It's All About the People

If crowd sourcing was not an obvious benefit to the public, there is no way it would have grown to be so popular so soon. As much as companies need the public eye to help support their business, there is something in it for the people too. What is that something?

As we have mentioned already on this blog, Pinterest is a great example of a benefit to the public. Anyone who is a member can choose to follow people they know and are therefore constantly getting creative new ideas (crafts, DIY projects, recipes, clothing styles). At the same time, if Pinterest didn't have "pinners" the site would be nonexistent. Another great example that is used often is Yahoo Answers, or other websites that use this form of communication. Here, a person posts a question either anonymously or naming themselves and then await an answer from anyone with knowledge on the subject and willing to help. American Idol and The X factor are also both great examples of people participating in crowd sourcing to benefit themselves. Yes the shows desperately needs participants to try out so that they may weed out the weak from the strong. However, most people try out for the show in hopes of making a name for themselves, and if the show is lucky, making a name for them for their company as well.

When considering the benefits of crowd sourcing, it's clear to see that it truly is a benefit to all sides.  When the two are working well together, everyone is happy and maybe even successful!