Crowdsourcing comes in many forms…

Crowdsourcing is utilizing collective intelligence obtained from the public and using the same to fulfill business operations and associated tasks. The tasks are generally completed by the business itself or a 3rd party service provider with the aid of Crowdsourcing, although the public helps in completing such tasks. Businesses are drawn to Crowdsourcing, as it makes their talent pool wider. Crowdsourcing goes along with marketing, as business owners can get help for project completion from the crowd as well as tap into a potential base of customers. It also lets companies get an insight into the needs of their customers. There are various types of crowdsourcing.

Crowdfunding

This lets business owners fundraise for their enterprise by using an online platform, without having to directly approach potential investors to finance their projects. In this case, an entrepreneur can create a video that describes the project they wish to raise funds for. Then, he can post a link to the video on any Crowdfunding or even social networking site, if the pitch is well-made, the entrepreneur can hope to get investors attracted to his project and contribute money for the campaign. This can also help in widening the reach for his business, as investors can tell more people about the business.

Microtasking

This type of Crowdsourcing involves taking any major task and dividing it into many smaller tasks before assigning them to a crowd. For instance, on the CrowdForce platform, data is collected by various field agents in different locations and the data is set to servers in real time.

Crowdcontests

It is another useful way of Crowdsourcing. If you require a design logo for a business or wish to build a blog of short stories or pictures, you may consider inviting designers or writers to take part in the contest. The participants will contribute and send their submissions for your project. You can determine which the best submission is, and then compensate the winning contestant. You need to consider your goals and the things that you wish to achieve if you wish to try Crowdsourcing. If the type of Crowdsourcing you choose needs a particular online platform, compare various websites and determine which one is the best suited for your objectives.