Crowdsourcing Caterers In Buffalo
By Lon S. Cohen
People are using Social Media naturally in ways that more “Savvy” Social Media people use it deliberately, like crowdsourcing.
Unknowingly, my sister 
crowdsourcing on Facebook the other night. I was sitting at home and I got a text message. It was my sister who happens to live in Buffalo and her Facebook status was just updated. Putting aside the wonder at how connected our devices can be (Facebook status to SMS on my cell phone) so I can keep in touch with family who live miles away, it occurred to me that we had reached a real turning point in Social Networking. People who use Social Networking websites for ordinary reasons like sharing photos, life statuses, having conversations and sharing links are now using them for more extraordinary things, like crowdsourcing.
The text read that my sister’s facebook status was updated and that she’s looking for caterers in Buffalo. It was a small request. One you’d make every day to friends and associates if you were throwing a party and didn’t know where to go to have it catered. But the immensity of something so small really hit me. In the past she might call a few friends to ask or ask some coworkers the next morning for suggestions. She might assemble a list of friends and family in Buffalo and email them with the question. Sure, she could look it up in a phone book or do a web search or she might have even looked it up on Yelp! or the local equivalent perhaps on a local newspaper’s business listings section on their website to see what people round town rated and commented on some catering places.
As we know, there’s still a lot to be said for a personal recommendation from someone you know and trust. Businesses spend a lot of time and money making sure that their brand is more well known and adored than the competition. If three people you trust tell you to use Bob and Francesca’s Caterers then you’d probably use them. Your friends may have a million reasons they suggested Bob and Francesca’s Caterers. Maybe they used them personally and liked the service. Maybe they went to a party where Bob and Francesca catered the event. Or maybe they just hear Bob and Francesca’s Caterers on the radio and see their ads in the newspapers all the time so they think they must be the best. Surfice it to say, we may be aware of the advertising ourselves but when a trusted associate confirms what we’ve been hearing, it just reinforces the message that much more.
So when my sister puts up her status message asking for a caterer in Buffalo a whole slew of interactions comes into play. They network may reinforce what she already thinks she knows—that Bob and Francesca’s Caterers are the best in Buffalo. Or they may make brand new suggestions. My sister might come away with two or three businesses and then call, visit or do further research to narrow it down to her first choice. Whatever that choice may be whether it’s price, location, availability or quality or some combination getting on that short list is imperative.
There are two lessons to take way from this. First is that it’s not just the media savvy and technophiles doing the crowdsourcing any more. It’s your sister from Buffalo or your cousin from Philly. Or even your grandfather! The second is that if you are a business and you want to get onto that short list you need to get your name out there. The traditional advertising route works. So does being the best at what you do. But since your customers are now crowdsourcing for your name on Facebook (and MySpace and Twitter and…) don’t you think you need to be there too? Not just as billboard or a place holder for your contact information but really engaged with your past, present and future customers.