Before I get too crazy, as I often can, I wrote what I thought crowd sourcing meant. Because the more I read, the more I turn into a coconut. Let me keep it simple. The first thing that came to mind was :
Crowds = reminds me of people
Sourcing = reminds me of India and cheap labor aka a third party
I think it’s safe to say crowd sourcing is getting people’s ideas and using them to increase business.
What comes to mind next? YELP. I think it’s because I just left a review for a friend’s dance studio.
We’ve all used Yelp. I trust them, especially if a user has a profile picture and more than one posting. Jump the trust factor up a notch if their photo looks like we could be friends.
I might have thoughts to add in the next few days, but before I over complicate things, I’m keeping it simple.
To me, crowdsourcing is more than just getting people ideas for boosting business. It's also harnessing the resources of the masses which increases competition against colossal enterprises.
ReplyDeleteA single person, or small group, may have excellent concepts, but insufficient resources to vie against a dominant player (such as an industry giant or a far-flung government group).
Indeed, crowdsourcing provides a cost-effective way to pool the talents and abilities of countless individuals. That's useful if you are going head to head against a monopoly or a corporate giant with deep pockets.
I think the big advantage of crowdsourcing is giving entrepreneurs the means to undercut large rivals; provide some service cheaper then some huge overhead-intensive company.
Melissa, I have to ask: Can you define "coconut," as it relates to you and your reading habits?
ReplyDeleteCrowdsourcing is a "squishy concept," and there's no one crystal-clear example. I'm encouraged by the overall class interest.
Over the next week, let's also consider how PR pros can incorporate crowdsourcing into successful communications programs.
"I turn into a coconut" means I go crazy, I turn into a nut. What I really mean is my mind becomes over saturated with information. I tend to take what seemed simple and over complicate it by reading and reading and reading some more until I don't even know what the point was anymore! It makes me crazy. Turning into a coconut is a symptom of information overload.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started to read about crowd sourcing, it seemed straight forward. As I read on, I lost any sense of what I originally thought it was. I was confused. So I posted a definition of what I believe crowd sourcing is before I continue over stuffing my mind with meanings. I knew when I posted the example that it was my interpretation at that moment. My understanding of it may change, but I don't want to put so much pressure on myself to be "right" that I don't share my thoughts on our blog. That would just be insane. Or coconutty.
Ha! OK, now I get it. You're definitely not coconutty, and I want you to keep sharing what's on your mind.
ReplyDeleteDon't beat yourself up, Melissa. This is new terrain, and a lot of the concepts fall into the grey area; rarely will you find concrete "right" or "wrong" answers. That's why these two points are important:
** Go with your gut. More often than not, there's some hint of truth to the well-oiled gut instinct.
** I know it's easier said than done, but here in the early stages of your PR ed, try to recognize the early onset of OVERTHINK. This is the stuff that makes you coconutty. Tell OVERTHINK to take a hike!
I'm feeling squishy and coconuty about crowdsourcing as well. One concern is if a company is using the masses, they still have to monitor the input of the masses. Wouldn't that be time consuming? We've seen examples of this from Wikepedia in this class. Some of the definitions and info on there leave you with a big huh?
ReplyDeleteAnd since the crowd isn't getting paid, they would need some other incentive to offer input. What are they getting out of it?
Time-consuming? Definitely.
ReplyDeleteCrowdsourcing, like many new PR activities, is social in nature, and managing effective social programs requires a significant time & people-power commitment. This goes for any social program (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Many decision-makers forget that this also translates to a $$$ commitment.
New PR/social programs are not add-ons; they are integral. In fact, these types of programs are increasingly leading the charge in many campaign efforts. You need qualified talent to run these programs. And qualified talent doesn't come free-of-charge.
Part of your role as PR pros will involve believing in and selling this new PR mindset. Your company's/client's success will depend upon it.
Great post Melissa! It really spark conversation.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree, I am very coconutty on the idea of crowd sourcing, but am grasping the idea more and more through this conversation!
Thanks!!