7 Secrets to Really Successful Crowdsourcing

7/10/2010 | crowdsourcing | philipletts | 4 Comments

Crowdsourcing has officially moved from Web fad to Web trend. Which means that in a couple of years everyone will be doing it.

There are 7 secrets to really successful Crowdsourcing. Or at least we think there are.

1. Understand clearly what Crowdsourcing is. Start with Jeff Howe’s definition (after all he coined the term). Then Wikipedia’s. Once you think you get it write a definition of Crowdsourcing that works best for you. Crowdsourcing is a process so what matters is how you plan to adopt it. Make it your own.

2. Understand clearly what Crowdsourcing is not! Crowdsourcing is not Social Media, it is not part-time recruitment, or market research, not Twitter, twatter, Bing, bang or bong. Lots of people claim that what they do is Crowdsourcing – a few actually do it.

3. Crowdsourcing is about Crowds. This may sound obvious, but the ONLY thing that makes Crowdsourcing, well Crowdsourcing, is the Crowd. You need to really understand what a Crowd is and how to attract and shape one. It is not a structured community. It is not a permanent workforce. It is a group of people that like a Crowd at a stadium concert come together voluntarily, without ties and together enjoy and support a certain event or cause.

4. ‘Social’ is critical to Crowdsourcing. To understand Crowdsourcing you have to get ‘Social’. That includes Social Media, Social Networks, Social Media Marketing, Social Leadership, Crowd Management and Social Comms.

5. A Crowd has to have a clear leader and a great cause. Crowdsourcing, like Open source, is cause oriented. A Crowd always needs a reason to come together. Think hard about what that reason is, whether it is good enough or sustainable enough and whether you will be able to communicate it effectively.

6. A Crowd needs a ‘Social’ Web platform. Crowdsourcing is done over the Web. Be careful to select or build a Web platform that will optimize the project, campaign or business model. The platform must not only organize Crowdies, but also efficiently process their inputs and outputs, manage billing/rewards and allow them to ‘socialize’ and co-operate with each other.

7. A Crowd needs to be rewarded in the right way. Division of spoils is a hot topic in Crowdsourcing. After all Crowds need to be rewarded – whatever that reward is. It needs to be fair, sustainable and profitable for the organizer – or the latter will die. Also, certain Crowdsourcing projects are not suited to financial rewards – so figure out a reward that is fair whether it be PR, back patting, gifts or whatever. Plan the right reward system from the start and communicate it clearly.

Crowdsourcing is the future. Get it right or the Crowds could turn against you.

Tags: crowds, crowdsourcing, secrets
1783 views, 1 so far today

Aliza Sherman

A few questions about your secrets for clarification. You say “It is not a structured community” and yet in a sense, you've created semi-structured and semi-permanent communities to crowdsource. Without a semblance of structure, you can't effectively reach your crowd, right? And you hope those who are members of your crowd stick around – not as permanent employees but as ongoing crowdies, yes?

You say “Crowdsourcing is not Social Media” but then go on to mention several times that social media and social networks are critical tools of crowdsourcing (‘Social’ is critical to Crowdsourcing; A Crowd needs a ‘Social’ Web platform.) So do you mean in and of itself, crowdsourcing is not social media but only a business process that can leverage social media tools? Just checking.

I also am curious to hear your thoughts on this recent post about crowdsourcing I wrote – I look at several TYPES of crowdsourcing but this may be “stretching the Jeff Howe definition.” http://gigaom.com/collaboration/3-uses-for-crowdsourcing/

I can see starting with Jeff's definition, but isn't there room to innovate and build upon it? For example, you say crowdsourcing is not market research, however, couldn't you conduct market research by gathering or reaching into crowds online and have them participate in an online-based process of providing input to learn more about the market?
http://twitter.com/philipletts philipletts

Structured communities are in general permanent by design and the nature of their architecture as a result more defined. While Crowds have elements of that the way in which you manage and develop them is inherently more fluid and dynamic. See it like trading floor environment more than forum. Getting the balance right has been critical to our semi-structured and semi-permanent approach. Going back to the trading floor analogy, our Crowds come to life when a Brief is in process and are more subdued in between briefs/pitches.

Re Social Media I do mean that in of itself Crowdsourcing is not social media but that as a process it relies heavily on 'Social' tools and systems inc. media.

On your market research point I was using a blunt instrument to make a point. There are endless potential applications of Crowdsourcing – so long as they actually adhere to the core principles of Crowdsourcing and don't just, for instance, rebrand traditional approaches with Crowdsourcing to slap on a new coat of buzz paint.
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