How Crowdsourcing is Shaping the Future of Digital Interaction

Video: Crowdsourcing Innovation

Crowdsourcing is quickly evolving and gaining notoriety in the business world. According to Gartner it belongs to the 5 most effective and least used innovation practices - a study performed by the company Eyeka shows, that in the past 10 years, 85% of the top global brands have used crowdsourcing efforts within their company. As the world moves further into the digital age, companies need to find faster and more innovative ways to collect the best and most promising ideas. Interacting digitally through crowdsourcing platforms is the quickest way this can be achieved.

Traditional ways of communication are limited to in-house interactions. Yet, crowdsourcing is like a hive-mind though, opening up to a larger workforce with diverse sets of skills and  backgrounds.  Crowdsourcing is the way to shape your company’s future towards the right direction. 

Here’s how the innovation of crowdsourcing will change digital interactions for you and your company.

Social Media Collaboration
Companies need to proactively engage with their audience to keep their services or products relevant to the market.  The internet is bringing relationships between companies and their consumers closer together. Since social media efforts are mostly instant, it allows companies access to information from a wide audience in a cheaper and faster way. The quicker information is received, the quicker companies can interpret and react on it.

Customer Interaction
Benefits of crowdsourcing don’t end at the business front. Connectivity through crowdsourcing allows consumers to share and collaborate knowledge with their peers as well. With the ability to communicate with potential and current consumers, information and answers can be relayed back quickly. This allows the consumers to get involved on their own volition.

In fact, many businesses are taking advantage of this type of opportunity by providing their own online platforms on their websites. However, it is imperative that the platform created has the user experience in mind. A good UI design, coupled with app design and development, increases the likeability of online interactions. If the social collaboration platform you choose is not easily accessible or has a confusing interface, ideas may not get shared effectively, and the crowd won’t come back.

In-house Communication
Not only can you use outside crowds to collaborate on new ideas, but you can also tap into the collective insights of your own employees. Crowdsourcing platforms within your company promote communication growth and drive cultural change. Rather than the traditional one-on-one meeting environment, digital interactions encourage employees to weigh in on different topics and discussions. Leaders can push ideas and concepts forward while getting the input from the entire team. Platforms allow continuous collaboration across business units and transparency throughout the intire innovation process.

Following you find 3 tips how to boost your open innovation platform:

• Open innovation platforms help you to find the most promising ideas together with your employees and customers - use your social media channels to invite your crowd   
• Be clear in the way you communicate and ask open questions - this way you will give enough space to find the most promising ideas  
• Invite your community member to your innovation journey and integrate other innovation methods such as Design Thinking to take the most out of your community.

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