Pros and cons of crowdsourcing product photos

Crowdsourcing comes in all shapes and sizes. Individuals and businesses alike solicit support for everything from developing the world’s best hoodie to restoring an historic movie theater.

But when crowdsourcing is big, it can be really big. Take the Pebble e-Paper smartwatch, for example. On Kickstarter, one of the world’s biggest funding platforms, the goal was to raise $100,000. When all was said and done, it raked in more than $10 million. Clearly, the benefits of crowdsourcing are limitless.

Crowdsourcing, however, doesn’t always have to be so lofty. For those not in the business of creating society’s next big iGadget, crowdsourcing can serve as an effective way to tackle a marketing campaign or populate a website with content. But it’s important to remember that relying on the collective might not always be the best choice.

To put crowdsourcing into perspective, let’s take a look at a classic eCommerce situation: A new product has been launched, and you need lots of new photos to populate a website, several social media platforms and a handful of other properties where the product is being advertised. In the past, it would have been necessary to hire a professional photographer to get the job done. Today, however, many eCommerce companies are considering crowdsourcing as a cost-effective way to not only develop content but also to cultivate an interactive customer base.

Pro: Receiving product photos for free. For free!

Con: Receiving free photos, but forgetting about the underlying overhead costs.

Gathering and managing a flood of incoming photos could end up being much more work than one would think. For starters, a company will need to funnel all of the submissions through a portal (which will have to be developed) or, perish the thought, straight into one individual’s inbox. Once submissions start arriving, it will then be necessary to start processing them. Labeling, categorizing and choosing photos is a big project on its own, so make sure you account for that.

Pro: Getting lots of free photos in short order.

Con: The hope of getting lots of free photos in short order, which don’t materialize in time.

The waiting game is the last thing that marketers want to play when it comes to a new product launch or a new campaign. If a brand’s audience doesn’t start contributing to a crowdsourcing project early on, nerves are sure to be on edge. Unfortunately, that’s just part of the deal when relying on others to produce content – for free. Having a back-up plan is essential.

Pro: Being showered with an influx of stunning, unique photos.

Con: Being dumped on with a huge pile of unusable, low-quality photos.

Savvy consumers have plenty of free tools at their disposal to create great-looking photography. And often times, customers can deliver a unique perspective that a professional photographer or marketer might not think of. The end results could be sensational. However, they could also be incredibly underwhelming. So again, make sure you have a back-up plan.

Pro: Elated customers who get a fun, fresh opportunity to interact with a brand.

Con: Disappointed customers whose photos ended up on the cutting room floor.

To avoid the potential disappointment that could come with unused submissions, a business will need to produce a disclaimer to run with the call for photos. Given the copyright implications that can come with this type of content, a disclaimer will be imperative regardless if the photos go unused or not. But beyond the legalese, a token of appreciation can come in the form of a big Facebook photo upload where you can share what wasn’t used and thank everyone for participating.

Asking a customer base to provide photography is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to crowdsourcing. Some companies have asked for design submissions for new products while others have used the process to hire new employees, design new packaging and even improve manufacturing processes.

The benefits of crowdsourcing can be huge, but no matter how a company leverages it, it’s important to remember that at its core, crowdsourcing can be one of the best methods for engaging with customers and establishing brand loyalty.

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