This presentation was given online as part of the free Nonprofit Webinars series by Amy Sample Ward in May 2011. For more information, please visit http://amysampleward.org
32. Get started today Who’s your community? What’s your timeline? What is your staff/organizational capacity for supporting engagement? What influence can the community or crowd make in your work?
34. discussion What are your current goals and projects that you want to engage the community or crowd with? Are you looking to run a contest? Have you run a campaign or contest that you’d like to share?
I think the most important part of designing a competition that leverages crowdsourcing is to strike a balance between too many voices, and too few. I think you create balance by focusing the competition on the stages of:Open door policy for contributing/submittingPublic voting processPublic’s favorites put to expert judges for final selectionA process like this can ensure that lots of different ideas are included but that the competition can stay true to it’s purpose or the goals of the sponsoring organization. For example, if the crowd voted in huge numbers on a submission that didn’t necessarily fit the criteria, it doesn’t mean it should win.
For me, the two biggest reasons to include crowdsourcing in your strategic design of community building or contests are:Crowdsourcing invites diversity by encouraging anyone with an idea or interest to participateCrowdsourcing levels the playing field so it isn’t just your “favorites” or those you already know that get to play
Sometimes what you want to do and the tools at your disposal just don’t match. Sometimes that means crowdsourcing. It isn’t right for every project or process. Especially when you need things to be very specific or follow tight criteria, you are working very quickly or flexibly where communication with the crowd could be difficult or time consuming (or even confusing), and when you already know what you want (be honest).
Should have a plan for each
Elements:One time or sustainedPassive or active
One time or sustained
Passive or active
Crowd, community or hybrid
The most important way to use social media in a crowdsourced process is to allow the community to use social media any way they want! Using tools that allow reposting, sharing, emailing and so on will give anyone the options they want to push your content around the web for you.
What do you want to do? Where do you want to interact with others? How does the where and the what impact your content, messaging, and strategy?CampaignFundraisingActionPassive vs active
CustomizableConsistent/clear/compelling goalAggregate and promote
UnifiedShareableConsistent messagingCompelling story
Sustained, crowd, hybrid
One time, active, crowd
hybridEasy to use submission formAmple submission periodPublic ranking or votingPanel to select winners
Crowd – sustained - active
Community – sustained – activehttp://www.facebook.com/l/346f9SgpwxYJZWpWecEidu63xLA/www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Gardening/Archives/2010/Gold-Medal-Favorite-Plants.aspxhttp://www.facebook.com/l/346f9hhTO55LofSD8eHwr7S-cbA/www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Be-Out-There/Get-Involved/Advisory-Council/Get-Tips-From-Moms.aspx