Wikipedia entries? Proceed with caution.

One of the most important principles in the new world of social media is the necessity to understand and respect the rules and expectations of each individual community.

In the case of Wikipedia, rules and expectations are clearly stated and worth studying closely, as they may not be what you would assume. Just as a starting point, see essays posted on Wikipedia here and here for suggested guidelines.

I recommend to my corporate clients that creating Wikipedia entries in the context of their marketing or public relations efforts is not an activity of choice. As a user-generated online encyclopedia, Wikipedia’s originators and community require that it be compiled from editors with a point of view that is assumed to be neutral and sourced from only previously published sources.  There is to be no original content.

In other words, as a business or individual, you are not invited to enter information just because you know it to be true or believe it to be balanced and fair. The content very quickly will be flagged or deleted if it is not considered notable, neutral, and sourced from a credible third party source, according to their guidelines. And every entry or edit can be traced back to the IP address of the person making the addition or change.

Wikipedia is not meant to be a public space for even the most reasonable promotion of ideas, people, or businesses, as would be the purpose of corporate websites, blogs, forums, or news outlets that welcome original information and thought leadership.

Within the Wikipedia community, it is considered unfavorable or even unethical for a marketing representative or hired consultant or writer to submit information.  

It is considered acceptable in isolated instances to edit or request the editing of incorrect or damaging information. And it also is considered acceptable to enter into dialogue on Wikipedia’s public talking pages to suggest reasons why a topic is noteworthy, so that an editor might be interested in researching and writing an entry.  However, if an editor is thus influenced to write an entry, there is no control over how and what is covered.

From my point of view as a public relations consultant, Wikipedia is an example of the fact that you can’t always control what others say and publish about you, and that is all the more reason to have a good overall communications effort in place. The result of a strong and consistent public relations program is that perceptions of you, your business, and your ideas will be shaped and strengthened over time, driven by your engagement in communities that value your participation and by balanced and informed content.

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