Going Inside Wikipedia

Earlier this year, Wikipedia celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Since launching in January 2001, the editable, online encyclopedia has grown to epic proportions: Over 18.1 million articles in all languages, 3.5 million monthly edits and 36,700 editors active on a daily basis. The English Wikipedia’s front page alone receives 150 million views every month.

To mark the occasion, JESS3 teamed up with Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales and the Wikimedia Foundation to create a video detailing the site’s rich history, profiling the expansive community and explaining Wales’ long-term vision.

Screenshots from “The State of Wikipedia” video:

So what’s Wikipedia’s significance? Google your company. What do you find near the top of results? That’s right — a Wikipedia article. Even though you’d probably rather people went to your corporate website first, the fact is most will still go to the Wikipedia article first, because they see it as an independent source.

Sometimes the “unbiased” Wikipedia article is right on the money, but sometimes it’s way off. So, it’s essential that you understand the ins and outs of how Wikipedia works, because maybe — not always, but sometimes — you can help Wikipedia’s editors make it better. Eloquapartnered once again with JESS3 and Wikipedia expert William Beutler to create “The Grande Guide to Wikipedia,” an e-book to help navigate the site’s 150+ rules, understand the terminology and avoid rookie mistakes.

Screenshots from “The Grande Guide to Wikipedia”:

So, can Wikipedia be used as a marketing tool? Yes and no. If you can introduce information that helps Wikipedia build a better encyclopedia, then yes. If you want to change something that puts your goals before Wikipedia’s, then no. Because it can be difficult to know what’s welcome and what’s not, Wikipedia’s rules discourage marketers from editing directly. But they do invite you to make suggestions about how to improve any article, even about your own company.

To navigate this gray area, you just need to be up front about who you are and who you represent in your profile and keep in mind that your contributions need to first and foremost advance Wikipedia’s goal of providing unbiased, verified information. In other words, it can’t just be about making your company look good. If you don’t adhere to Wikipedia’s golden rule, your content can be deleted and you can be banned from contributing.

“The Grande Guide to Wikipedia” is published under the Creative Commons Share-Alike license and is downloadable (for free) here.