Outsourcing a task to a group of people who are not part of a company is the concept of crowdsourcing in short. Of course, it branches out into a large number of variations that can be seen.
This term is derived from the combination of the words ” crowd ,” which means multitude, and ” outsourcing ,” which refers to the word ” externalize .” The way in which this type of strategy is executed at the business level is on the rise.
Crowds , as the volunteer participants who will work on the project convened by the brand are also known, generally have a specific timeframe to complete the task, and whoever provides the ideal solution may or may not receive compensation that could be financial, material, social or corporate recognition.
Under the principle that “two heads are better than one,” crowdsourcing involves a multitude of people who will offer creative and fresh ideas for a specific project, and the crowdsourcer will benefit from relevant proposals that solve the initial problem.
How to do Crowdsourcing?
Delegating specific tasks to a community of professionals who meet the company’s expectations can be done in many ways.
- One option is to create a dedicated business portal allowing subscribers to propose product ideas, which could then be voted on by the community until a certain number of ideas are reached that attracts the attention of brand representatives and is evaluated for further creation.
- Another way to encourage the participation of professionals in a project for a company is by using a website dedicated to offering the skills of freelancers , where a large number of specialized people with diverse skills can be found to launch a project and they will send proposals to determine which of them best meets the company’s needs.
- Brands can announce contests to their community of followers through social media, allowing them to collaborate on the development or redesign of a product.
There are many ways to do crowdsourcing , the important thing is to define the version that best suits the company’s needs.
Crowdsourcing and its benefits in marketing
- Cost reduction
From an increase in return on investment ( ROI ) to the proper utilization of resources that can be used in other areas, these are some of the economic benefits a company obtains by using crowdsourcing as a tool.
- Access to a large number of external collaborators
Within this community, experts may even emerge who help create products that address an existing customer need.
- Access to new ideas from diverse sources
The company will receive a wealth of innovative ideas born from the diversity of the participants, their backgrounds, needs, and individual creativity.
- Increased problem resolution
A higher number of participants represents an increase in the number of proposals that could address the reason that led the business to outsource a specific project.
Other additional benefits:
- Reduces the risk of failure
- High percentage of innovation
- Increase in productivity
- Set a time limit
Crowdsourcing vs Crowdfounding
Both terms are often confused. However, although they both involve multiple people, they are different concepts. Crowdfunding refers to the joining of several people to fund an idea .
Finding funding from multiple sources is sometimes not so easy. However, there are effective online funding platforms for a creator to present their idea and try to convince those present of the business’s profitability. As a suggestion, the speaker should have a structured plan that includes the estimated timeframe for reaching a significant milestone and the objectives to be achieved.
The similarity between crowdsourcing and crowdfunding lies in the collaborative support of people outside the idea or business. The way this cooperation develops is different for each.
Examples of Crowdsourcing
- Starbucks: They created a website specifically for their fans to contribute ideas for new products and improvements. The community of subscribers can vote on ideas they like. After reaching a certain number of votes, Starbucks reviews the idea and implements it after thorough analysis.
- Doritos launched a contest in which its followers had to create an advertisement. The winner would win a ticket to the Superbowl .
- Lego: Millions of children and teens around the world can participate by contributing designs and stories about potential products on a platform created by the brand’s founders. When the community votes 10,000 times on an idea, Lego evaluates its possibility for manufacturing. If it’s eligible for inclusion in the collections, the creator receives compensation for each product sale.
- Dell: This technology brand has a portal that translates into Spanish as “Brainstorming,” which already has more than 650 ideas applied to its products, obtained from the more than 200,000 shared there by external collaborators.
The future of marketing is changing, and many multinational companies have taken note. Crowdsourcing is a powerful tool that undoubtedly offers many benefits.
It provides economic advantages, both in terms of creativity and customer loyalty, which in turn translate into greater economic benefits . It’s worth applying it in any form to achieve exponential growth and expansion for companies.
