PR-Com: Twelve tips for PR on Wikipedia
Wikipedia ist echtes Social Media und verträgt sich mit PR-Arbeit wie Feuer mit Wasser. Wenn Unternehmen die Online-Enzyklopädie aktiv nutzen wollen, ist ein Scheitern meist vorprogrammiert. Mit zwölf Tipps zeigt PR-Com, wie es trotzdem klappen kann.
The online encyclopaedia Wikipedia is also interesting for corporate communications, as many web users use it to find out about companies, their products and topics. However, PR experts who try to become active in Wikipedia themselves must be prepared for bitter disappointment: New articles are often mercilessly deleted, changes made by other users are discarded and, at best, the end result is a text that looks completely different from what corporate communications had in mind.
The reason for this is obvious: the mechanisms of PR do not work in the online encyclopaedia, because Wikipedia is hardcore social media: The community's swarm intelligence reigns supreme here. Nevertheless, corporate communication does not have to capitulate - the following tips provide a guide for a successful entry into Wikipedia.
1. adopt a neutral point of view
Neutrality is a basic principle of Wikipedia and a high hurdle for many companies that like to think they are the center of the world. If you want to write something for Wikipedia, you should be sure that this text is absolutely and uncompromisingly neutral, otherwise you can expect it to be deleted within a few minutes. The principle of neutrality applies from the introduction of a topic to the presentation down to the level of individual terms and words: phrases commonly used in marketing and PR, such as "world leader" or "innovative", have no place here. Especially at the beginning, it is advisable for companies to consult a neutral, Wikipedia-experienced third party.
2. ensure transparency
Even if the temptation is great: companies should never operate undercover in Wikipedia. If you want to write here, you should register as a user. You can register either with your real name, with any nickname or with your company name; verified company accounts are also possible. Either way, you should always disclose your company affiliation; if the Wikipedia community finds out the company background of an account, trouble is inevitable.
3. ensure relevance
Wikipedia has relevance criteria, especially for companies, which should be carefully considered. Not every company that is close to the heart of a PR expert is also relevant in the sense of Wikipedia. The relevance of your own article requests should therefore be checked self-critically and topics that do not meet these requirements should also be rejected internally. The idea of "We're putting our CEO on Wikipedia for his birthday" is a very bad idea.
4. start slowly
You should not start with a new article, but rather familiarize yourself with the Wikipedia world by improving existing articles. Of course, this works best with topics that you know particularly well.
5. use aids
Wikipedia newcomers should familiarize themselves with the author portal and its topics. But that doesn't mean working through the author portal - otherwise you won't start your first article for at least two years.
6. seek guidance for formal design
Wikipedia has quite complicated formalisms, such as linking, assignment to categories, the structure of tables or the use of standard boxes. Wikipedia newcomers should use articles on similar topics as a guide and make generous use of cut-and-paste in the formal design.
7. search for receipts
From the outset, you should look for and record evidence for everything you want to write in Wikipedia. The German Wikipedia in particular is notorious for the fact that nothing works without evidence. You don't have to prove that the earth is not flat - but it would be better if you could cite a source for this too. Restraint is required when selecting sources: Other Wikipedia articles, internal company documents, your own website or even personal experiences do not count as evidence. The author portal provides information on what is accepted here and what is not; if in doubt, you can inquire about the usability of certain sources here.
8. consider discussion pages
If you want to edit Wikipedia articles, you should always read the relevant discussion pages and join in the discussion there if necessary. Here you can, for example, clarify open points, but also possibly reject nonsensical changes to an article together with other community members.
9. practicing writing
As a Wikipedia newcomer, you should first create and edit new Wikipedia articles on a draft page.
10. drawing on experience
As a Wikipedia newcomer, you should not be afraid to get in touch with experienced Wikipedia authors; Wikipedia also has a mentoring program for this purpose.
11. stay on the ball
A Wikipedia article is never finished. The community continues to work on it without asking for permission. Companies should keep an eye on the development of relevant articles and also participate in the relevant discussions. It is helpful to have an internal "expert" who can react at short notice.
12. persevere
Very important: Don't despair! Don't throw in the towel if you run into difficulties. Wikipedia can be a world that takes some getting used to; you can't expect everything to work at the first attempt.
Further information on using Wikipedia in corporate communications can be found in the new Whitepaper from PR-Com available.
