How do you manage Wikipedia projects?
At Lumino, we help large organizations improve and manage their presence on Wikipedia. I'm not one to brag, but we're the best in the business at this type of engagement. We strictly follow Wikipedia's rule for conflict-of-interest editing, work constructively with the site's community to implement changes, and ultimately improve the accuracy and reliability of the encyclopedia's entries by adding factual, up-to-date, and reliably sourced information.
I knew very little about Wikipedia when I first started working on it years ago. But by now I know the site's rules and guidelines inside and out, and that insider knowledge is critical for helping me effectively structure and manage these types of projects.
I don't want to give away too much of our secret sauce for Wikipedia success, but I thought it would be informative to share a few things I've learned about managing Wikipedia projects.
Clients, like anyone else, are very curious about how Wikipedia works. And it doesn’t work the way most think it does.
The first part of our work involves educating the client about Wikipedia’s rules and history and answering questions about the type of people who edit the site and best practices for engaging as a brand representative.
I would never describe myself as an "expert" on Wikipedia, but I do know the site’s policies and guidelines and how they’re enforced to create, edit, and update articles. And I'm always thrilled to find out that clients are really interested to learn more about the site and how it works.
Plus, walking clients through this information helps us convey important points about how and why we operate.
Setting expectations is key
We love helping clients update and improve the accuracy of their Wikipedia articles, but we're very careful to never over-promise what type of changes are possible.
A lot of information that may seem notable for a brand may not seem impressive to an editor looking to update an encyclopedia article. Talking through criteria for sourcing is a good way to explain this. If an event or announcement is worthy of inclusion, it probably received media coverage beyond press releases and company blog posts. In my experience, clients ultimately understand this once you explain it to them and can then be very helpful in tracking down higher quality sources for citation.
And, as with any project, most challenges and issues can be addressed before they happen simply by being honest and transparent with your client about expectations from the start.
If you’re not collaborating, you’re not doing it right
Wikipedia is like any brand messaging project in that lots of stakeholders are going to be involved. After all, you are the expert on your brand. While Wikipedia shouldn’t be used as a promotional tool, it should accurately represent the subjects of its entries. That's why it's critical to provide rounds of review where important voices can be heard and feedback implemented. After managing hundreds of projects in my career, there’s not a single one that didn’t benefit and improve because of strong collaboration.
Say it once, say it twice, say it three times: no one owns Wikipedia
Wikipedia is hosted and funded by the Wikimedia Foundation, but the site's content is not "owned" by anyone. (Editors who contribute to the site agree to release their contributions under a Creative Commons Attribution.) That means that—except in extremely rare circumstances—there is no authority to appeal to beyond Wikipedia’s often anonymous editors.
It's useful to fully convey this upfront because it underscores the importance of following guidelines, engaging with editors, and developing a positive reputation.
Wikipedia is always changing
Anybody can edit Wikipedia at any time, which means content is always in some degree of flux. In addition, understanding that guidelines evolve over time means that sourcing and fact claims that once passed muster may later be challenged or revisited.
This is another point that needs to be conveyed to clients upfront so that it doesn’t seem like you’re promising a permanent solution. Good edits (meaning impartial and unbiased language) supported by reliable citations are more likely to stay up, but content is never “final” and things can change quickly.
Effective communication and clear expectation setting are the lock-and-key to good project management, yet even individuals who are skilled in the craft find Wikipedia difficult to manage. We’ve spent a decade learning the site’s written rules and unwritten customs so that you don’t have to. Let us help you navigate Wikipedia and improve your brand’s presence.
