Recipe Curation - Gojee got it right

Curata on Content Curation (Dec 21 2011)

1. I have a huge passion for food and spend a lot of my free time scouring the web for new recipes and ideas. In one of these searches, I came across a interesting website appeared to be curating blogger recipe content. Gojee not only curates their content, they do a great job categorizing the content so it's easy to sort through and allowing you to check out the original blog post. I reached out to Veronica Chan, Director of Content, to ask her a few questions about how she curates.
   
   Content curation includes 3 pillars, finding organizing and sharing content. Do you find this to be true in the world of recipe curation?
   Recipes are the perfect atomic unit of content to find, organize and share. At Gojee, we take an approach to content curation that strikes a fine balance between the art of human curation and the accuracy of a recommendation algorithm.  First, we devote our time to building relationships with our contributors and hand-picking their best recipes, then hand it off to our recommendation engine to customize your recipe suggestions based on three criteria  - I Crave, I Have and I Dislike.
   
   With this model of recipe curation, we benefit both our contributors and our members. We help members to explore new recipes and ingredients, get inspired to cook and ultimately find relevant recipes. On that same note, we are also helping contributors refresh older content by serving as a platform for them to reach a broader audience.
   
   How is the content selected at Gojee? How do you find the bloggers?
   We curate all our recipes ourselves, which means we hand-pick each recipe that is recommended on Gojee.  We don't cut corners, so no scraping data or deploying algorithms when it comes to curating, because in the end, deciding whether a recipe or blog is a good fit can't be boiled down to a mathematical equation.
   
   It certainly takes a lot of research and online exploration to find blogs.  For the most part, we select bloggers and recipes that represent a diversity of backgrounds, that way our members are constantly being exposed to new, innovative ideas. Each one of our contributors has their own unique writing and cooking style and come from all corners of the world
   
   What qualifies a recipe as a fit for your site?
   There's a multitude of factors to consider when it comes to evaluating a recipe or blog.  We place a lot of emphasis on creativity, credibility, originality, and of course nice photos help a lot (if you take a look at Gojee, you'll understand why). During the curation process, we evaluate the recipe in its entirety, reading through the process and ingredient list before making a final assessment.  Of course, choosing prominent bloggers with an established and active audience is an easy solution, but we also make it a point to include up-and-coming talent that have yet to gain traction.
   
   What are some key- do's and don'ts of the recipe curation world?
   Do:
   - Ask for permission and give credit where it's due
   - Be honest and transparent
   - Be personal and thoughtful - treat bloggers like people
   - Let people know you are a real person, too.
   
   Don’t:
   - Steal content
   - Send obvious mass messages, write to individuals.

    

   We'd love to hear your thoughts as well? What are some key elements you look for during your own curation efforts? What are some of the key do's and don'ts you follow?

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