The hot new trend: Crowdsourcing

How are you connecting with your clients? Are you reaching them on a personal level?

If you want to transform leads into clients and potential home buyers into new homeowners, you need to asses how you are building your relationships. A growing trend among corporations is crowdsourced banding manifested into online contests. This marketing technique helps companies create strong consumer relationships.

Take for example Starbucks Canada, who recently announced a contest to name their Blonde roast. Accounting for almost 20% of their sales, the light coffee is one of their most popular products. That said, the contest came at a surprise to existing consumers and is viewed as a bold move for Starbucks. They are handing the reins over to their buyers, giving them a sense of ownership. In today’s market, doing just that makes a successful business.

The City Of Edmonton most recently crowdsourced for a contest to name the existing and future LRT Lines throughout the city. Over 900 Edmontonians voted and the final list of names were released on January 21st of 2013. It was a savvy marketing move to engage Edmontonians in the naming process and promote community involvement. Mission accomplished.

In the summer of 2011, a real estate developer turned heads when he asked Brazilian homeowners what features they would like in their new apartment buildings. The question was posted on the business’ Facebook page. The result? A mountain of fresh, innovative ideas for a residential development.

Successful real estate agents constantly nurture their current relationships while establishing new relationships. Homeowners want a two-way conversation, they don’t need an agent to tell them about a home, they want a professional REALTOR® who will engage them and reach them on a personal level. Essentially, they want to tell you about a home, their dream home. Use social media as your crowdsourcing platform. Compose a well written message on Facebook and Twitter to receive insights from homeowners. From coffee to real estate, this more personalized crowdsourced approach will not go unnoticed.

Sign-up For FREE Updates