in an easy-to-access place. There’s no need to comb the whole web or even multiple websites to find useful information.
Customizable — With so many content aggregators out there, it may seem daunting to find one that’s the right fit for you and your organization. Luckily, one of the benefits to using a content aggregator is its customization options. Let’s suppose you’re only interested in learning about the latest news concerning the industry you’re in. You can set up your content aggregator so that it only collects news stories about that specific subject. With many more customization options available, you can have an aggregator tailored only to what you want.
Competitive monitoring — One of the biggest advantages you can have in the business world is knowing what your competitors are up to. While there are many ways to do this, content aggregation is an easy method open to pretty much any business. By collecting content specifically related to your competitors, you can get a much better idea of what they’re planning, how they’re performing and more. Keeping an eye on competitors can also help you prepare for future developments while helping you stay on top of the latest industry news.
Quick learning — Equally important is the need to have data and information that is up to date. Content aggregators can help in this pursuit. As part of the aggregation process, the data that is collected is the latest that is available. So if you are looking to learn something about a specific subject, you will at least know that what you’re reading is everything that has come out recently about the topic.
Improved engagement — This is one area where social media aggregation excels. Through social aggregation, you can get a better idea of what customers and others are saying about your company. This is helpful on its own, but it also allows you to engage with the customers, responding to their questions, concerns, and feedback directly. By cultivating this level of interaction, you can foster closer customer relationships and improve the overall level of engagement.
Content Aggregation and Your Business
Content aggregators come in many types. It’s something that many platforms use, including the data extractor from Import.io. Indeed, Import.io is able to extract data from aggregators while at the same time aggregating news articles as well for your use. The process involves machine learning algorithms in order to extract this valuable information. It’s an effective process that helps you stay informed, and when combined with cutting edge data analysis, enables you to make smart business decisions based off of the latest information available.
Content aggregation is a business strategy that simply cannot be ignored anymore. It has become a useful tool for businesses of all types, one that brings a lot of value to the table and is very much worth the investment. Only by using a content aggregator can you enjoy the benefits mentioned above.