Save time by letting employees create content

Keeping your intranet fresh is a challenge, especially when budgets get cut and staff is stretched. Why not make the transition from creating all the content yourself to letting readers contribute? Not only will you reduce your workload, you'll also make your site more lively and engaging.

Here are five quick ways to build employee-generated content on your site.

Encourage employees to rate content

Ask people to rate how useful or enjoyable they find content, based on a numbered scale. Leave space for open-ended comments. Online retailer Amazon.com uses this concept effectively in its consumer product reviews.

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Launch a quick poll

You can post a new question each week, such as "How do you overcome presentation jitters?", with multiple choice responses. NPR's Best CDs of the Year Poll (So Far) poll inspired over 6,000 people to vote for their favorite albums.

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Post recommendations

Allow people to recommend web sites, videos, software or training classes that helped them learn or solve a problem at work. Goodreads, a social networking site for avid readers, is a great example of this concept.

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Create an event slideshow

Nearly everyone has a digital camera or cell phone that takes photos. So ask people to submit photos of events, such as trade shows, sales meetings or company picnics. Then create a slide show with short captions. Take a look at MSNBC's slide shows for some inspiration.

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Post videos

You can invite coworkers to create three- to four-minute videos around a theme, such as "How my team promotes innovation." Best Buy encouraged employees to submit videos to motivate others to participate in its 401(k) plan.