Is original content production the most important technique, or can brands benefit from curation as well? How?
I think it's BEST to create original content, but you can also benefit from supplementing those original ideas with curation. And, if you're not up for creating original content for whatever reason (don't have confidence, don't have time, not sure what stories to tell), start with curation and take it from there.
Here's a post I wrote recently for Mashable on this topic -- We've positioned it for job seekers, but it could apply to companies or any individuals, too.
http://mashable.com/2013/11/23/sharing-other-peoples-content/
Cheers!
@alexisgrant
http://socialexis.com