Crowdsourcing is a technique for getting help, ideas or information from people. Crowdsourcing tools vary greatly and are based on the different platforms offered by the internet. However of all these, the most common is social media crowdsourcing. According to a recent research, the top ten social media crowdsourcing tools are:
1. Twitter
Twitter is already being used in crowdsourcing efforts. Twitter has over a short time gained acceptance worldwide, it is even being used by various corporate bodies in their efforts to reach their clientele. Twitter is convenient for crowdsourcing because one is able to ask a question and get an answer instantly from the people who see the tweet. The most effective way is to create a hash-tag in order to highlight important parts of the tweet.
2. Facebook
Someone can create a page on Facebook, invite people to join and then use the page to ask questions and gather peoples’ opinions and other relevant data. One can also post discussion topics in order to get different sentiments from different individuals. This assists in building brand awareness, disseminating information and getting feedback about the information posted.
3. Ustream and YouTube
These popular video sharing websites allow users to upload videos as well as view and share other peoples’ videos that interest them. One can host a live show on Ustream where there is interaction between the person hosting and interested parties through chat. In the case of YouTube, videos can be uploaded then viewers can leave their opinions and responses on the page in form of comments.
4. Google Wave
Google Wave is a tool for communication and collaboration on the web which was launched in 2009. It was touted by many people as difficult to use and was not received as well as expected. Its integration of email and instant messaging is a great platform for crowdsourcing, if Google resolves its defects.
5. Google Docs
Google Docs allows for the creation of documents- both spreadsheets and presentations. It allows for a contractor and his team to modify and compare notes without necessarily being at the same place.
6. Delicious
This is a social bookmarking tool that allows a user to share links that help in developing an idea, education and marketing efforts. Delicious also allows a person to share bookmarks on other social networks.
7. Dropbox
Dropbox is a free online service that lets a user upload and share different files with others. It’s great for collaborative tasks which is a component of crowdsourcing.
8. Scribd
This social reading and publishing site lets people share written pieces that interest them. They can also comment and post suggestions for content and ideas to be revised.
9. Get Satisfaction
This is a customer software platform for technical support. It allows a person to have a hand in coming up with solutions, then they can share the information and their experience on other social media.
10. Evernote
This site allows attachment of web text, notes, videos and images. One also has a choice of sharing the items he finds interesting or useful.
RSS
