Do you know what crowdsourcing is? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. A recent SmartPulse poll from Smartbrief on Social Media asked leading marketers how interested they were in incorporating crowdsourcing into their business. 48% of the respondents didn’t understand crowdsourcing well enough to say.
Smartbrief on Social Media SmartPulse
For those of you who fall into this group, crowdsourcing is defined on Jeff Howe’s blog as “the act of taking a job traditionally performed by a designated agent (usually an employee) and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group of people in the form of an open call” (Lets use people for the sake of this conversation, like most people do). Crowdsourcing has become more popular with the advent of social media, creating efficient and affordable ways to connect directly with your end user. Some of the World’s largest companies are exercising their options and reaping the benefits. And in the current state of the economy, there’s never been a more important time to engage with your customers. It’s only going to become more attractive as social media activity continues to grow at the current breakneck speed.
Lets apply this concept to the building industry. Product manufacturers can use crowdsourcing to:
- Enhance products
- Improve service
- Update resources
- Strengthen marketing
- Spread news
- Influence others
You might be concerned about losing control, but in many respects, it’s no different than your traditional focus group. Crowdsourcing provides you with a meaningful way to enter social media channels, or in some cases, create your own. And talking directly to your customer through these channels and other mediums eliminates the unanswered questions and assumptions that have long been associated with your planning, wondering how they will respond.
The benefits of involving your customers in the marketing process can be bountiful. Not only are you improving your products, services and message, you’re also fostering a greater loyalty towards your brand and presumably cultivating new fans, all increasing the likelihood of upgrading sales. Customers want to get involved, why not invite them to the team? After all, you often need new talent to stay competitive.
