Start with a crowd…..

Key topics of discussion these days... collaboration, 2.0, web communities and sharing are all concepts widely discussed and considered as part of today's marketing mix. But limiting these practices to marketing is a disservice considering the possibilities that web communities and mass collaboration can bring to your business. Activities such as strategic planning, product development, branding and marketing can all be influenced by outside resources and often in a positive and cost-effective way. One term that can be used to describe this act is crowdsourcing.

Many authors and businesses have leveraged the power of mass collaboration using Web 2.0 technologies for feedback, editing support, general business ideas or product feature sets.

What better way to deliver products/services then to involve your targeted demographic or “crowd” into the planning stages.

The person who actually created the “crowdsourcing” term, Jeff Howe, is preparing to release a book on the subject. In following his own advice, he collaborated and opened up the chapters during the process of writing through his blog. Guy Kawasaki has also done this using Twitter among other things to get people involved in the creation of his latest book.

Go Ahead, Tighten the Bootstraps and Get Creative

So why wouldn’t bootstrapping companies consider this method? Most of the companies that I have met with recently are being cautious with their money and sometimes at the expense of great ideas. But rather than shelling out a bunch of dough for one level of results, why not put out a challenge to a community and see what response you get? This could be done through Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook just to name a few. Any company could apply these tactics and create a community of zealots who are eager to see the final result whether it is a book, product or even a service.

Even if you aren’t bootstrapping, consider leaving your four walls and opening up your collaboration environment to a crowd to generate better ideas or at minimum, ideas you may not have thought of. Goldcorp and Colgate hold successes with going transparent and allowing others to get involved with ideation so why can’t you? Another consideration is to tap Universities for fresh ideas and perspectives.

Some sites to consider if you want to tap specialists...

• InnoCentive - connects companies, academic institutions, public sector and non-profit organizations with a global network of more than 145,000 brilliant minds
• YourEncore - network of retired and veteran scientists and engineers

Open Call for Logo

In the spirit of the “open call,” I would like to put out a request for the Activevoice blog logo. Interested parties should contact me at Melissa_hourigan@yahoo.com and we can discuss a trade or compensation agreement.

Books to Consider

• Mavericks at Work – William C. Taylor and Polly LaBarre
• Here Comes Everybody – Clay Shirky
• Coming soon…. Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd Is Driving the Future of Business – Jeff Howe
• The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations - James Surowiecki