Crowdsourcing Magic?

Explain how a brand can benefit from crowdsourcing content. Include two examples of brands having success through this content creation tactic.

7 min readOct 10, 2020

The Hilinski Family (Left). Lake Eacham Queensland, Australia

Crowdsourcing is a magical thing. I mean somehow a brand convinces hundreds, thousands, even millions of people to intentionally give them content…FOR FREE. When have we heard that in modern-day America? Everything comes at a price! Oh, wait, modern-day America is desperate to become someone special. We like the attention that comes with being recognized. I’ll be honest, I get super excited when someone shares my post… it makes me feel like I did something right! This makes it easy for brands to capitalize for their own gain. There are two brands that I love to follow because of their use of User Generated Content. Hilinski Hope is about spreading awareness for mental health issues; Visit Queensland, Australia, a travel agency, aims to increase sales. Both brands aim for authentic representation by having the customer speak on behalf of the brand.

Here are four reasons that acknowledge how the Hilinski Hope #3Day campaign and Visit Queenslands’ business model benefit from crowdsourcing content:

1. Referrals

This is an important role in the success of a brand using crowdsourcing content. It is the strongest, most direct approach that connects your brand to your current and potential consumers. Trusted friends and family create the fastest (Ch.3) way to reach newer, larger, loyal audiences. The content created by the consumer is authentic; it’s real and people trust that. It is the proof (Ch.3) in the pudding… confirming what the potential consumer wants to know about the product or service. What a great way to build brand cred! Let’s look at our brand examples:

Hilinski Hope ran a campaign this past weekend called #3Day. The purpose was to spread awareness about mental health illnesses through mental health awareness week. They encouraged their followers to buy their T-shirt “Mental Health Matters” and share a picture of them in the shirt or holding up three fingers in solidarity for those we have lost. This was great for two reasons. It exposed non-followers to the cause and convinced them to participate. It also made consumers more aware of the level of care individuals have for mental health and breaking the stigma.

Visit Queensland continuously posts UGC as a method of showing potential customers the “real deal”. Presenting the opportunities in front of them if they Visit Queensland and seeing the best the region has to offer with their travel agents’ help influence consumers and builds engagement.

PEERS = STRONGEST INFLUENCERS (Core)

2. Gives the Brand Personality

Crowdsourcing gives the brand identity. It tells the story which resonates and strikes a chord with the audience. It shows the product in action and places it into a real-world setting, catching the attention of the consumer and facilitating a personal connection between the consumer and the brand. As a result, engagement, loyalty, and a mutual bond develop because the consumer likes and trusts the story, eventually turning them into an advocate.

o Hilinski Hope

o Visit — Queensland

3. Expanding Content, Ideas, & Advice

This is 100% the easiest way to gain more without spending a dime! Consumers are providing graphics, web design, and photography to archive for later use. Consumers want to see this content — authentic, real people engaging with the brand. The average person becomes more comfortable with the brand. Crowdsourcing also benefits product development and the testing of products. It enables the brand to connect with the audience learning their wants and needs, keeping up with demand. Who better to help you improve but the customer! They know what they want, and they know how you can get there while serving them better.

Hilinski Hope and Visit Queensland share common ground by not only gaining photography for their archives and future usage but connecting and engaging with the audience. Hilinski Hope created a podcast called UNIT3D, where student-athletes can ask medical professionals questions about living a healthy mental life. They also organize seminars with frequent questions and concerns about mental health illnesses. Visit Queensland often advise their fans on what to do around Queensland and then post the UGC when they get to visit.

The Ultimate Quest: Who Are You? Right now many student-athletes may feel lost without school tasks…

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4. Direct and Positive Effect on Sales

The proof in the pudding is a great analogy to use when discussing an increase in sales (Ch.3). I mean, think about the last 3 points and how they all connect to sales. Your current consumers introduce potential consumers to a great brand. The potential consumers see the trust of the current consumer and BAM instant sale all because of the referral. Then we get to connect to the brand’s personality, we feel a human (Ch.3) connection to the brand. We love the story and the real-world setting, pulling us in to engage with the brand. Finally, while the brand is expanding content, the consumer hopes that they’ll be noticed by the brand. Social media users catch on that brand’s use content posted by the average person, pushing us to post more and eventually buy more to get noticed.

Hilinski Hope #3Day campaign spread like wildfire on social media during college football games. Building awareness through the spread ignited a spike in donations by families, friends, Universities, Professional Athletes, and Broadcasters. A genuine call for help is received and answered.

On the other hand, Visit Queensland shares stunning pictures from their consumers. This directly correlates to who spends their money and books a trip with them… I mean obviously, they know all the great spots!

While there are additional benefits to using crowdsourcing like eCommerce integration, the above points are by far the strongest. Crowdsourcing enables a brand to grow their community by building relationships and connections through current and potential consumers. It provides fresh, original content from a source that the brand trusts because of the developed bond over the brand’s success. Remember the web has become a place of power for the consumer, so while you have created a strong bond with your consumer, use it to your advantage. Have faith because who knows the consumer better than the consumer.