Because a map is a work of art that is never truly finished.

Your map is live and visitors are exploring it. At the same time, everything keeps changing: shops, hotspots, and points of interest. A map is a work of art that is never fully finished. That dynamic is fun, but also challenging. How do you keep your map current? By involving your audience through crowdsourcing.

Crowdsourcing

One of the major buzzwords of recent years: crowdsourcing. In short, it means using the public to collect information.

Wikipedia, TripAdvisor, OpenStreetMap, and many others rely on it. Google Maps increasingly does too. Makes sense, because keeping content up to date is one of the biggest challenges in map making.

Everyone can contribute

The good news: with Wolf Maps, you do not have to do it alone. We support crowdsourcing through our Suggestion feature. Visitors can propose new locations, so you can build and maintain your map together.

Why this can work well for your map:

• Less time spent on maintenance
• Surprising additions and ideas from visitors
• Faster distribution, because contributors are more likely to share the map

How do you get started?

Getting started

First define your map’s goal. What kind of map are you building? Start by adding 10 to 20 places yourself, so visitors understand what kind of suggestions are useful. Then invite your network to submit suggestions, for example via social media. You decide which suggestions are approved.

Example: Lekkers uit de Buurt

Crowdsourcing use cases vary widely:

• A national park can invite visitors to add beautiful photos
• A municipality can involve residents in mapping litter
• Aid organizations can ask volunteers to add emergency shelter points
• A local initiative can ask visitors to add shops that sell local products

The last example was brought to life by Leonie Bais and Ritzo ten Cate with their map Lekkers uit de Buurt. In the bottom-right corner you see the Suggest a place button. Missing a shop? Suggest it.

What is next

We believe everyone can add valuable information. That is why we keep improving our crowdsourcing functionality. This makes map maintenance easier and, honestly, much more fun.