While a number of large corporations use crowdsourcing to innovate, many business leaders remain wary of its ability to generate new ideas. This is usually because either the process as a whole seems daunting or the leaders don’t trust the results.
Yet, there are significant reasons to consider using crowdsourcing to innovate. In fact, crowdsourcing may be an untapped source of innovation that you or your company could seize.
After careful study, we’ve put together the five top reasons you should use crowdsourcing to innovate. Maybe one of them will resonate with you!
1. Put an end to groupthink.
If you’re trying to come up with innovative ideas or products internally, this can lead to groupthink, or making decisions as a group without considering individual ideas. Often, this occurs because employees are afraid of offering new ideas that may fail or simply be disliked by management. By opening up the search for innovative solutions to crowdsourcing, you eliminate this tendency.
2. Increase access to your brand.
When you crowdsource, you’re increasing access to your brand by asking potential customers for their input. Plus, you’re telling them that you’re coming up with a new service or product, without explicitly advertising, which means they’ll be on the lookout for this new thing long before it even exists.
3. Bring in new perspectives.
Oftentimes, even the most creative teams get bogged down with the same problems and the same dull solutions. By crowdsourcing, you’re bringing in creative individuals who’ll take a look at those problems with their own fresh perspectives on them — all free of charge!
4. Get customer feedback.
Who are the best people to crowdsource? Your customers! Which means: when you start a crowdsourcing campaign, you’re not only getting innovative ideas from creative people with fresh perspectives, you’re getting feedback from your customers — the very people you want to sell your goods and services!
5. Be surprised!
Last year, through the process of crowdsourcing, the U.S. military created a biohazard suit. Just a few months ago, during the Louisiana floods, organizations used crowdsourcing to help clear debris and rescue stranded individuals. And recently, a website in South Africa used crowdsourcing to report acts of xenophobic violence. By crowdsourcing, you may come up with something you never expected. And isn’t that what innovation is: coming up with something totally new, be it a brand, an idea, or a product. When it comes to crowdsourcing, be ready to be surprised.
Want to start a crowdsourcing campaign?
Think your business is ready for a crowdsourcing campaign? At Safeguard, we offer a variety of business solutions tailored to fit your needs. We would love to help you crowdsource your way to innovative solutions! Call to talk with one of our consultants today!